Sri Lanka’s crisis looked over on Saturday as strongman Mahinda Rajapakse bowed out of a power battle that had crippled the island nation for seven weeks and sent it heading for a possible debt default. Rajapakse held a multi-religious service at his home where he signed a letter backing down from the post of prime …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene As former President Mahinda Rajapaksa ignominiously retreated following the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal delivering a richly deserved lesson on constitutional propriety to President Maithripala Sirisena, the nation faces sobering questions close to the dawn of a new year. Betrayal of the electoral compact Euphoria in preventing the President …
All the Rajapaksas combined failed to defeat the independence and integrity of our legislature and judiciary, and he resigned from a position he has not held for the last one month. Today, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s efforts to gain power through the backdoor have failed, UNP deputy leader, Sajith Premadasa said. “I challenge Mahinda Rajapaksa to win …
(Text of English translation of a speech made by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his Wijerama Mawatha residence on 15 December 2018) Most venerable members of the Maha Sangha, Clergymen of all religions, Members of Parliament, Ministers, and dear friends, The Supreme Court has delivered a judgement against the holding of the general election that …
Sri Lanka’s disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has signed what was called a ‘resignation’ letter at his residence in the capital Colombo, ending an extraordinary saga in the country’s parliamentary history where he clung on to power despite suffering no-confidence motions. Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa Prime Minister on …
By the “Daily FT” Special Political Correspondent Lord Denning M. L., the 20th Century British Judge and Jurist, in his famous book ‘The Family Story’, remarked: “Every Judge, on his appointment, discards all politics and all prejudice. You need have no fear. The Judges of England have always in the past – and will – …
By Wijith de Chickera In a palpable blow felt around the body politic, three courts have delivered a trifecta of punches to the coup’s solar plexus. It is not a full, final or binding ruling. But it is a first step towards something solid, stable, and altogether salutary – or so it seems. And there …
A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court yesterday against the former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva over Contempt of Court. Senior Prof. Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Prof. Hewa Waduge Cyril, and Senior Prof. Prashantha Gunawardena filed the petition.
By Chathuri Dissanayake and Nuwan Senarathna President Maithripala Sirisena-appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday decided to quit, ending seven weeks of political turmoil in the country, as ousted Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe readies to retake his oaths yet again tomorrow. Rajapaksa, whose appointment for the post was disputed from the beginning, decided to ‘resign’ as Prime …
By S. S. Selvanayagam Supreme Court yesterday granted special Leave to Appeal the petition filed by MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and 48 others against the Interim Order issued by the Court of Appeal but declined Interim Relief. The bench comprised Justices Eva Wanasundera, Buwaneka Aluvihara and Vijith K. Malalgoda. Justice Vijith K. Malalgoda dissented in granting …
UNP sources say ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be reappointed Prime Minister on Sunday. This follows a telephone conversation between President Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe that took place a short while ago.
By Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians Sri Lanka’s political crisis appeared to edge toward a resolution Friday when one of the two men claiming to be the country’s rightful prime minister agreed to step down. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa planned to relinquish his claim to be prime minister in an address to the nation on …
NOT FOR the first time in recent weeks, Sri Lankans held a collective breath on the afternoon of December 13th, as citizens gathered outside the Supreme Court in Colombo, the capital. When seven judges eventually faced the packed crowd in Room 502, their decision was unanimous: President Maithripala Sirisena had breached the constitution last month, …
By Nuwan Senarathna Indicating no change in his stance, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said he would only make a decision after observing the proceedings of the Supreme Court on the Interim Order issued by the Court of Appeal today, according to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) parliamentarians. The Appeal filed against the Interim Order …
Jubilant United National Party (UNP) members, led by MP Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday, called on President Maithripala Sirisena to respect the Supreme Court judgement and immediately establish a Government that has the support of Parliament. UNP leader and MP Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a Twitter post minutes after the landmark judgement, said he hoped Sirisena will “promptly …
By S. S. Selvanayagam In a landmark judgement, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court yesterday unanimously ruled that the Gazette dissolving Parliament, issued by President Maithripala Sirisena on 9 November, was unconstitutional, and Parliament cannot be dissolved until four and a half out of its five year term is completed. In the much-awaited judgment, …
