President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has requested the Tamil diaspora to work together to develop the country and help the people irrespective of their community.The President has said this in an interview with Nitin A. Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Shakti.in and SNI. When the interviewer commented on peaceful existence, the President said, “Yes, so rather than just …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Calls Upon the Tamil Diaspora to Work Together and Help Develop Our Country Instead of Criticising in the first Interview Given by The Sri Lankan President After Being Elected to Office’ »

Indicating that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution was a priority for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration, Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday said the key agreement would soon be revisited. Speaking after formally assuming duties, Gunawardena said that they were focused on “revisiting” agreements signed under the previous Government. He also noted that …

Continue reading ‘US initiated UN Human Rights Council 30/1 Resolution on Sri Lanka that was Co-sponsored by Previous Govt will be Reviewed as Matter of Urgent Priority by the Gotabaya Govt says Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’ »

Hours after a Police officer who was investigating several high-profile cases left the country without prior permission, the Government yesterday issued a directive to the Immigration authorities placing overseas travel restrictions on 704 CID officers. The list containing the names of CID officers who are barred from overseas travel was sent to the Immigration and …

Continue reading ‘Govt Bans Overseas Travel for 704 CID Officers After CID Inspector Nishantha Silva Leaves Country: Directive Issued to Immigration Authorities to Prevent the 704 Going Abroad’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said he would renegotiate the Hambantota Port lease agreement, terming it a “mistake” and calling on the Chinese company to be open to the move while assuring that he remained committed to strong relations with the global superpower. Rajapaksa, giving his first interview since taking office, told Indian Journalist and Defence …

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Says He Will Re-negotiate Deal With Beijing on Hambantota Harbour Because the Previous Govt Ceding Control of Port was a Mistake Even Though China is a Friend.’ »

CID Officer IP Nishantha Silva who investigated several high-profile cases including the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge and the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda has left the country yesterday with his family. Police sources said that IP Silva has left the country without prior permission from the Police Department. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who visited the Bellanwila Raja …

Continue reading ‘Top CID Sleuth Inspector Nishantha Siva Who Investigated High Profile Cases Including Lasantha Murder, Alleged Naby Abduction Murders of 11 Youths, Eknaleegoda Disappearance, and Keith Noyarh Abduction Flees From Sri Lanka With Family to Geneva.’ »

In the wake of a spate of acts of vandalism targeting road signs in the Tamil language, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had yesterday directed the Police to act immediately to stop such incidents. The Prime Minister has also instructed the reinstallation of all the damaged road sings.

By Sanjana Hattotuwa The day after the 7th President was sworn into office, racism celebrated a new birth on Facebook. Across many pages that played a key role in President’s electoral bid, the message was simple and clear. Sri Lanka was for Sinhalese Buddhists only, and his victory ensured the country would remain thus. All …

Continue reading ‘Six Days in November After The Swearing in of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the Seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Foisting the blame for the catastrophic defeat of the United National Party (UNP)-led alliance at the November 16th polls to elect Sri Lanka’s seventh Executive President, on ‘Sinhala Buddhist nationalism’ and a panicked security mindset consequent to Easter Sunday’s jihadist attacks is a convenient fairy tale. Certainly these were factors enabling …

Continue reading ‘Is the election to Presidential office a magic cloak rendering invisible, criminal allegations regarding which a court of law is looking into?’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appears restrained by a constitutional conundrum on whether he can take on the portfolio of Defence Minister. As President, the Constitution makes him the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, but the 19th Amendment arguably prohibits him from holding a ministry. In the 15-member caretaker cabinet that has been appointed there is no …

Continue reading ‘Secretary of Defence Appointed but No Defence Minister Appointed Yet Because Gotabaya Rajapaksa is Uncertain as to Whether he as the President Could Keep the Defence Ministry Portfolio Under him or Not In terms of the 19th Constitutional Amendment’ »

By J. M. Jinasena Dear Mr. Premadasa, I did not vote for you, nor am I aligned with a political party. My family are a colour pallet of green, blue, red and now the new pink. Nor am I a political pundit or have a degree in political science. I am writing to you as …

