As Sri Lanka's Tamil-speaking Northern Province gets into the election mode, with the Northern Provincial Council elections due in just five months' time, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is facing a split over the issue of registering it as a single legal entity. Four of the five constituents of the TNA have given the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) a two-week deadline to decide whether it wants the TNA to be registered with the Election Commission as a single legal entity or not. The Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Peoples' Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) are for registration as a single entity. Last Sunday, they decided that they would go ahead and register themselves as TNA, if the ITAK did not make up its mind in two weeks' time.

During a recent visit to China, the Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage was able to hold wide ranging discussions on matters of mutual interests and bilateral importance with the Commander of the PLA Navy and officials. He called on The Chief of General Staff PLA, General Fang Fenghui, Commander of the South Sea Fleet Vice Admiral Jiang Weilie and the President of Navy Marine Academy, Captain Shen Changfeng. The visit was made accepting an invitation extended by Commander of the PLA Navy, Admiral Wu Shengli. The visit has strengthened the ties between Sri Lanka and China which maintain close, cordial and mutually supportive in a number of fields. In recent years, the mutual political trust has been constantly enhanced and the bilateral contacts in such fields as humanities as well as economy and trade had been increasingly closer.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has intensified its campaign against the electricity tariff hike by handing over a No -Confidence Motion in Parliament against Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, informed sources said yesterday. After last Wednesday's candle light protest in the Well of Parliament, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake handed over this motion to Secretary General of Parliament Dammika Dissanayake. The motion has been signed by UNP MPs such Lakshman Kiriella, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ranjan Ramanayake, Dilip Wedaarachchi, Chandrani Bandara, Palitha Thewarapperuma, Ruwan Wijewardene, Rosy Senanayake, Jayalath Jayawardane, Niroshan Perera and R Yogarajan. In the motion, the UNP said though Minister Wanniarachchi called the tariff hike a 'proposal' by her predecessor, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, he denied it. The UNP further said Minister Ranawaka had even challenged Minister Wanniarachchi to substantiate her statement if possible.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is to conduct a talent search for potential youngsters from the former LTTE controlled regions in the north and the east. For two days next month, the SLC would run coaching camps and conduct a talent search for under-14 to under-19 age categories in northern capital of Jaffna. There will also be programmes for coaches and the schools' masters in charge, a SLC release said. The Jaffna programme will thereafter be repeated in the eastern provincial district of Batticaloa. Cricket, the island's most popular sport, was deprived to the north and eastern youth throughout the 30-year separatist war which devastated the north and east. The annual cricket match between Jaffna's two leading schools, St John's College and Central College was however continued throughout the conflict.

A people's movement in Sri Lanka, the People's Movement Against the Increased Electricity Bill (PMAIEB) has called for a series of actions against the government's decision to amend the power tariff. As an initial step, the movement has sent a letter to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa stating that people are not responsible for the wastes by the government and demanding to minimize waste and grant relief to the ailing Ceylon Electricity Board. The movement has planned awareness campaigns on April 30, May 03 and May 06 ahead of a protest march scheduled for May 09th.

A Sri Lankan human rights expert says she's shocked the country will be allowed to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year despite ongoing cases of torture and disappearances. Yasmin Sooka, who was asked by UN chief Ban Ki-moon to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Sri Lanka's war, says the country is still perpetrating abuses against its own civilians. 'People continue to be tortured and disappeared,' she told ABC radio on Monday. 'Sri Lanka is quite frankly descending into a state where the rule of law no longer holds sway.' She praised Canada for saying it would boycott the November CHOGM meeting unless Sri Lanka investigates suspected war crimes.

Despite the well planned and persistent attempts, in some quarters, to re-canvass the decision to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November this year, the government has been able to defeat those efforts and it is a matter for satisfaction that justice has been done, Minister of External Affairs Professor G. L. Peiris said in Hambantota on Saturday. He was addressing the Bala Mandalas in Katuwana and Weeraketiya over the weekend. What Commonwealth values require is support for a country which, by virtue of a coherent strategy and the strong commitment of its leadership and the public, has overcome terrorism, and not encouragement - even indirectly - of any course of action which strengthens the forces of destabilization, he added.

