By Saman Indrajith The Steering Committee, tasked with drafting a new constitution has raised the hackles of some of its members by proposing that the term, ‘unitary state’ be done away with. The Steering Committee interim report submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Constitutional Assembly yesterday states that people in the south are …
The Steering Committee of Sri Lanka’s “Constitutional Assembly” presented its Interim Report to parliament, which, apart from being the country’ legislature, also functions as the “Constitutional Assembly” charged with the responsibility of drafting a new constitution for Sri Lanka. The Steering Committee consists of the leaders of all political parties represented in parliament and is …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Nearing the delivery of an election promise of the Unity Government, the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Steering Committee (SC) Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled an interim report promising the country to present a better Constitution, which will help develop the nation, keep Sri Lanka intact and cultivate peace and harmony among …
By Saman Indrajith The SLFP yesterday insisted that the executive presidency had to be retained if the unitary character of the state was to be safeguarded. Addressing a press conference held in the Parliament complex, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said a president with certain executive powers was essential for the …
By Saman Indrajith The JVP says that the new constitution to be introduced should abolish the executive presidency if democracy is to be strengthened. JVP leader and Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake said so, expressing views after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had presented the Interim Report of the Steering Committee before the Constitutional Assembly …
Continue reading ‘JVP Wants Executive Presidency to be Abolished in New Constitution.’ »
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and City Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem has requested Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, PC to summon Colombo based Myanmar Ambassador over on-going violence directed at Rhohingya people in that country. Minister Hakeem has made four recommendations in respect of the situation there. The following is the text of …
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana Sri Lanka’s future depends on the ability which the UNP and the SLFP possess to reach an agreement on the fundamentals of the new Constitution, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Constitutional Assembly today. The Prime Minister made this remark while presenting the interim report of the steering committee …
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa today said the government has openly insulted the judiciary and flouted the Constitution by introducing changes to the Provincial Councils Election Bill through the backdoor. Issuing a statement, he said these changes have been made when the Supreme Court (SC) had given a clear ruling that the extension of the terms …
(Text Of Statement made in Parliament on September 21st 2017 by Leader of the Opposition and Trincomalee District MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan) Hon Chairman, It is not my intention at present to comment on the matters contained in the Interim Report submitted by the Hon Prime Minister or the annexures tabled therewith. These matters will be …
By Gehan Gunatilleke It is most unfortunate that further confusion and misinformation is being disseminated on the issue of extradition. In an article appearing in the Island today (21 September), it is claimed that extradition under the Torture Act applies only to non-Sri Lankans, whereas extradition under the Enforced Disappearances Bill applies to Sri Lankan …
The passage of a law to bring directly elected provincial council members has cut down campaign costs, paving the way for campaign financing laws, while expanding female representation, State Minister Eran Wickramaratne said. Half the members of provincial councils will be elected on the basis of geographical seats instead of the current districts where candidates …
The Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday passed the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill to give 25% reservation for women in the Provincial Councils in the country, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, M.A.Sumanthiran said. Currently, women’s representation in the nine provincial councils is only 4.1%, although women are 51% of the Sri Lankan electorate, and Sri …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “Fuggetaboutit…” – Johnny Depp, ‘Donnie Brasco’ It is old news that those who regard themselves as Sinhala nationalists always preferred the district to the province as the primary unit of the devolution of power. What is amazing though is that they do not recognize that this is no longer an issue in …
By Gehan Gunatilleke There is a lot of misinformation about the extradition clause in the Enforced Disappearance Bill. I would just like to point out that this clause is identical to the clause that we already have in the Torture Act of 1994. It was passed during the CBK government when Prof. G.L. Peiris was …
Sri Lanka’s parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to amend the Provincial Council election Act giving greater representation to women, but also effectively delayed polls to three councils. MPs voted 154 in favour and 44 against the controversial piece of legislation that came two days after the Speaker announced that the Supreme Court effectively shot down a …