By S.S. Selvanayagam, Farook T. Thajudeen and Shehan Chamika Silva A fuller Bench of seven Supreme Court (SC) Justices today unanimously ruled that President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dissolve parliament on November 9, before the completion of four and half years, was unconstitutional and illegal. The highly anticipated judgement, delivered before a packed court of …
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court today ruled in a landmark judgement that President Maithripala Sirisena’s Gazetted decision to dissolve Parliament and hold snap elections was unconstitutional and unlawful. Chief Justice Nalin Perera delivering the verdict said that if the President wants to dissolve Parliament before four and half years, as stipulated by the Constitution there should …
Controversial Supreme Court judge Eva Wanasundera is set to hear an appeal by her law-college pal Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday raising concern among opposing petitioners who fear bias. The appeal filed against a Court of Appeal interim order restraining Rajapaksa and his purported cabinet exercising the powers of their offices is to be taken up …
By Meera Srinivasan In a crucial verdict that could possibly end Sri Lanka’s current political impasse, the Supreme Court will, at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, rule on President Maithripala Sirisena’s November 9 move dissolving Parliament and calling for snap polls. The judgement will be delivered by a seven-judge bench, seven weeks after Sri Lanka …
By Zacki Jabbar The UNP said yesterday that it would institute legal action against the Podujana Peramuna for circulating a false agreement that the UNP had purportedly entered into with the TNA. UNP MPs Ashu Marasinghe and Mujibur Rahuman, addressing the media at Temple Trees, yesterday evening, challenged the authors of the false agreement to a …
By Saman Indrajith Ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday, told Parliament that he would strive to find a political solution to the ethnic problem within an undivided country. Addressing Parliament soon after a motion of confidence in him was passed Wickremesinghe said: “The words of former US President Abraham Lincoln that “government of the people, …
The Court of Appeal yesterday fixed Quo Warranto writ application filed by 122 MPs challenging the appointment Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Cabinet for arguments on January 16, 2019. The Court directed all respondents to file written objections by January 4 while the petitioners were directed to file their counter objections by January 11.
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Following the Vote of Confidence yesterday, confirming UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe as having the confidence of Parliament, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has informed President Maithripala Sirisena of the results officially. In his letter to President Sirisena, the Speaker explained the background to the Motion and the channel followed in the House. “The Motion …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa yesterday appealed to President Maithripala Sirisena to end the Constitutional standoff by accepting MP Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, and allowing the country to return to normal without further delay. Moving the Vote of Confidence yesterday in Parliament, to prove MP Wickremesinghe commands the confidence of Parliament to function …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Reasserting his majority in Parliament, UNP leader MP Ranil Wickremesinghe won the Vote of Confidence yesterday in Parliament, receiving 117 votes with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) declining to participate. The motion showed MP Wickremesinghe commands the confidence of Parliament to function as the Prime Minister. UPFA lawmakers continued to boycott the …
By S.S.Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal yesterday overruled the Preliminary Objection raised by the Respondent on the non-compliance of Rule of the Court involving a technical issue. The Court fixed the Petition for Argument on 16, 17 and 18 January 2019, and directed the Respondents to file their Objections on or before 28December, and the …
By Kelum Bandara President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have asked for creation of public opinion on the conduct of a referendum on dissolution of Parliament, in case the Supreme Court rules out. At the meetings of the parliamentary group of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), MPs Wimal Weerawansa and Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that …
By Taylor Dibbert Sri Lanka’s political crisis continues. The attempted coup is a huge mess. No one knows how the imbroglio will end, although the coup has been failing. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the project to illegally put Mahinda Rajapaksa in the prime minister’s post will fail. But the fact that coup …
By Ranga Jayasuriya In 1978, when the all-powerful executive presidency was introduced, LSSP stalwart N.M. Perera asked what would happen “if the presidency goes to a mad man”? The manifest limits of due process and absence of checks and balances against the behaviour of the incumbent has raised that pertinent question once again. Sri Lanka …
By Shamindra Ferdinando An ongoing high profile case before the Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake into the then Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne allegedly helping Lt. Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, a suspect in the alleged wartime abduction and disappearance of 11 Tamil youth, to flee the country in early last year, took a dramatic …
A petition was filed at the Court of Appeal yesterday seeking a writ of quo warranto to disqualify UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe from being a Member of Parliament, declare that his appointment as a member of Parliament was void and state that he had no right to continue to hold office as a member of …