Opposition Leader of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremasinghe prepares to present to parliament a list of names of missing persons in the Northern Province. The list reportedly comprises names of 472 people who had gone missing during the period of the war in Mannar. Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph and the Association of Families Searching for Disappeared Persons have requested Wickremasinghe to table the list of names in parliament. However, Wickremasinghe has reportedly said that he would he would take the matter up in parliament, but could not guarantee that the government would address the matter. The Association president has said that the families of missing persons are seeking closure so that they can conduct religious rites.

Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka later this year despite the country's questionable human rights record. Canada says it will boycott the summit unless the host nation investigates allegations of war crimes during the climax of a 26-year civil war. Since Sri Lanka was announced as the host of this year's CHOGM, anger has been building - protestors took to the streets in London at the weekend to voice their concern at Sri Lanka's human rights record. They were targeting a meeting of Commonwealth ministers, while inside the meeting, the Commonwealth's secretary-general faced tough questioning. One of the questions asked was whether Sri Lanka "embodies the principles of human rights, democracy, rule of law and good governance as is laid out in the Commonwealth Charter", to which Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma replied: "I am fully persuaded that they are sincere in subscribing and following those values."

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran yesterday defended campaigning in London against Sri Lanka hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo later this year. The TNA wanted the venue shifted to a suitable venue regardless of a previous decision to allow Sri Lanka to host the meeting. National List MP Sumanthiran faulted the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for giving Sri Lanka the honour of hosting the summit in spite of the government violating Commonwealth doctrine, including Latimar House principles that dealt with the judiciary of member states.The MP was responding to government accusations that he along with Dr. Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, overall Coordinator of programmes conducted by Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), made representations in London against the government.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is ready to hold talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on a political solution, but first they must join the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) on the National issue. In an interview with the Tamil 'Suda Oli' newspaper, the President has said that it is wrong for the TNA to claim that the government is responsible for the talks on a political solution not progressing. 'The doors to talks remain open. Making allegations against the government without accepting reality is pointless,' he said. The President noted that the Parliamentary system is accepted by all and does not belong to the government and so the TNA has nothing to fear by taking part in the PSC. Direct talks between the TNA and the government broke down after the TNA refused to agree to the condition put forward by the government that direct talks can only take place parallel to the PSC.

Global Sinhala News web site reports that the Govt is preparing to eradicate the land and police powers given to the provincial councils from the 13th Amendment before the oncoming Northern provincial council election in September. The site says that few rounds of discussions have already been held on the modifying the land and political powers given to the PCs from the 13th amendment. It is said that the TNA is planning to obtain all these powers after their possible victory in the Northern provincial council. And the Govt has decided not to allow such an event. The web site further reports that the TNA has started discussions with a couple of western countries to achieve the goal of grasping the power of the North.

The main opposition UNP yesterday said they had played a trick on the government to prove that even the bombers of Boston could enter army run hotels in the North. This trick played by the party was revealed by General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake at a public meeting in Vavuniya last evening. The party had booked the room at an army run hotel by giving the name of the Boston bomber Tsarnaev. The person who answered the phone had informed that she had booked the room 'Dilly' for him and had instructed the client to deposit the money to the peoples Bank Palaly branch account no 0491001800235. This was first revealed by Mr. Attanayake but Mr. Karunanayake came out with details later,

A Sri Lankan expatriate has been arrested for beating fellow nationals seeking work in Saudi Arabia as domestic workers. He was nabbed in Colombo by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), with police assistance, shortly after arriving for his annual vacation. The man was exposed when amateur footage was screened on several television channels showing him abusing Sri Lankan maids in a room at a safe house in Saudi Arabia. Mangala Randeniya, deputy general manager of the SLFBE, told Arab News from Colombo that the man was a sub-agent in Saudi Arabia. 'As the incident happened in Saudi Arabia, the SLFBE is consulting with the Attorney General's Department, seeking assistance on the charges that can be leveled against him,' he said.

