She would have thus effectively run the country, and had all confidence of being able to wield the big stick over the ineffectual and politically tame Wickremenayake. However, her plans did not work when Prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse refused to go along with the scheme and told her, “You can appoint anyone as President, that’s your post, but if you are going to contest my post as Prime Minister I will oppose you.’’ The President was taken aback by this position, and gave up her previous plan -- and is now seeking a Referendum to peruse her plan B.

Though President’s sources do not confirm or deny the story -- according to other political sources of authority who are close to other top government leaders, this was the President’s plan of action in January, soon after the tsunami. She calculated that with the sympathy generated by the tsunami, she could easily get Wickremenayake re-elected once he is appointed President, and then lord it over him as Prime Minister -- -effectively running the country. What she expected Wickremenayake to be was a ‘President Wijetunge’ in repeat - - innocuous, utterly tame, and controllable. But Rajapakse put paid to all her plans when he said ‘’I will oppose you tooth and nail if you vie for my post, ’’ these sources confirm. Published: Wed Mar 30 08:12:13 EST 2005

The head of the Mission's Colombo operations Hakan Karay also informed Mr. Hakeem yesterday evening that another sum amounting to US $ 1.2 million will also be transferred tomorrow (March 31), this is apart from the other financial grants which would be utilized for the construction of 700 houses, 500 for Matara and 200 for Ampara respectively.

The houses which will be constructed in Matara will cost approximately Rs. 800,000/- per house and will include tiled floors and asbestos sheet roofs. However the houses in Ampara will be constructed in apartment styles due to the shortage of land in the area. A letter of interest on the matter has already being signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Meanwhile the Turkish Ambassador who is based in New Delhi is scheduled to arrive in the country shortly to sign the Memorandum of Understanding in this regard. The construction of the houses will begin in May, Karan informed Hakeem.

Further, the officials also requested the SLMC leader to submit a proposal on matters relating to ways of empowering tsunami affected fishermen families. The Turks had vowed to extend necessary financial and other support to these fishing families, after studying the proposals. Published: Wed Mar 30 05:06:58 EST 2005

The UNP’s position he says is that there should be a ‘’rationalized’’ zone that will stipulate various buffer distances for different areas on the coast. However, after the Monday night’s tsunami warning triggered by a 8.7 richer earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, the President says her position is vindicated - - and government newspapers carried banner headlines saying that the government’s position has been correct, while “Ranil should go home’’ for railing against the 100 meter zo-go zone on the islands coastline.

The JVP in the meanwhile has criticized the UNP for not acknowledging that it was wrong. “The UNP must have been against the buffer zone for political or for other reasons -- but after last after Monday’s tsunami fright, the UNP should now acknowledge that it was wrong in opposing the 100 meter buffer zone, instead of which it is taking up the position that it is sticking to its guns’’ a JVP spokesman said. UNP heavyweight Rajitha Senaratne was also, however, quoted as saying that he is sticking to his guns against the buffer zone. Published: Wed Mar 30 06:11:54 EST 2005