President Maithripala Sirisena Monday faced a new challenge from an unexpected source questioning his mental condition to govern the country as a political crisis triggered by him dragged without any sign of resolution. A public interest case was filed by a woman activist identified as Thakshila Jayawardena who argued that “irrational” behavior of the president …
By Nuwan Senarathna In a bid to end the country’s current political deadlock, President Maithripala Sirisena will today make a special request to Chief Justice Nalin de Silva through Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya for the Supreme Court’s decision on the Gazette dissolving Parliament to be issued as early as possible, MP Wimal Weerawansa revealed yesterday. …
By Meera Srinivasan For Chandrani Mendis, the political crisis gripping Sri Lanka since October 26 has had a specific cost — her pension for November. “After my husband died, I had been receiving 250 rupees (roughly ₹100) a month as an allowance, but they stopped it last month,” said the 60-year-old, seated in her modest …
By Awahnee Mendis In Grade 3, my Social Studies textbook described Sri Lanka as being a multicultural country, where people of all ethnicities lived together in harmony. What is ironic, and what my eight-year-old self didn’t realise, is that this was what I was being taught while the country was in an ethnic civil war. …
The plaque which acknowledged the contribution of late Prime Minister, D.S. Senanayake, and Ex-Prime minister Dudley Senanayake and the opening of the completed Iranamadu Tank in 1954 by then Agriculture Minister Bulankulame Disawe Dud has been completely destroyed and replaced with a plaque bearing the name of President Maithripala Sirisena. The construction of the Iranamadu …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Quite obviously I haven’t the slightest notion of what the Supreme Court verdict will be, unlike my friend Eran Wickremaratne who announced publicly (and rather curiously) that he doesn’t have the slightest doubt about it. However I do know, as a political scientist, what the implications and consequences will be if it …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa Mahinda Rajapaksa issued two press releases on December 3. One in Sinhala, the other in English. The press release was in response to the interim stay order issued by the Court of Appeal, basically putting Rajapaksa out of the job he was unconstitutionally appointed into and hasn’t to date demonstrated any capacity …
By Gamini Weerakoon Dissolution of Parliament followed by elections is the magic potion that can cure the raging political crisis in one dose, is the belief of the Rajapaksa faithful. If an election can be held within a short time, it may resolve the current political impasse. But to hope for an election to end …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene President Maithripala Sirisena’s implied criticism of the Sri Lankan judiciary when speaking at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) convention this Tuesday, referencing himself as the Mahanayake (seniormost prelate) of a Nikaya (chapter) being educated by the head monk of a village temple invokes strong and unequivocal condemnation in no uncertain …
By Dr Nihal Jayawickrama The President appears to believe that he still possesses the full executive powers he derived from the Constitution when he was elected to his office in January 2015. Three months later, he sat during a tumultuous session in Parliament and witnessed the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, introduced …
Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to secure a majority in parliament because MPs demanded over 500 million rupees each to defect, President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday acknowledging that his power grab had backfired. President Sirisena in a video interview with the Daily Mirror admitted that the man he controversially installed as Prime Minister on October 26 did …
By S.S. Selvanayagam President’s Counsel K. Kanag Iswaran yesterday countering the arguments of the respondents and the intervernient petitioners underlined the fact that the immunity conferred on the Executive President was only on his person and not on his acts or actions. Kanag Iswaran PC appearing for TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said this before the …
By Robert.O. Blake (Ambassador Robert Orris Blake jnr served as the US envoy in Colombo from 2006 to 2009.) The current political impasse in Sri Lanka marks an important opportunity for Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa to think about the consequences of their current actions for future support from the United States and others for a …
By Yohan Perera United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday stressed the need to establish a new Parliament to scrap the Executive Presidency through a referendum. Wickremesinghe made these proposals at a seminar organised by the Professionals for Democracy held at the Galle Face Hotel last morning. “The citizens of this country have …
With all political efforts to clear the month-long political and constitutional logjam having failed, Sri Lankans are waiting with bated breath to hear the Supreme Court’s rulings on the divisive issues involved. The destiny of the 21 million citizens of Sri Lankan is now in the hands of seven judges of the apex court. Their …
President Maithripala Sirisena pulled out of Sri Lanka Tourism Awards ceremony last night following reporters that tourism industry leaders are planning to boycott the event against the President’s participation. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said Sirisena was invited for the event on the basis that he is the head of state.