Continue reading ‘Why the “Swan” Lost: An Open Letter to Sajith Premadasa From Someone Who did Not Vote For Him Outlining the Reasons For Not Doing So’ »

Fifteen ministers were sworn in before President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa this morning at the Presidential Secretariat. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as the Minister of Defense, Public Security, Law and Order, Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Cultural, Water Supply and Urban Development. The other ministers who were sworn in as ministers include:

By Shamindra Ferdinando UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has been recognised by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, MP, as the Leader of the Opposition, political sources said. Loyalists of MP Sajith Premadasa requested the Speaker to recognise him as the Opposition Leader while UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, called for the appointment of Wickremesinghe to that post. …

Continue reading ‘Speaker Karu Jayasuriya Has no Alternative But to Accept Official Letter of UNP Sent by Gen -Secy Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Recognize Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as Leader of the Opposition.’ »

India has expressed the hope that Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will pursue national reconciliation in a meaningful manner. “Indian external affairs min conveyed (to Sri Lankan Prez @gotabayaR) about India’s expectations that SL govt will take forward the process of national reconciliation to arrive at a solution that meets aspirations of Tamil …

Continue reading ‘Indian Foreign Minister Jaishanker Conveys New Delhi’s Expectation that “SL govt will take forward the process of national reconciliation to arrive at a solution that meets aspirations of Tamil population for equality, justice, peace & dignity”’ »

By Chandani Kirinde The fallout from the United National Party’s (UNP) defeat at Saturday’s Presidential Election continued yesterday, with two groups within the party making a claim for the post of Opposition Leader, one backing current UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the other former Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa. UNP Secretary General Akila Viraj Kariyawasam wrote …

Continue reading ‘UNP Gen -Secy Akila Viraj Kariyaasam Writes Officially to Speaker Nominating Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as Leader of the Opposition but Ajith Perera Also Sends Letter with Signatures of Sajith Faction MP’s Demanding Post for Premadasa.’ »

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday took oaths as the 24th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa took oaths before his brother and newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, and promptly assumed duties at the Prime Minister’s Office.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been released from all indictments in the D. A. Rajapaksa memorial case, sources said. Rajapaksa’s passport, the subject of much controversy in the run-up to the recently concluded presidential election, has also been released.

A new political party would be established with the leadership of Sajith Premadasa if Ranil Wickremesinghe does not resign from the UNP leadership and the post of opposition leader, MP Harin Fernando says. Addressing the media in Colombo, Fernando said that Premadasa was the best person to lead the UNP and the Opposition. A number …

Continue reading ‘Harin Fernando Threatens to Form New Political Party Under Sajith Premadasa’s Leadership If Ranil Wickremesinghe Does Not Resign and Let Sajith Become UNP Leader and Leader of Opposition.’ »

By Nuwan Senarathna The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) will not be dissolved by a Government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said yesterday, insisting that it would take forward ongoing probes on the bond scam as well as investigations into other corruption allegations that surfaced over the past four …

Continue reading ‘Wimal Weerawansa Says Investigations Would be Launched Against Those Allegedly Responsible for Circulating Purported False Documents and Doctored Videos On Social Media Regarding Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Citizenship Matters’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will hand over his letter of resignation to President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa today, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “I met the President on Tuesday and spoke about the future activities of Parliament. We decided that we must accept the people’s mandate and allow the President to form a government, …

Continue reading ‘“Although we have the majority in Parliament, I decided to resign as Prime Minister Because I respect and cherish democracy” Says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Special Statement Issued Prior to Resigning as PM on Nov 21st Morning’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will resign from his post this morning, paving the way for Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to be sworn in as the new Premier later in the day. Wickremesinghe will officially inform President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of his decision this morning. While the United National Front (UNF), headed by Wickremesinghe, commands the majority …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa To Be Sworn in as Prime Minister Along with Cabinet of 15 Ministers on November 21 at 1 PM Before New President Gotabaya Rajapaksa After Ranil Wickremesinghe Resigns as PM in the Morning.’ »

By Kelum Bandara Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will step down today making the way for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint a new Cabinet, Daily Mirror learns. The Prime Minister called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday and discussed it. He will have a special Cabinet meeting at 4.00 p.m. today. Afterwards, he will make a public …

