"Economy in shambles, law and order breakdown"- opposition

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 August 2001, 19:58 GMT]
"The economy is in shambles. There is no law and order. The government has no majority in parliament. The government is not in a position to present the budget," said Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, Media Spokesman and parliamentarian of the United National Party (UNP), addressing opposition demonstrators at Kolonnawa, an outer suburb of Colombo, Thursday. The Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demonstrated against President Kumaratunga's government Thursday in front of the island's central railway station in downtown Colombo, despite reports that the party might help her stay in power.
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Anti-Govt. demonstrations in 70 towns

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 August 2001, 19:04 GMT]
Demonstrations were held in seventy towns throughout the island Monday demanding the resignation of the People's Alliance government and "the installation of an interim government to bring in democratic reforms." The People's Movement for Democracy organized these demonstrations at Galle, Kandy, Ratnapura, Matale, Polonnaruwa, Kurunagala, Kadawatte, and other important towns.
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Joint opposition demands parliament reopens

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 August 2001, 11:05 GMT]
The joint opposition Wednesday asked the Government to reconvene parliament immediately and to cancel the referendum. Leaders of united National Party, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Sihala Urumaya, Tamil United Liberation Front, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (Hakeem group) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress met this morning under the leadership of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of the Opposition and reviewed the President's decision to postpone the referendum for October 18.
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UNP leader predicts "new govt." after referendum

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 August 2001, 14:57 GMT]
The leader of the United National Party, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday night said that all opposition political parties would form a new government soon after the referendum. He was speaking at an anti-referendum meeting held at Ambalantota, a town in the deep south of the country, amidst speculation that the main opposition party and the ruling People's Alliance are moving slowly toward forming a national government.
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Sihala Urumaya brokers 'truce' between PA-UNP

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 August 2001, 06:58 GMT]
The Sihala Urumaya (SU), the hardline Sinhala Buddhist nationalist party has appealed to the main opposition, United National Party to drop the no-confidence and impeachment motions against the People's Alliance government to end the present political crisis. The General Secretary of the SU Mr.Tilak Karunaratne made this request to the leader of the UNP when he met the latter Thursday.
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Opposition slams government over attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 July 2001, 22:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to reconvene the prorogued parliament immediately. Both parties made this appeal in the wake of Liberation Tigers’ dawn attack on Katunayake airbase in the early hours of Tuesday morning. " The government is in breach of its duty to protect Katunayake international airport," said the UNP leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, addressing a press conference Tuesday evening.
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Opposition parties condemn attack on demonstrators

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 July 2001, 20:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition parties condemned the police attack on anti-government demonstrators that left two people dead and about 70 wounded. UNP sources said the police attacked demonstrators led by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. The UNP Leader escaped unhurt due to the prompt action of his bodyguards. Mr.Wickremesinghe accused the police of trying to assassinate him.
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"Opposition processions illegal" -IGP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 July 2001, 16:04 GMT]
Sri Lankan police Wednesday banned protest rally by the joint opposition against the prorogation of parliament by President Kumaratunga. The rally had been planned for Thursday in Colombo.
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Impeachment of the President considered

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 July 2001, 18:09 GMT]
The opposition parties Monday decided to bring an impeachment motion against President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. Briefing the press on Monday, Mr. Ranil Wicremasinghe (UNP), the Leader of the Opposition, said that constitutional experts are studying the charges and an impeachment motion will be filed with the Speaker within two weeks.
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No power to summon parliament -speaker

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 July 2001, 15:49 GMT]
The Speaker announced Sunday that he has no power or authority to inquire into the validity of the prorogation of parliament by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. "There was no sufficient reasons for me to review the decision of the President to prorogue parliament" Speaker Anura Bandaranaike said in a letter to the Leader of the Opposition Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.
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PA denies LTTE banned under PTA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 July 2001, 02:37 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government categorically stated Monday that “the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was banned under the Emergency Regulations (ER) on January 27, 1998”. The SL Government denied news reports that “LTTE was banned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)”. The Peoples Alliance Government argues that if the State of Emergency were allowed to lapse, the ban on the LTTE would automatically be revoked and that the Sri Lankan security forces would be deprived of the legal basis for carrying out their duties in the course of war.
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Demonstrators demand govt's resignation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 June 2001, 20:25 GMT]
Several hundred supporters of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) held demonstrations in all 38 electorates of the Western Province, including capital Colombo, Saturday, demanding the resignation of the People's Alliance Government. "The Government has no moral right to be in power anymore as it has lost the confidence of the people. We will force this government out of power with the support of the masses," said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing picketers at Armour Street junction in Colombo.
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Opposition submits no confidence motion against the govt.

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 June 2001, 07:03 GMT]
A motion of no confidence against the ruling People's Alliance government, signed by 97 MPs was handed over to the speaker of the house Friday morning. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said it is confident of defeating the government.
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Solheim leaves after meet with President

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2001, 17:16 GMT]
Norwegian peace envoy Mr.Erik Solheim left Sri Lanka Monday evening after meeting Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, Minister Professor G.L.Peiris and Indian High Commissioner Mr.Gopalkrishna Gandhi, diplomatic sources said.
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Sinhala nationalists demonstrate against British official

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 November 2000, 17:46 GMT]
Hundreds of Sinhala nationalists demonstrated outside the British Council building in Colombo around 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon as the visiting Foreign Office Minister Mr. Peter Hain attended a seminar to deliver a speech on the topic "British Policy on Devolution and the Northern Ireland Peace Process".
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Sri Lanka revives devolution package

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2000, 18:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Monday morning met the leader of the opposition and the United National Party, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at the Parliamentary Complex and discussed Norway's role in finding a negotiated political solution to the island's protracted ethnic conflict. The talks lasted over ninety minutes, parliamentary sources said.
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Tigers seek "normalcy in Tamil areas"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2000, 17:20 GMT]
Norway's Special envoy Mr.Eric Solheim who returned from Vanni after meeting the leader of the Liberation Tigers, V.Pirapaharan told journalists in Colombo Thursday that the LTTE had not laid down any precondition to begin talks with the Sri Lankan Government. He said the LTTE leader brought to the notice of the Norway's delegation that the Tamil areas the island was suffering under the economic embargo imposed by the Sri Lankan government and that he wanted quick return of normalcy in the northeast, Mr.Solheim said.
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Ex-SLA spokesman elected deputy speaker

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 October 2000, 11:41 GMT]
Members of the Sri Lanka cabinet will take their oaths at 9.a.m Thursday at the Presidential secretariat in Colombo. The portfolios, however, are yet to be announced. Mr. Anura Bandaranaike's name was proposed by Prime Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka and was seconded by opposition leader Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe when the new Parliament met Wednesday. Former Sri Lanka Army spokesman Maj.Gen.(ret) Sarath Munasingha was elected the deputy speaker of the house.
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Wickramanayaka PM, UNP to sit in opposition

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 October 2000, 08:41 GMT]
People's Alliance sources said that the Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at three p.m. Friday. They said that the PA is confident of obtaining the support of the majority of MPs in Parliament to form the government. Meanwhile, the leader of the United National Party Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe told a press conference in Colombo Friday noon that his party would sit in the opposition.
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PA accused of rigging, thuggery in hills

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 October 2000, 09:23 GMT]
Independent polls observers reported widespread rigging by thugs and armed persons working for two powerful People's Alliance (PA) politicians in several parts of central province Tuesday morning. The United National Party charged that armed PA groups had blocked its polling agents from reaching their polling centres in Hanguranketha in the electoral district of Nuwara Eliya.
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