President Maithripala Sirisena issued a statement this evening saying he would take necessary measures to “correct” questionable areas of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The statement soon after the Supreme Court postponed the hearing of the petitions against the dissolution of Parliament until tomorrow.
By Kelum Bandara The United National Party (UNP) along with the like-minded parties such as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), was upbeat when the Court of Appeal issued an order restraining the Cabinet and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa from functioning. However, it flew out of the window as President Maithripala Sirisena even discarded its appeal, …
President Maithripala Sirisena has said that he would resign from Presidency after making a State of the Nation Address if he was pushed to the wall, MP Mano Ganesan said. According to the MP, the President has said this during the meeting which was held with United National Front (UNF) party leaders Monday night.
Sri Lanka’s parliament Wednesday defied a hostile president and decided not to proceed with a de facto no-trust resolution against the disputed government and instead moved closer to an impeachment. Maithripala Sirisena had asked the largest single party, the United National Party, to bring another resolution reconfirming the previous no-trust votes against Mahinda Rajapaksa and …
Former MP Geetha Kumarasinghe yesterday accused MP Piyasena Gamage, who has sworn in to fill the vacant position left by her in Parliament, of not allowing her to work at least a month in her constituency. Addressing a meeting in Elpitiya today she said that she was elected to Parliament as a member after polling …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka “…The General [de Gaulle] devised a strong executive presidency in 1958, and introduced direct elections to it four years later, precisely in order to remove power from the hands of political parties and bring stability to French institutions…the original source of French presidential legitimacy: the direct mandate of the people, introduced by …
For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, the country has no Prime Minister or a Council of Ministers. Given the deep seated conflict between President Maithripala Sirisena and ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the stalemate over who should be Prime Minister is not likely to end anytime soon. After the Court of …
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena launched a thinly veiled criticism of the country’s judiciary after it delivered landmark judgements frustrating his moves to sack parliament and install what the largest party in parliament calls a “rogue government.” In his first public reference to the conduct of the courts, Sirisena told a convention of his Sri …
By Meera Srinivasan Observing that President Maithripala Sirisena must not take “subjective decisions” pertaining to the Constitution, Sri Lanka’s deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said: “Don’t be like Hitler and other dictators.” “The Prime Minister is decided by parliamentary majority. The President cannot say this is what I want. All we are saying …
By S.S. Selvanayagam President’s Counsel K. Kanag-Iswaran yesterday contended that the Constitution was not clay in the hands of contesting parties to be moulded as they saw fit and the specific content of constitutional language sets the limit of interpretation which must aspire to give constitutional unity and harmony. Counsel Kanag-Iswaran, appearing for R. Sampanthan, …
By Chathuri Dissanayake United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday insisted that only he commanded the majority in the House needed to form a government, reiterating the need to return to the constitutional framework before the country could opt for elections. “Only the UNF (United National Front) and I can command that majority today,” …
By S.S. Selvanayagam Mahinda Rajapaksa and 48 others yesterday filed appeals in the Supreme Court petitioning it to set aside the Interim Order issued by the Court of Appeal against them functioning in their respective offices. The Court of Appeal on Monday (3) issued an Interim Order restraining Rajapaksa and 48 other respondents from functioning …
Vowing that the current political crisis would be resolved in one week, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday defended his decisions since 26 October, insisting he had no alternative but to remove Ranil Wickremesinghe from the post of Prime Minister, charging he had caused much destruction to the country. Speaking at a special Sri Lanka Freedom Party …
By Sharmini Serasinghe When Maithripala Sirisena addressed the nation in 2015 after being sworn in as the Executive President of Sri Lanka with 6.25 million of us having voted for the man – a political nonentity – we did so with the sole purpose of getting rid of his megalomaniacal predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his …
(Text of Interim Order Issued by the Court of Appeal Regarding the Fundamental Rights Petition Filed by 122 Members of Parliament Seeking a Writ of Quo warranto Against Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and 48 Others Functioning as Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers Respectively) In the case at hand before this …