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to Announce His Resignation After Special Cabinet Meeting; President Gotabaya Likely to Appoint 15 Member “Caretaker”Cabinet Giving Weightage to Party Leaders who Supported his Campaign Until Parliament is Dissolved Formally After March 1st 2020’ »

(Text of a Press Statement Issued Through the Media Office of the Tamil National Alliance) The Presidential election held on 2019.11.16 to elect the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been peaceful and Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been declared elected as the President of the Republic of Sri Lanka. We extend …

Continue reading ‘TNA Leader R.Sampanthan Congratulates Gotabaya Rajapaksa on His Victory and Expresses Confidence that the New Presient would “respect the very substantial democratic verdict of the Tamil people of the North and East”.’ »

The Speaker of Parliament had carried out discussions with the Prime Minister, opposition leader, party leaders and several parliamentarians regarding the future course of action of the Parliament after the President has been sworn-in. A release issued by the Speaker’s media unit says that the majority were of the view that action is taken based …

Continue reading ‘Three Options Before Parliament – Early Dissolution Through UNF-SLPP Consensus, Current Govt Continuing Until Dissolution by President Gotabaya on March 1st 2020 or Ranil and Ministers Stepping Down to Let Mahinda Become Interim PM of new Caretaker Cabinet’ »

Sri Lanka’s new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India on November 29, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said after meeting the Sri Lankan President this evening in Colombo. On Sunday, PM Modi had invited Mr Rajapaksa to visit India as his first official foreign tour. Mr Rajapaksa will …

Continue reading ‘Indian Foreign Secretary Jaishanker Flies in Unannounced to Colombo to Meet Gotabaya Rajapaksa with Personal message From Indian Prime Minister Modi. New Sri Lankan President will meet Indian PM in New Delhi on Nov 29th’ »

Sri Lanka constitution has to be changed and a 19th amendment should be abolished, Basil Rajapaksa, brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a television interview. “It is my view that the 19th amendment should be completely abolished,” Rajapaksa, who formed the Sri Lanka Podujana Party of the new President said in an interview with …

Continue reading ‘19th Constitutional Amendment Has Good and Bad Parts. We Must Abolish 19 A While reataining the Good Parts” Says Basil Rajapaksa in Interview with “Hiru TV”.’ »

By Chandani Kirinde Speculation was rife last night that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will step down today, along with members of the Cabinet, to pave the way for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to make new appointments, whilst others claimed the former will hold on for a little longer. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said that …

Continue reading ‘Outgoing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Confers with New President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Cordial Meeting; Will Discuss with Ruling Party Members Before Stepping Down as PM.’ »

By Chandani Kirinde The appointment of a new Prime Minister and Cabinet is likely to be delayed till tomorrow pending a top level meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa tomorrow. The probable way forward came under discussion at the UNP parliamentary group meeting yesterday whilst there were …

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya,Opposition Leader Mahinda and Prime Minister Ranil to Decide in Tripartite Meeting: Caretaker Cabinet Likely to be Appointed Under Interim Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Until New Elections are Held’ »

By Saman Indrajith The government parliamentary group, which met, yesterday, was divided between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa, who resigned as the UNP Deputy leader following his defeat at Saturday’s presidential election. One group objected to Prime Minister’s decision to dissolve Parliament and go for a snap parliamentary election. Health, Nutrition and Indigenous …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa Faction Opposes Ranil’s Proposal to Pass United Resolution With Opposition and Dissolve Parliament Because Some New MP’s Would not be Eligible for Pensions if Early Elections are held’ »

By Chandani Kirinde The EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said yesterday that the Presidential Election was largely free of violence and technically well-managed, but that unregulated campaign spending, abuse of State resources and media bias did not provide a level playing field for all candidates. Presenting the mission’s preliminary findings at a press briefing, …

Continue reading ‘EU election observation mission says Presidential Election was largely free of violence and technically well-managed Though Bias, hate speech and disinformation in traditional and online media deprived level playing field’ »