By Himal Kotelawala The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the controversial bond issuance yesterday declared that despite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran’s foreign citizenship he is indeed compellable to testify in the ongoing proceedings. Making a special statement with regard to media reports on a submission made on Tuesday, Commission Chairman K. T. Chitrasiri …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “This is the only deal.” – Colin Farrell as Sonny Crockett in ‘Miami Vice’ At the heart of the Constitutional Question is the crux of the continuing Sri Lankan crisis. And that is what may be variously called the Tamil Question, the Tamil issue, the Tamil problem, the Tamil national question, the …
By Himal Kotelawala Testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the controversial bond issuance yesterday, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran said he had recommended public auctions over private placements for treasury bonds taking into account the “stunningly large” amounts required by the Government for March 2015. This decision, he claimed, reflected Government policy …
By Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta and Sarath Dharmasena Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Yasantha Kodagoda, PC, yesterday revealed to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing the alleged bond scams that data pertaining to calls taken from two mobile phones used by former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, for a period of 11 months, had gone missing. …
By Sarath Dharmasena and Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta Former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran’s Counsel Romesh De Silva, PC, yesterday told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI), probing the alleged bond scams that his client couldn’t be compelled to give evidence before CoI as he (Mahendran) was a Singaporean. President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Mahendran Governor of …
Former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga and TRC’s former director general Anusha Palpita were today released on bail by Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga. They were earlier sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after they were found guilty of misappropriating Rs.600 million belonging to the TRC and using it to distribute ‘Sil Redi’ during the …
A special nocturnal zone would be opened at the Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens for three days from 22, September, Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said yesterday. The zoo will be opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. Entrance fee for adults is Rs. 200 and for children Rs.100. “The opening …
Sandasen Marasinghe and Camelia Nathaniel Speaker Karu Jayasuriya informed parliament that he was notified by the Supreme Court that several clauses of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution were inconsistent with the Constitution and it required a referendum to legally establish the proposed Bill. Hence, he told parliament that following a referendum, the said …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa made history yesterday by raising a question for the first time after he became an MP in the current Parliament. Rajapaksa, known for his stoic silence during Parliamentary proceedings, asked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when the Local Government election will be held. Rajapaksa’s first question came two years after the current …
Sri Lanka’s ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka Tuesday said he had been denied a visa to attend the UN general assembly because of unresolved war crime allegations against the military. The war-time general, who is now minister of regional development, said he was due to travel to New York this week, but he was the only …
By W.A. Sunil Despite government threats and a campaign of intimidation, 22,000 workers at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in Sri Lanka are continuing to strike. The stoppage, which began last Wednesday, has disrupted power supplies in several areas of the island. The unions covering technical engineers and superintendents have also threatened to join the …
The sacked junior minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs Arundika Fernando joined former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s faction Tuesday, a week after he was told by the government that he will not be reinstated. Fernando, who was called a rock star by his parliamentary colleagues after he rocked the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) faction of …
By C. A. Chandraprema The news that the judiciary had determined a referendum was necessary if the 20th Amendment was to be passed into law was out in the public domain by Friday last week. The purpose of the 20th Amendment was firstly to extend the terms of the existing PCs until around October 2019 …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Narratives of horror in Myanmar’s restive Rakhine State and the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh where nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees live in subhuman condition after being chased out by the Burmese Army’s scorched earth campaign are distressing. Ethnic violence in Rakhine first erupted soon after Myanmar’s military junta relaxed its grip on …
By Yohan Perera The government has decided not to take up the debate on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances on September 21, Parliamentary Affairs and Lands Minister Gayantha Karunathilake said on Monday. He also said this decision was taken during the UNP Parliamentary group meeting which met Monday …
By Chathuri Dissanayake The parliamentary debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed indefinitely, senior ministers have confirmed. Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the debate on the constitutional amendment is to be postponed until President Maithripala Sirisena returns from New York. «The 20th Amendment will not be debated on Wednesday …