The Commonwealth has reiterated that a decision made by leaders of its member states in 2009 and confirmed in 2011 to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka still stands and as planned the summit would be held in Colombo in November. Addressing the media following the 39th Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) at Marlborough House in London Friday, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma confirmed that Sri Lanka, which is not on the formal CMAG agenda, had been discussed at the meeting under 'matters of interest'. He said that no member government had indicated that it wishes to change the venue despite claims of Canada's vehement opposition to holding CHOGM in Colombo. However, John Baird, Canada's foreign minister has told the UK Guardian that Canada was disappointed and appalled that Sri Lanka seems poised to host CHOGM and to be chair-in-residence of the Commonwealth for two years.

Former Chief of the LTTE's international wing Kumaran Pathmanathan states that three countries had offered the LTTE protection under a deal to end the war during the final stages of the conflict. In an interview with Maldivian newspaper Haveeru, Pathmanathan, also known as KP, said that two African countries and one in Asia offered protection after he had communicated with the governments of those countries. KP said that he pushed LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran to accept the deal but the attempts had failed resulting in the ultimate defeat of the LTTE by the army. Meanwhile Opposition Leader of Tamilnadu Muththuweil Karunanidhi has urged the intervention of the Indian Govt with concern to the redistribution of lands in the North East to its rightful owners, the Tamil population which had fled the region during the conflict. Karunanidhi has also urged the intervention of the United Nations in this regard.

Sri Lanka Parliament sources say that the ruling party parliamentarian Duminda Silva who was an accused of the killing of presidential adviser Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra would return to the parliament soon. The legislator was on leave from parliament from October 2011 after he got severely injured in an election day shootout in Kolonnawa, a suburb of Colombo. During the gun battle Premachandra and four others were killed and MP Silva sustained severe injuries to the head. He received treatment for his injuries at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore before his return to the country last month. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed four counts of charges on February 19 against 13 suspects including MP Duminda Silva before the Colombo Magistrate's Court.

Au'tralia'' Green' leader Chri'tine Milne ha' accu'ed the Gillard government of placing dome'tic politic' ahead of human right' by refu'ing to boycott the upcoming Commonwealth Head' of Government Meeting in 'ri Lanka. De'cribing it a' hypocri'y on Labor'' part, the Green' leader 'aid 'ending a'ylum 'eeker' back to 'ri Lanka when it' government continued to 'pon'or human right' violation' wa' outrageou'. And turing a blind eye to tho'e abu'e' by attending the CHOGM to be ho'ted by 'ri Lanka thi' year wa' appalling, 'he 'aid. 'enator Milne 'aid the Au'tralian Government wa' taking a 'hear no evil, 'ee no evil, 'peak no evil' approach to what wa' actually happening in 'ri Lanka. Her rebuke follow' Foreign Mini'ter Bob Carr'' in'i'tence on being at the November 'ummit de'pite increa'ing human right' violation' acro'' the 'outh A'ian country.

Canadian foreign minister John Baird states that Sri Lanka has failed to preserve the commonwealth values of democracy, good governance and rule of law. He thus emphasizes that it would be a disgusting act to hold a Heads of state summit in such a country. Canadian foreign minister also said that that Sri Lanka has not shown any positive progress regarding building reconciliation with the Tamil community. However, Media minister Keheliya Rambukwella expressed his views on these accusations by saying that these allegations should be thrown in to the bin. Meanwhile, Australian foreign minister Bob Carr has declared that Australia will take part in the summit in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces are under close US scrutiny ahead of forthcoming first Northern Provincial Council election with US ambassador Michele J. Sison touring Trincomalee and its suburbs on Friday (April 26) to inquire into the wellbeing of Tamil speaking Muslims. Ambassador Sison was accompanied by several Colombo based US diplomats. During meetings in Trincomalee with representatives of Muslim association, the US delegation had discussed about land issues, destruction of Muslim places of religious worship, setting up a security forces base at Kinniya in spite of protests due to the site being a place of religious worship, sexual molestation of children and whether the Sinhalese caused trouble to the Muslims, sources told The Sunday Island.