Newly-sworn-in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday, in his first address to the nation, outlined his policies, which centred on efficiency to drive economic growth, a non-aligned foreign policy, priority for national security and minority inclusivity to build a prosperous Sri Lanka. Speaking at the historic Ruwanwelisaya under the shadow of King Dutugamunu’s statue, Rajapaksa yesterday held …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Seventh Executive President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Proclaims in his Inaugural Speech After Being Sworn in at Historic Ruwanweliseya that he represents all Sri Lankans and pledges to create an inclusive country where minorities could practice their faith and culture with dignity.’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, addressing the nation from Anuradhapura, yesterday, declared that he would form a new government. He said he had come before the people as the Executive President, Commander-in-chief and Defence Minister. “I am addressing you as the Executive President of Sri Lanka, Commander- in-Chief and the Defence Minister who is responsible for your …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s New President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Laments the Fact that Tamils and Muslims did not Respond to his Invitation to Join him in his Victory but Calls Upon them to Join Him in Ushering in Progress for the Whole Country’ »

By P.K.Balachandran Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) convincingly won the Lankan Presidential election held on November 16. Gotabaya got 52.25 % of the valid votes while his principal rival, Sajith Premadasa, got 41.99%, as per figures available in the evening of Sunday. Sajith conceded defeat in a statement released in the …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya won Handsomely Because he Addressed the Concerns of the Sinhala Majority in Sri Lanka While Downplaying Issues Agitating the Minority Tamils and Muslims.’ »

By Suhasini Haidar For many in South Block, the election in Sri Lanka will bring relations around full circle from five years ago. In October 2014, during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi, when he was Defence Secretary to his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, both the Ministry of External Affairs and the National Security Advisor …

Continue reading ‘The Most Sensitive Issue for India in Dealing with the New Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be in Relation to the Tamils and Muslims in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the Island’ »

By Meera Srinivasan As the outcome of Saturday’s presidential polls in Sri Lanka became clear, some voters’ message to the winner Gotabaya Rajapaksa was even clearer. The island’s minority Tamils and Muslims, most of whom live in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, had voted decisively for ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa, giving him over a …

Continue reading ‘Voting Pattern of Sri Lankan Presidential Elections Indicating Deep Polarisation Between the Sinhala Majority and Tamil and Muslim Minorities is Cause for Concern’ »

By Chandani Kirinde Starting a new chapter in Sri Lanka’s political history Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa (70) will be sworn in today as the Seventh Executive President having securing a resounding victory on Saturday. President-elect Rajapaksa was declared winner by Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya last afternoon after he won an emphatic victory in the Saturday’s …

Continue reading ‘Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa Will Take Oaths as Seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka on November 18th Within Precincts of Ruwanweliseya in Sacred City of Anuradhapura’ »

(English Translation of Excerpts from Speech made by President elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa after Being Declared the Winner Officially) It’s no overstatement: today we made history together. 16th November 2019 will be remembered as the day when the wounds of the past were healed, and our nation moved forward to embrace the future. Sri Lankans chose …

Continue reading ‘President Elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa Emphasises that he is the “President of not only those who voted for me but also those who voted against me and irrespective of which race or religion they belong to”.’ »

(Text of a Press Release Issued by Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa on Nov 17th 2019 under the heading “Presidential Election 2019”) The candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Joint Opposition, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has won a decisive victory at this presidential election. I request all our party …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Podujana Party Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Says “The time has now come to put an end to this dangerous game of promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism for political purposes”in Post -election Statement’ »

Sri Lanka’s ex-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who helped defeat Tamil Tiger separatists has been elected Presidentin a deeply polarized vote backed by mainly Sinhalese voters in the South of the country. Rajapaksa won 6,924,255 or 52.25 percent of the vote beating Sajith Premadasa who polled 5,564,239 or 41.99 percent. Rajapaksa’s brother ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa is …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Podujana Party Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa Polling 6,924,255 or 52.25 percent of the vote Defeats Sajith Premadasa Polling 5,564,239 or 41.99 percentTo be Elected as the Seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka’ »

By Meera Srinivasan As the outcome of the Sri Lankan presidential poll became clear on Sunday, the candidate of the incumbent government Sajith Premadasa conceded defeat to his opponent Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He also resigned from the post of Deputy Leader of his United National Party (UNP). Earlier in the day, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna …

Continue reading ‘Final Results Not Declared Yet But Sajith Premadasa Accepts Defeat as Gotabaya Rajapaksa Crosses Crucial 50% Mark at 11.30 AM on Sunday November 17th’ »

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Sunday claimed that presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won the presidential election by winning 53% of the total votes. In a statement, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said although the final official results were yet to be released they had sufficient information that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had won the polls.