By Norman Palihawadane Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne yesterday ordered Director General of Health Services Dr Jayasundara Bandara to transfer Acting Chief Medical Officer of the Welikda Prisons Hospital Dr Nirmali Thenuwara to the National Hospital, Colombo immediately. A spokesman for the Health Ministry told The Island that the Minister had ordered the transfer of the …
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was said to be one of the colourful Presidents in the Asian region, amidst having to face political attacks from his opponents, said that he did his best for the country and he could defend himself on that. He also pointed out the presence of the …
By P/K.Balachandran Reflecting the sharp communal divide in the country, Sri Lankan Muslims and Buddhists have been holding counter demonstrations in the island nation, opposing each other’s stand point on the Rohingya Muslim issue in Myanmar. Both communities see the tragic events in Myanmar as a Muslim-Buddhist issue and not as a humanitarian or a …
By Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka At the on-going September 2017 sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, the UK has written to the President of the Council to assert that a long standing dispute it has with the Mauritius cannot be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) because “those States must have consented …
(Excerpts From the Political Column in the “Sunday Times” of September 17th 2017) Plans are on the drawing board for the two coalition partners – the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) – to contest each other at an upcoming Provincial Council or Local Government election. It is most likely …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Having switched their allegiance to the Joint Opposition (JO), former Deputy Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Arundika Fernando and State Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Priyankara Jayaratne yesterday said that more SLFPers would desert the government this week. They said a group of SLFP MPs would vote against …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday said that it had received an assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena that the controversial International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Bill wouldn’t be taken up for debate on Thursday (21) The Bill is to give effect to the ‘International Convention for the …
President Maithripala Sirisena says all future elections will be held on the first-past-the-post system. The President says action will be taken to conduct the next parliamentary and provincial council election under that system. President Sirisena said so addressing a group of North Central Provincial Councillors and SLFP Parliamentarians in Colombo on Saturday.
by C.A.Chandraprema With just 15 days to go for the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern provinces to automatically stand dissolved, the coming week will be a make or break period for the yahapalana government. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution is to be taken up for debate on Wednesday. The Supreme Court we believe has …
(Excerpts From the Political Column in the “Sunday Times” of September 17th 2017) Ahead of the polls the SLFP’s Central Committee has endorsed President Maithripala Sirisena’s move to field candidates on the UPFA ticket. The bulath kole (Betel leaf) is their symbol. Sirisena has chosen to take a tough line against party parliamentarians whom he …
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, on Friday, launched the Colombo International Book Fair, which is an annual mega book exhibition featuring local and international authors and publishers. Chairman of Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association, H. Premasiri, speaking at the launch said that over 400 international and local book stalls would be open at the exhibition …
By C.A.Chandraprema The Office of Missing Persons Act was gazetted into operation last week by the President. This is one of several institutions to be established ‘to deal with the past’ in terms of the UNHRC resolution that the Yahapalana government co-sponsored with the Western powers in October 2015. Even though it is described as …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The Order by the Commission of Inquiry into the issuance of Treasury Bonds by the Central Bank declining to compel Arjun Aloysius, principal shareholder and director of Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt) Ltd to give evidence before it, raises interesting points of law for consideration. Indeed, its effect has wider ramifications beyond the …
by Jolly Somasundram “I have done some service to the State”. – Shakespeare: Othello The Sept. 10 editorial in the Sunday Island titled “Lalith Weeratunga” is timely, reflective and balanced. It ironises on the predicament faced by an honest and efficient SLAS Officer Lalith Weeratunga, the former Secretary of President Rajapaksa, (a Secretary to the …
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “Ill at ease in the tyranny, ill at ease in the republic,In the one I longed for freedom,in the other the end of corruption.” Czelaw Milosz (To Raja Rao) “All fear punishment, all fear death, comparing oneself with others, one should neither kill nor cause to kill.” That was Siddhartha Gautama, the …
By Joshua Kurlantzick Burma is essentially run by one of the world’s most lauded humanitarians — a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a democracy icon. Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the party in charge of the government, suffered more than two decades of repression, including a long house arrest, rather than leave the country …