Deputy Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso will visit Sri Lanka from 1st to 2nd May 2013, as a follow-up to the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Tokyo in March this year, the Japanese embassy in Colombo said. Parliamentary Senior vice Minister of Finance Ms. Yuko Obuchi will also travel to Sri Lanka with the deputy Premier. During their visit Mr.Aso and Ms.Obuchi will call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss bilateral relations with a view to further strengthening the long-standing ties between the two countries and will also visit the Port of Colombo and Colombo Dockyard.

Jaffna commander major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe has told the Govt's 'Dinamina' news paper that the Uthayan news paper in Jaffna is transmitting false propaganda to the international community with the intention of disrupting the mutual harmony built between the security forces and the people in Jaffna. Mjr Gen. Hathurusinghe has further stated that the Uthayan news paper has joined hands with the TNA to become a trumpet of the Pro LTTE Tamil Diaspora, in spreading racism. Mr. Hathurusinghe has further said that although the TNA calls themselves the representatives of the Tamil community, they had not done anything for the people so far. He says that the people in Jaffna admires the Govt relief program in the North and are considering the Sinhalese and the security forces as their friends.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the largest ally of the ruling coalition, will call for applications from prospective candidates soon to contest the elections for the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) in September, party officials said yesterday. The SLFP-led alliance will handpick 19 candidates for the Jaffna district, eight for the Mannar district, and eight for the Mullaitivu district, nine for the Vavuniya district and seven for the Kilinochchi district. SLFP National Organiser and Minister Basil Rajapaksa said his party would put up a newspaper advertisement soon calling for applications from those willing to contest the election. 'We will conduct the election to the NCP for sure. We need to select candidates for it,' he said. The government constitutes the NPC for the first time. Earlier, there was a single provincial council for the North and East but this came to an end when the East was de-merged from the North on a court order.

It is reported that MP Duminda Silva who was released on bail, had left the Nawaloka Hospital and went to meet the President at the temple trees, to receive greetings. Sri Lanka Mirror reporter says that the motorcade carrying Mr. Silva has gone in the Navam Mavatha and then turned in to Galle face direction and then entered the Temple trees. It is interesting to note that after coming down to Sri Lanka from Mt. Elizabeth Hospital Singapore on a wheel chair, Mr. Silva, was able to walk out from the Navaloka hospital. It is reported that a large gathering of people were waiting outside to welcome him with garlands of flowers.

Court of Appeal Judge Ms Rohini Perera Marasinghe was sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees a short while ago, the Government Information Department said.

Sri Lanka and India have held the 22nd International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting in the mid seas earlier this week to discuss maritime issues common to both countries. The IMBL meeting between the two navies was held onboard the Indian Naval Ship Gharial at the Indo-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Line off Kankasanthurai on 23rd April 2013. The Navy officials of the two neighboring countries have discussed several issues of bilateral importance focusing special attention on the fishing activities across the Palk Strait, Gulf of Mannar and Eastern sea areas. The two navies also discussed drug trafficking across the IMBL. The biannual IMBL meeting held to strengthen the naval relationships between the two neighboring countries comes amid accusations by Tamil Nadu fishermen of attacks against them by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says he will not boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka over allegations of human rights violations. Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser called for Australia to skip the conference, which is scheduled to be held in November, following reports of the torture of Tamil civilians and government-sanctioned abuse of journalists, judges and opposition politicians. "No, we shouldn't [attend]," Mr Fraser said. "We should have been arguing at the Commonwealth conference in Perth that Sri Lanka was an inappropriate place to have the conference. "From all the reports that we're getting, there is still continuing human rights violations in Sri Lanka."

The Canadian government has launched a blistering attack on Sri Lanka's "appalling" record on democratic accountability as the controversy intensifies over the Commonwealth's decision to allow Colombo to host its biennial heads of government meeting later this year. The Commonwealth's general secretary said on Friday that he saw no reason to strip Sri Lanka of the honour of staging the meeting in November despite mounting international concern over the country's failure to tackle human rights abuses and demonstrate a clear commitment to democracy and the rule of law. John Baird, Canada's foreign minister, said he was stunned that Colombo was not facing censure for its behaviour. "We're appalled that Sri Lanka seems poised to host CHOGM and to be chair-in-residence of the Commonwealth for two years," he told the Guardian.