By Michael Mcgowan The brother of Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has been charged with attempting to pervert justice and forgery after he allegedly used fake documents containing a terror plot to kill senior politicians to “set up” his colleague over a personal grievance. Police confirmed on Tuesday that Arsalan Khawaja had been formally charged after …
By Meera Srinivasan Mr. Rajapaksa plans to move the Supreme Court against the order. Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal on Monday temporarily restrained controversially installed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his purported Cabinet of Ministers from functioning in their respective offices. The interim order follows a quo warranto petition filed by 122 MPs on November …
Talks between President Maithripala Sirisena and United National Front leaders last night remained at a stalemate, with the latter losing confidence in discussions. “We are not going to see him again,” Senior United National Party Member Lakshman Kiriella told Daily FT, terming the meeting “unsuccessful”. “There is no point in discussing with him,” a frustrated …
Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said his camp was not in agreement with the Court of Appeal and would appeal the Interim Order before the Supreme Court today. “We are not in agreement with the Interim Stay Order issued by the Appeal Court suspending the functioning of the Cabinet of Ministers. We will be …
By Chathuri Dissanayake The Court of Appeal yesterday issued an interim order restraining Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed to the post of Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena, and his Cabinet of Ministers from functioning in office. The stay order is in force until the final hearing and determination is given. The order, latest in …
By Yohan Perera The status quo that existed before October 26 can be restored now following the interim order given by the Appeal Court as it is given against an individual and not against a post, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Mr. Wickremesinghe expressed this sentiment during a public rally in Galle last evening. “The …
By Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians A Sri Lankan court issued an order on Monday temporarily preventing the disputed prime minister from holding office, the latest twist in a political crisis that has paralyzed the island nation. The Court of Appeal ordered Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet to appear on Dec. 12 and …
(This legal opinion was prepared in response to a request made by Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne, P.C, Member of Parliament By Gehan Gunatilleke,University of Oxford , Dinesha Samararatne, University of Colombo,Kalana Senaratne, University of Peradeniya and Asanga Welikala, University of Edinburgh) Since 26 October, Sri Lanka has been in an unprecedented political, economic, and constitutional crisis. …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Despite the undeniable shock caused to Sri Lanka’s democratic system on October 26th 2018 as a result of President Maithripala Sirisena’s swearing in of a new Prime Minister lacking a majority in the House, several unmistakable positive factors have emerged since then. Those ‘legal experts’ who led the President up the …
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya While the complicated situation that has arisen in parliament today is unprecedented, the origins of this logjam could perhaps be traced back to the period when the yahapalana government was formed. The present instability could be seen as part of a continuum starting with the creation of a ‘National Government’ in January …
By Romesh Madhushanka A three member committee has been appointed by Governor of Northern Province Reginald Cooray to investigate a financial fraud allegedly committed by former Minister of the Northern Provincial Council Ananthi Sasitharan.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said, yesterday, that if the Opposition had allowed President Maithripala Sirisena to conduct a general election, political stability would have been restored in the country. Full of the statement issued by Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa “It is only in Sri Lanka that you will find political parties agitating against the holding of …
By The “Sunday Times” Political Editor Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa faces removal next week after just six weeks in office, with Parliament set to approve a motion this coming Wednesday for his ouster. The motion has been agreed to by President Maithripala Sirisena during consultations with Opposition parties, provided it does not describe his dissolution …
President Maithripala Sirisena appeared to have softened his hardline position and was seeking a face-saving exit from the political crisis of his making, according to legislators who had closed-door talks with him. The president was acutely aware of the consequences should the Supreme Court this week hold that his November 9 sacking of parliament was …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake President Maithripala Opinion Sirisena is obviously enjoying the new game that both he and so-called ‘Prime Minister’ Mahinda Rajapaksa has introduced to Sri Lanka. Boycott is the new political game in our threatened Democracy. It is the Boycott Keliya. Members of the so-called Government are enjoying this game that ensures them of …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa It is a month after Sri Lanka learnt of a new Prime Minister over SMS. In the catastrophic, chaotic four ensuing weeks, some of us maintain that Mr. Wickremesinghe is the sole, legitimate Prime Minister. This is widely perceived to be a position that is a consequence of either being partial to …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The history of madness is the history of power.” Roy Porter (A social history of madness: The world through the eyes of the insane) The current crisis is a contestation about the nature of Sri Lanka and her future. Will the country continue along the path of democracy or will she re-embrace …