Sri Lanka’s independent Election Commission may be compelled to hold three provincial council elections this this year in the likely event of the Supreme Court this week insisting on a referendum on the proposed 20th amendment to the constitution. Legal sources said the three-judge bench headed by chief justice Priyasath Dep was expected to give …
By Shivanthi Ranasinghe The reaction to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s (GR) new movement, “Eliya”, is revealing. On one hand,an invitee-only 1,000 guest function became an open event as many people just turned up and insisted on remaining. Finally, an audience of about 2,500+ in three halls watched the whole two and half hour event in rapt attention …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The judgement by the High Court, Colombo on the “Sil Redi” issue, apart from the sentence of imprisonment on the former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeeratunga and the former Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Pelpita, is showing signs of moving to a major encounter between the forces …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake While the fight against corruption gained new strength, the political strategies of the defeated forces of corruption have taken a new stride in political organisation, with the launch of the “Eliya” movement, which does not bring much light as the name indicates, but throws out the so far uncertain candidate for political …
Dozens of Buddhist monks loyal to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa begged from office to office in Colombo today seeking cash to pay fines slapped on two former top officials convicted on corruption charges. The monks walked one behind the other with two women leading them and asking bystanders to donate only cash. Usually, monks on …
By Sandun A Jayasekera President Maithripala Sirisena’s daughter Chaturika, said at the launch of the book authored by her titled, “Janadhipathi Thaththa”, that she had no intention of entering party politics but would use politics for community service, women empowerment and social justice. “So many people, including my friends keep asking me when I enter …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has alleged that the former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Pelpita had been penalised for carrying out the previous government’s instructions issued in terms of Article 9 of the Constitution to foster and protect Buddhism. The following is the …
The European Union praised Sri Lanka for progress in human rights, and labour and environmental standards, but said more action was needed to comply with international conventions including ending torture to retain duty free market access. A team of senior officials from Brussels have been in the country for the last 10 days on a …
United Nations member countries at the Human Rights Council in Geneva should press Sri Lanka to promptly meet the targets of the council’s October 2015 resolution for transitional justice, Human Rights Watch said yesterday. The human rights outfit in a statement issued from Geneva said: Sri Lanka should put forward a time-bound and specific implementation …
By Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is to be voted on in Parliament on the 21st of this month. Just 6 days away. The Convention came into force on the 23rd December 2010. So far, of the 193 member states of the United Nations, …
At long last, on Tuesday, Sri Lanka got what the minority Tamils and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have been demanding since the separatist war ended in May 2009 – an Office of Missing Persons (OMP) – to trace 21,000 to 40,000 persons still not accounted for. But constitutional experts say that the gazette …
The sacked junior minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs Arundika Fernando met with President Maithripala Sirisena Wednesday seeking reinstatement, but was told no way and that there may be more sackings. Fernando’s Puttalam district Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was immediately taken over by another SLFP deputy minister Nimal Lanza who had earlier been in …
By Shehan Chamika Silva Perpetual Treasuries Owner Arjun Aloysius today informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the bond issuance that he did not want to testify before the commission on legal instructions he received. At the onset of today’s proceedings, his counsel Gamini Marapana PC commending yesterday’s order given by the commission told that …
By Himal Kotelawala The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) looking into the controversial Treasury bond issuance yesterday conceded that Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. (PTL) former Director Arjun Aloysius cannot be compelled to testify before the commission if he refuses to do so. Asserting that Aloysius is still very much a necessary witness whose evidence would remain …
The Government is to launch its first official cannabis plantation to supply the traditional medicine market and export to the United States, the health minister said Wednesday. Rajitha Senaratne said the 100-acre (40-hectare) cannabis farm, which could produce more than 25 tonnes a year and would be under military protection, would ensure a regular high …
By Chathuri Dissanayake Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa can be taken to courts on two accounts connected to his comments on the recent court determination of the misappropriation of Rs. 600 millions to donate ‘sil redi’ during the Presidential Elections, Cabinet Co-spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said. Offering examples from cases where former presidents have been found guilty …
By Vinitha M. Gamage Minister Chandima Weerakkody today hinted that former deputy minister Arundika Fernando was likely to be appointed as a deputy minister shortly. He said this at a function attended by President Maithripala Sirisena and Mr. Fernando last morning.