(Text of Special Statement Issued by NDF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa on Nov 17th 2019) At the conclusion of a hard fought and spirited election campaign, It is my privilege to honour the decision of the people and congratulate Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his election as the seventh President of Sri Lanka. I express my …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa Announces He Will Step Down as UNP Deputy Leader with Immediate Effect :Issues Special Statement Thanking All Citizens Who Voted For Him in all Corners of the Island Without Specifically Mentioning Tamil and Muslim Communitiesd Who Voted For Him En Masse.’ »

Sri Lanka’s ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa Sunday conceded the presidential poll on Sunday and congratulated his main rival, former wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka Podujana Party has claimed victory in 2019 presidential polls with its candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa getting large majorities in the South. By late morning Sunday Rajapaksa had polled 48 percent of the vote and Sajith Premadasa 45 percent.

By Meera Srinivasan As voting ended on Saturday, the rival political camps of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa in Sri Lanka’s presidential election appeared confident that the high turnout would push their candidate past the required 50% mark. A second round of counting will be undertaken to tally preference votes if neither contestant secures over …

Continue reading ‘High Turn out of Voters Welcomed by Camps of Rival Presidential Candidates Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa With Both Camps Confident of Victory at First Count of Votes; Tamils in North-East Vote in Large Numbers Rejecting Boycott Call’ »

The following is a transcript of an exclusive Sunday Times Q and A with SLPP Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Q: When General Sarath Fonseka contested the Presidential Elections of 2010, you felt at the time that a military officer cannot transform himself into a politician. Being a military officer yourself, how do you feel about …

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa States in Interview With “Sunday Times” That Restoring National Security and Law and Order Would be his First Priority if he Wins the Nov 16th Election.’ »

Gunmen opened fire on a convoy of buses carrying minority Muslim voters in northwest Sri Lanka on Saturday, hours before polling in presidential elections got under way, police said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but a police official said the attackers had burnt tyres on the road and set up makeshift road blocks …

Continue reading ‘Gunmen Open Fire on Convoy of More Than 100 Vehicles Transporting Displaced Muslim Voters From Puttalam to Mannar in Tantrimale After Obstructing Road With Burning Tires and Pelting Stones;Two Buses Damaged but no Casualties Reported.’ »

By Nirmala Kannangara Police yesterday threatened to file court action if any military roadblocks or checkpoints were set up in the Jaffna District today, as such obstacles to voting would constitute a violation of election laws. Against the objections of the army and local security forces commanders, police yesterday ordered the roadblocks be dismantled insisting …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Orders Armed Forces Confined to Barracks For Election Voting But Army in Jaffna Peninsula Sets Up Unlawful Road Blocks in Jaffna Peninsula Impeding Safe Movement of Voters and Refuses to Dismantle Them Violating Election Laws: Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunaratne Deploys Special Team Urgently to North to Resolve Crisis’ »

Within three hours of the opening of polling booths in the Sri Lankan Presidential election on Saturday, 25% of the voters had cast their ballots, election officers said. Polling began at 7 am and by 10 am local time, a quarter of the electorate had votes, they added.

by VLM In the final few days of the campaign trail, the usual talk is once again resurfacing. Apparently the NDF candidate is “picking up the pace” and “closing the gap”. This view isn’t without merit. The SLPP campaign definitely plateaued and with Sajith Premadasa claiming that he would “appoint a first-time PM”, there are …

Continue reading ‘The Race will be Tight But There is no way that Gotabaya Rajapaksa can Lose this Election.’ »