By Kelum Bandara Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President and Prime Minister appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena on October 26, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, spoke about the current status of the country and the plans he wishes to carry out after the Supreme Court ruling on dissolution of Parliament, expected on December 7, 2018. …
By Shamindra Ferdinando IGP Pujith Jayasundera, yesterday, flew to Batticaloa, where a major police investigation is underway into the killing of two police personnel in Vavunativu, a one-time LTTE stronghold. Jayasundera was accompanied by Senior DIG in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Immediately after the killings were brought to the notice of the …
By The “Daily Financial Times” Special Political Correspondent It is now just over 30 days since Sirisena did the most unbelievable thing of appointing his feared rival Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. Then he took it one step further by dissolving a legitimate Parliament. Then he went further by appointing a Cabinet that had …
Disna Mudalige, Camelia Nathaniel and Amali Mallawaarachchi Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told Parliament yesterday that he would draw the attention of President Maithripala Sirisena and Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to the concerns expressed in Parliament on the killing of two Police officers in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa. UNP MP Nalin Bandara requested to probe whether there is a …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Court of Appeal yesterday commenced hearing into the writ petition filed by United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and 121 other Parliamentarians. They sought an order in the nature of Quo Warranto declaring that Mahinda Rajapaksa is not entitled to hold the office of Prime Minister and the matter was fixed …
Sri Lanka penned two multi-million dollar contracts with Chinese firms for a port upgrade project on Thursday in the middle of a political hiatus that has raised doubts over the legitimacy of the Government and the legality of the deals. The debt-saddled island has long been a target of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure …
The deadlock between the Executive and Legislature showed signs of easing yesterday as President Maithripala Sirisena and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya met after a hiatus of close to two weeks and Sirisena scheduled to meet the United National Front (UNF) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today(Nov 30). President Sirisena has agreed to take a decision after …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Parliament yesterday voted in favour of the motion to cut off budgetary allocations made to the Prime Minister’s Office and pledged to take similar steps regarding the rest of the Cabinet Ministries appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena post- 26 October, which will be taken up today(Nov 30). The motion, signed by UNP …
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday requested President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a member of the UNP led UNF who in his opinion could muster the required number of MPs in Parliament to prove he commands the confidence of the majority in the House. The following is the text of the letter sent by the …
President Maithripala Sirisena indicated a softening of his stance and agreed to end the constitutional deadlock by recognising the United National Front as being the largest single group to form a new government, official sources said. Talks between him and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya ended on an optimistic note, the Speaker’s office said without giving details …
By Meera Srinivasan A magistrate court on Wednesday remanded Sri Lanka’s top-most military officer for allegedly harbouring a key suspect in a case of disappearance of 11 men in the final years of the war. All 11 are believed to have been subsequently murdered. The Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake ordered the detention of Chief of …
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has removed the state and deputy minister posts under a ‘caretaker’ government, a spokesperson of the disputed cabinet said. “This is a caretaker government. Therefore, the President has said there will be no state and deputy ministers,” parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe said.
A photojournalist attached to The Sunday Morning newspaper was assaulted by a Naval Intelligence officer who accompanied the Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne to the Fort Magistrate›s Court yesterday. Indika Handuwala was assaulted when Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne was leaving the courtroom upon its adjournment for a few hours after surrendering to court yesterday morning.