President Maithripala Sirisena is considering appointing former Deputy Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Puttalam district MP Arundika Fernando to a new ministerial position after he apologized to the President yesterday. His apology comes a day after President Sirisena sacked him from his position using executive powers vested in him in Section 46. 3 …
(Text of editorial appearing in the “Daily News” of September 14th 2017 Under the Heading “Turning the back on a legend”) The Mahanayake of the Malwatte chapter, the Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera, had an unusual visitor the other day. He was none other than Sinnaiah Muttaiah, the father of world record holder for …
Sinnasamy Muttiah, the father of spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, has come up with a complaint. Sinnasamy claimed that the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was named after his son Muralitharan, but it no longers holds that name. He requested Mahanayake Thero of the Malwathu Chapter, Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero meet with the Sports Minister …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “I had been requested by Mr. Bandaranaike to meet him every Wednesday with Mervyn de Silva.” – Elmo Gooneratne, Reminiscences, CT,September 8, 2017. When the British uncovered Soviet spies in the Establishment, they often looked the other way because imprisonment would send shock waves throughout the system and disturb social stability and …
By Gomin Dayasri Bemoan the non-availability of fresh material in the upper tiers of politics to replace the decrepit. For survival, the decayed leadership is ready to reach alliance with a devilish opponent. Unsuitable descendants await, both kinsmen and sycophants, located craftily in the wings of the second tier. Among this wild bunch, TNA’s honest …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Parliamentarian Arundika Fernando, a key member of an influential group of SLFP MPs critical of the UNP-led government, who was sacked yesterday from his deputy minister’s post by President Maithripala Sirisena told The Island that dissent couldn’t be suppressed by sacking ministers. President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday sacked Deputy Minister of Tourism Development …
President Maithripala Sirisena today expelled a member of his own party from the government in his first major move to assert his authority as the leader of the fractured Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The President’s office said Tourism and Christian Affairs deputy minister Arundika Fernando was sacked with immediate effect days after he threatened …
By Vishwamithra 1984 “There comes a point where a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his conscience.” Ann Tusa, The Nuremberg Trial On Thursday, September 7, 2017, the High Court of Colombo issued a chilling verdict on one of the most anticipated cases filed by the …
A US Senate committee has opposed Trump Administration’s proposal of a drastic 92 per cent cut in US aid to Sri Lanka, citing the geographical and strategic location of the country, the PTI reported today. The Senate Appropriations Committee had said in a report that it won’t support President Trump’s budget request for Sri Lanka, …
Two mobile phones and several sim cards have been recovered from the ward of the Prison Hospital where former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga , former TRC Director General Anusha Palpita and former Parliamentarian Duminda silva are treated. The Prison Department sources said the raid was conducted following directives by Prison Reforms and Resettlement …
By W.A. Sunil Recent public remarks by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena underline the growing crisis of the “unity” government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) and the president’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Sirisena became president in 2015 after a US-backed regime-change operation to unseat the former President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government …
By Hemantha Randunu Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, former DIG Anura Senanayake, former Army commander Jagath Jayasuriya and several top ranking security establishment personnel would be summoned before the CID to obtain their statements with regard to the Welikada prison riot where 27 inmates were shot dead. Police headquarters sources said the CID had already …
(English Translation of Keynote Speech made by former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the launch of “Eliya”(Light) at the “Golden Rose” in Boralesgamuwa on September 6th 2017) After defeating 30 years of terrorism that was in this country, after we united this country as one, we cannot allow that victory to be betrayed through the …
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s top aide Lalith Weeratunga became the first high-profile official from the former regime to be convicted for corruption, but his jailing could have a political fallout for the current coalition regime too. The Economynext Political Correspondent discusses consequences for President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and their uneasy coalition whose tenure …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa admitted that he gave the order to former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Palpita to distribute “sil redi” among Buddhist devotees. “Yes it was my order. They only implemented it,” the former President said, while speaking to a group …
