n 1505, a few Portuguese vessels under the guidance of Dom Lourenço de Almeida came   ashore to Sri Lanka mainly in their search of spices.  After more than 500 years, Portugal now looks for better ties with Sri Lanka, but not for the spice trade. It seeks to revive its relations with Sri Lanka, as a former Portuguese colony, in a new world order in which interests of both countries concerned have changed both in quality and quantity.

 As a milestone in this revival attempt and renewed international co-operation covering a broad spectrum  of bilateral relations, Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho undertook ‘a working visit’ to Sri Lanka last Sunday,  the first such  visit by a Head of State from that country.

During the short stay, he rushed to Galle to see the Portuguese monuments built during their colonial time in the country, and it preceded the supervision of Portugal funded charity work in Maggona, Kalutara.

External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris received him at the Bandaranaike International Airport.  Later, he had talks with the visiting Prime Minister, with particular emphasis on the pressing challenges confronting Sri Lanka in the international arena. Mainly among them was the appointment of the staff team by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate alleged war time human rights violations and accountability issues.  The Prime Minister also met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne.

Prof. Peiris explained  to the visiting Prime Minister,  Sri Lanka’s stand on the initiative by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to conduct an international inquiry into the allegation of war time rights abuses and accountability issues.

The Minister called it ‘intrusive.’  Apart from these types of matters, the duo discussed measures for cultural co-operation with greater emphasis on the conservation of Portuguese monuments, and fostering of their culture preserved by their descendants living in Sri Lanka.  

The Prime Minister noted the importance of learning Portuguese, as a language widely used in diplomatic affairs. Portuguese is spoken extensively in Latin America. In fact, it is the main language of Brazil which is the largest emerging economy of Latin America.   

In revitalising the cultural links with Sri Lanka, the Portuguese Prime Minister pledged to   help in the study of both Portuguese history and language as academic disciplines by Sri Lankans.

Prof. Peiris explained  to the visiting Prime Minister,  Sri Lanka’s  stand on the initiative by the United Nations Human Rights Council  (UNHRC) to conduct an international inquiry into the allegation of war  time rights abuses and accountability issues

Jayawickrama narrates Dayasiri’s drama The UNP parliamentary group meeting, chaired by leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, discussed the party’s organisational activities at village levels. At the meeting, Kurunegala district MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera narrated what happened to Mr. Jayasekara at a wedding function in the Kurunegala area recently.  An invitee to  the wedding has found fault  with Mr.Jayasekara’s performance as the chief minister.    “Your rhetoric did not match with your performance,” he said. Mr. Jayasekara turned furious upon hearing it, and retorted.

Harin swears by his kids Uva Provincial Council now remains dissolved for polls to be conducted in September. The major parties are ready for the election with preparations of all kinds now in the making.  The chief ministerial candidates of the three main parties – United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and United National Party (UNP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP)- are reaching out to the grassroots . UNP MP Harin Fernando, slated to be nominated as the chief candidate, was involved in a physical brawl with North Western Chief Ministrer Dayasiri Jayasekara during a TV debate. Now, the two members have  started slandering each other in public rallies. Mr. Jayasekara accused Mr. Fernando of frequenting Casino business centres in Colombo.  Given the severity of this allegation, Mr. Fernando was at pain to rubbish it at a recent public meeting. He even swore by his kids, the least thing for a father to do, that he was not involved in such form of gambling. Besides, he remains concerned whether party’s MP Sajith Premadasa, a popular figure at grassroots level      would support him in his campaign. “I do not know whether Sajja will support me,” he told his friends once.

MR orders compensation for UNP member President Mahinda Rajapaksa chaired the Ratnapura District Development Coordinating Committee meeting on July 15.  Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Mahipala Herath and Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne co-chair the Committee. Apart from these two members, the district provincial leaders attended the meeting, and notable among them was the presence of UNP member Siripala Kiriella.   Mr. Kiriella spoke good of many development projects undertaken by the government in the district, but found fault with a few road construction and renovation projects.  His critical remarks annoyed Power and Energy Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi. “You better ask for money from your leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for such projects for the implementation of these remarks,” she retorted. But, Mr. Kiriella even charged that many houses had been demolished for the widening  of  roads in Eheliyagoda. Then ,the President asked, “Was Mr. Kiriella’s house damaged ,” Mr. Kiriella replied, “Yes sir, there was a lot of damage to my property. The President ordered the payment of compensation to all those affected including Mr. Kiriella. “We are not vindictive people,” he said.   Yet, Mr. Kiriella rose on his feet again to raise a point, but the President shouted him to sit down saying, “This is not the Provincial Council.” “You are a noble person. That is why you attended this meeting despite your party being at its lowest ebb today. When our party was in the same predicament, you acted with the same spirit,” he told Mr. Kiriella in reference to the latter’s political background. The President made some emotional remarks about malpractices, involving politicians at every level in Grade I admissions to National Schools and the abuse of public property. “When you act as public representatives, don’t target only preferential votes for you at elections.  Don’t act with callous disregard to the law of the country,” he told the Ministers.

Sinhalese and Tamils belong to same ethnicity Dr. Swami asked not to consider Sinhalese and Tamils as two different ethnic groups.  Quoting modern historical studies, he said only British   historians categorised them as Dravidians and Aryans. But, he said, modern studies into history had proven it wrong, and in fact both the communities shared the common ethnic lineage. He said 40 percent of words in the Tamil language were Sanskrit. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan, party’s National List MP M. A. Sumanthiran, Batticaloa district MP Pon Selvarasa were among those in the audience when such points were raised.