By a Special Correspondent Stunning scenes unfolded outside the Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when the country’s highest ranking military official, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Ravindra Wijeguneratne, was remanded for allegedly protecting the leader of a Navy abduction racket, accused of the kidnapping and suspected murder of 11 Tamil youths during the height of the …
By Sharmini Serasinghe On 6th December, 2018 at 3.30 pm, many of us apolitical journalists, writers, artistes including musicians, film stars and other’s in diverse professions are gathering at the Open Air Theatre at the Viharamahadevi Park to “Stand Up for Democracy” in peace. I appeal to all my countrymen and women to join us …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Not long ago, the stooges of Mahinda Rajapaksa, and MR himself, spewed some fanciful justifications for the contested ( and obviously unethical) sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe, and MR’s appointment as prime minister in one Friday night quirk by President Maithripala Sirisena. One argument was that MR was appointed to salvage the crumbling …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Mr. Johnston Fernando says he did not throw the Bible during last Friday’s violent session of Parliament. He also says he is one who respects the religion, and would not do such things. Makes one think that this talk of Bible throwing by him is only an ‘Opinion’, which is very important …
By Chathuri Dissanayake President Maithripala Sirisena will use constitutional provisions that enable him to access public funds sans parliamentary approval to fund government expenditure until March 2019 in place of a Budget if Parliament is dissolved, his spokesman said yesterday. A Vote on Account to access funds was given the nod at a meeting of …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Professing his innocence,UNP MP Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka yesterday called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to be summoned before Parliament within 48 hours to reveal the truth about allegations of his involvement in an assassination plot against President Maithripala Sirisena, insisting Parliament should be given reasons for such public statements. …
(The text of a speech delivered by the Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday the 25th of Novermber 2018 issued as a media release) Most venerable members of the Maha Sangha, Clergymen of all religions, People of Sri Lanka, and friends, In my speech in Parliament on the 15th of November, …
Following is President Maithripala Sirisena’s statement at the meeting with foreign media correspondents on 25 November: I see that there is some kind of political unrest with the development that took place on 26 October. I would not even consider this as a serious political crisis, though there is a minor political unrest. It is …
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj November 27th 1989 was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE)first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). Twenty –seven years have passed since then and the 27th anniversary of the event is today Nov 27th 2016. The event continues to be observed on a large scale …
By Hemantha Randunu and Dinasena Ratugamage Acting on a tip-off, the police yesterday chased away Ex- MP&Ex- Northern Provincial Councillor M.K. Shivajilingam and four others who had gathered at the late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s Vevetithurai home to commemorate the latter’s 64th birth anniversary with a cake, candles and decorations.
By S. S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal yesterday deferred hearings on the Writ of Quo Warranto filed against Mahinda Rajapaksa and 48 others, challenging their authority to hold office as Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers, until 30 November, after counsel for the respondents claimed they had not received notice in the case. President’s …
The Chief Justice yesterday nominated a fuller Bench, comprising seven judges of the Supreme Court, to hear the 10 Fundamental Rights petitions filed against the Declaration of Dissolution of Parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena on 4, 5 and 6 December. The Bench comprises Chief Justice Nalin Perera and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira J de Abrew, …
Lieutenant Commander G. Laksiri, a key witness in a case regarding the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in an alleged Navy abduction racket, has been threatened by six navy officers, including the Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Police Spokesperson SSP Ruwan Gunasekara confirmed. The victim is one of the main witnesses in …
By Pani Wijesiriwardena Sri Lanka’s political crisis took another turn yesterday (Nov 23) when all the MPs backing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse walked out of parliament after the Speaker refused to allocate them a majority on a key committee that could trigger the cutting off of funds to his government. Factions around Rajapakse and ousted …
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court Monday expanded the bench that will hear the petition against the dissolution of parliament, but left out controversial justice Eva Wanasundara. Chief Justice Nalin Perera constituted a seven-judge bench to hear the petition that could end the power struggle between a hostile president and a rebellious parliament. A three-judge bench headed …
Renowned epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, who passed away early Monday, was instrumental in reviving interest in Sangam literature, said R. Nagaswamy, veteran archaeologist. Recalling Mahadevan’s contributions, Dr. Nagaswamy said the epigraphist’s reading of Tamil Brahmi inscriptions in Pugalur near Karur had shown that there were three successive generations of Chera kings of the Sangam era, and …
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has granted an exclusive interview to the Political Editor of the “Sunday Times” which appears in the latest issue of the paper dated November 25th 2018. The following excerpts are from the “Sunday Times” interview. Q; You have caused a serious political crisis in the country by your actions. Why …
By Chandani Kirinde A month after the shock appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena after sacking Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government, the new appointee has failed to show he commands the confidence of the majority in the House. Instead the UPFA group has shied away from facing a …