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad bin Hussein has reiterated his demand for the extension of Universal Jurisdiction to Sri Lanka to enable courts in any part of the world to entertain war crimes cases against the Sri Lankan armed forces. “The absence of credible action in Sri Lanka to ensure …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The ‘Sirisena SLFP’ has rejected the abolition of the executive Presidency, more especially in the context of devolution. It has upheld the unitary state, rejected the amalgamation of Provinces and the abolition of the powers of the Governor and/or their transfer to the Chief Minister. The SLFP has agreed with the implementation …
President Maithripala Sirisena today accused a group of retired army officers politically linked to former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of causing friction between disabled soldiers and the authorities. In an unusual move, the President made references to statements by retired army major general Kamal Gunaratne regarding the November clash between disabled soldiers and police outside …
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) held at Temple Trees recently, organized by the India Foundation, was billed as a gathering of IOR countries and ‘other concerned nations’ with a view to advancing ‘Peace, Progress and Prosperity” in the Indian Ocean. While this is no doubt a laudable goal, the absence of perspectives …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Does Not Need To Become Another South China Sea!’ »
by C.A.Chandraprema Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s open foray into politics took place last Wednesday in the form of ‘Eliya’ a new organization that was ceremonially launched at the Golden Rose hall in Boraleasgaluwa. Its launch was in the form of a seminar on the proposed new constitution. The panel of speakers included Gota himself who introduced the …
by Karunaratne Gamage A brother of President Maithripala Sirisena was remanded till September 11 in connection with a hit-and-run mishap, which killed a motor cyclist and the pillion rider at Polonnaruwa yesterday. Police said that Gamaralalage Nanasiri Pagnaratne Sirisena surrendered to the police a few hours later and allegedly admitted that he was behind the …
By Don Manu As the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s permanent secretary Lalith Weeratunga was ignominiously led out of the court room on Thursday, hand manacled to his partner in crime Anusha Pelpita, former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, and bundled into the Black Maria to transport them to the Welikada prison, perhaps, the …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene A former Army Commander or two jousting before the television cameras for sport, alleging war crimes against each other, is a seducing sight for public consumption. But this is not what the crisis of justice in Sri Lanka is all about. No political or military leader can plead absolution Indeed, these …
By Chamil Rupasinghe Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said even the current First Lady could be sued as she was seen distributing ‘Sil Redi’ along with the President a few days ago.
Sri Lanka will establish a regional centre for research and development to improve access to toilets in South Asia which is home to over a fifth of humanity, Minister Rauff Hakeem said today. The City Planning and Water Supply minister told reporters in Colombo that Sri Lanka will host a three-day South Asian meeting from …
Legal counsel for Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. (PTL) yesterday requested the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the controversial bond issuance to reconsider its order to summon former PTL Director Arjun Aloysius to testify before the Commission. President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne requested the three-member bench to reconsider an order it had given to Aloysius earlier, directing him …
A day after they were sentenced, former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Telecom Regulatory Commission Chairman Anusha Pelpita were admitted to the Prison Hospital. High Court on Thursday jailed and fined Weeratunga and Pelpita, when delivering the verdict of the ‘sil redi’ case. Both former officials were sentenced to three years of …
by Norman Palihawadane Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister DM Swaminathan yesterday issued a directive making it mandatory to obtain recommendations of three doctors for prisoners to be transferred the prisons hospital. The Minister instructed the Prisons Commissioner General that hereafter the inmates would have to obtain recommendations from three prisons doctors …
By Pradeep Ramanayake and K. Ratnayake The advertised theme of last week’s Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Colombo was “peace, progress and prosperity.” But the two-day event had nothing to do with such aspirations. Washington and New Delhi used the event to unveil their plans to expand naval operations in the region and reiterate their …
BY Kavindya Chris Thomas Owner of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. (PTL) Arjuna Aloysius was interviewed for over four hours yesterday by the investigators attached to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the controversial Treasury bond auction, following recent developments in the ongoing hearing. Aloysius arrived at the premises of Commission in Hulftsdorp in the morning …
By K.S. Udaya Kumar Former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Palpita were convicted, in the so-called ‘Sil-cloth’ case, by the Colombo High Court and sentenced to three-year prison terms yesterday. They were found guilty of misusing Rs 600 million of the TRC State …
By Lahiru Pothmulla A new Constitution or Parliament shouldn’t be allowed to reverse the victories which were accomplished by uniting the country after defeating terrorism, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said. Speaking at the launch of ‘Eliya’ (light) Forum in Colombo on Wednesday, Mr. Rajapaksa said people fear that the accomplished victories would be scraped …
By Tamara Kunanayakam (Text of Speech titled “The new Constitution – a neo-colonial project ! ” Delivered at the Launch of “Eliya- Illuminating Aspirations”at the Golden Rose in Boralesgamuwa on September 6th 2017) As we meet here this evening, a radical overhaulis underway – of our political, economic, financial, social and cultural system. A new …
By Shyam Nuwan Ganewatte and Sarath Dharmasena Arjun Aloysius of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd (PTL), who is son-in-law of former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, reported to the CID unit of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the bond scams yesterday at 8.30 am. CID officers recorded a statement from him until evening. He is scheduled …
By Maheesha Mudugamuwa Alleging that proposed new Constitution would give separatists what they had failed to achieve through terrorism, wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said, vowing to defeat the project. The proposed constitutional reforms were meant to appease the LTTE rump, pro-LTTE Diaspora and a section of foreign powers, Rajapaksa said, lambasting the ruling …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Island” of September 8th 2017 Under the heading “Bonds, White cloth and Desertion) No sooner had incriminating evidence of insider trading emerged before the presidential commission of inquiry probing the bond scams against Perpetual Treasuries bigwigs than the High Court judgment in the sil redi case was delivered on …
By Chitra Weerarathne Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga yesterday convicted Anusha Pelpita, former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the second accused Lalith Weeratunga, former Presidential Secretary and former Chairman of TRC, of misuse of state funds and aiding and abetting the same in spending Rs. 600 million on the distribution …
Former MP Rosy Senanayake yesterday said that she had never given out any information or documents to any party while she was a member of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). She said that it was a total misrepresentation by the media of a recorded conversation by two parties that had no substance. She said …
Former President Mahinda Rajapakse’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Anusha Palpita were found guilty by the Colombo High Court in the ‘sil redi’ distribution case. The Colombo High Court sentenced the two men to 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs. 2 million each on …
Former Perpetual Treasury Director Arjun Aloysius arrived at the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) attached to the Treadury Bond Commission a short while ago. He was summoned by the CID to record a statement on the recovered call recordings which were presented before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) yesterday. The recovered call recordings revealed that …
by Shyam Nuwan Ganewatte and Sarath Dharmasena Chief Dealer of Perpetual Treasuries Nuwan Salgado yesterday told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the bond scams that the company’s Chairman Arjun Aloysius had received a copy of the COPE report containing the Chief Executive Officer of the company Kasun Palisena’s evidence, from Kanishka Senanayake, the son …
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka yesterday called Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, who condemned the statement he made with regards to war crime charges, a mad man in robes. “That monk is mad. That’s all I have to say,” he said in response to a question asked by a journalist after the 71st anniversary celebrations of the …
by Shamindra Ferdinando In spite of serious differences between coalition partner SLFP in respect of political reforms, including the abolition of executive presidency, the UNP strongly believes their marriage of convenience can be extended till 2025. Dismissing threat by a group of SLFP members loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena to function as an independent group, …
by Shyam Nuwan Ganewatte The Presidential Commission of Inquiry, probing alleged bond scams, resumed sittings yesterday, with Chief Dealer of Perpetual Treasuries (PTL), Nuwan Thilina Salgado, testifying. He said the company had been able to make unprecedentedly huge profits because of inside information and price sensitive confidential information PTL Chairman Arjun Aloysius had received from …
By Rufus Randeniya We had a war for 30 years and it ended like a dream. That is how it looks, but very funny. Many other wars that ended in shorter times in certain countries have been investigated on documented and verbal evidence to ascertain if any war crimes have been committed. No war has …
Though reported “missing” it is learnt that Arjun Aloysius, former director of Perpetual Treasuries, has not left the country using either of his two passports. The Attorney General’s Department told the Presidential Commission on bond issue that Aloysius possessed two passports – one Australia and the other, Sri Lankan. The passport numbers too were previously …
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Treasury bond issue discovered that former Minister Rosy Senanayake’s son Kanishka Senanayake had provided Perpetual Treasuries with copies of the first COPE report on the Treasury bond issue while his mother served on the Committee. The report of the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE) was not publicly …