Armed men stabbed and injured a writer in Sri Lanka on Thursday, a week after he published a book criticising the main opposition candidate at Saturday’s presidential polls, police said. The attackers stormed the home of Lasantha Wijeratne, who released his book “Wasteful Development and Corruption” last week and gave a copy to ruling party …

Continue reading ‘Four Armed Men Invade Home of Writer Lasantha Wijeratne in Galle and Attack him for Writing a Book Critical of Previous Rajapaksa Regime Accusing Him of Harming the Campaign of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ »

By Col R Hariharan Amid the excitement of the Ayodhya verdict and opening of the Kartarpur corridor to Indian devotees of Nankana Sahib, the Sri Lanka Presidential election to be held on November 16 finds little space in the media, not even in Tamil Nadu. The election will decide who will be at the helm …

Continue reading ‘If Gotabaya wins India may have to get Sri Lanka strike a balance in its relationship with India and China.’ »

By Ajith Siriwardana National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today they were committed to creating a country with humanity while protecting the rights of all communities. Speaking at the final rally held last night in Maharagama, he said the NPP would create a country free of fraud and corruption where all …

Continue reading ‘National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake Tells Final Rally at Maharagama that “they were committed to creating a Country free of fraud and corruption where all communities could live in unity”’ »

By Nirmala Kannangara Two civil society activists today an appeal with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the decision last month by the Court of Appeal to dismiss their writ application that sought to quash the dual citizenship certificate of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda, …

Continue reading ‘Appeal Filed in Supreme Court by Civil Society Activists Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda Seeks to Overturn Court of Appeal Decision and have the dual citizenship certificate of Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a nullity and to nullify Rajapaksa’s ability to act as or represent himself as a citizen of Sri Lanka’ »

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya Refocusing attention on Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s United States (US) citizenship renunciation issue is a last-ditch attempt by supporters of New Democratic Front presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa to stave off defeat, claimed Professionals Intervention for Policy Dialogue’s (PIPD) Dr. Charitha Herath yesterday. “Gotabaya Rajapaksa came forth …

Continue reading ‘“Refocusing Attention on SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s US Citizenship Renunciation Issue is a last-ditch Attempt by Supporters of NDF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa to Stave off Defeat” States Dr. Charitha Herath of PIPD’ »

By S.S. Selvanayagam Two civil society activists yesterday filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal decision to dismiss a Writ application that sought to clarify the status of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s dual citizenship. Appellants were activists Gamini Viyangoda and Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara, …

Continue reading ‘Civil Society Activists Gamini Viyangoda and Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara File Appeal in Supreme Court Seeking to Overturn Appeal Court Decision to Dismiss Writ Application Regarding Clarification of SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya’s Dual Citizenship Status’ »

By Chandani Kirinde A fresh row erupted over the citizenship of SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the weekend, with Sports Minister Harin Fernando alleging that the former had not completed the process of renouncing his US citizenship, which drew a strong rebuttal from lawyers for the SLPP candidate. The row resurfaced after Fernando, in …

Continue reading ‘Controversial Citizenship Issue of SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa Re-surfaces Due to Sports Minister Harin Fernando’s Facebook Post; Ven. Inguruwatte Sumangala Thero Begins Fast Demanding Gota to Produce Documents Confirming Renunciation of his US citizenship.’ »

By Sandun A. Jayasekera Underscoring that the Elections Commission (EC) was not concerned over citizenship of any presidential candidate, its Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said today he, along with two other commissioners, only observed and returned the document on US citizenship of Gotabaya Rajapaksa to his lawyer Ali Sabri. Responding to a journalist at a news …

Continue reading ‘Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya Says It is not the Election Commission’s Job to Verify the Authenticity of Documents Submitted by Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Lawyer Ali Sabry Regarding the Renunciation of US Citizenship by the Presidential Candidate’ »

Commenting on the on-going controversy over the citizenship of SLPP Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, two prominent civic action groups have said that “there should be no doubt about eligibility of person to be elected president”. “The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) have expressed deep concern about anomalies …

Continue reading ‘Centre for Policy Alternatives and Centre for Monitoring Election Violence Issue Statement Urging Verification of SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Eligibility to Contest Elections Due to Anomalies Appearing in Affidavits Submitted on his Behalf’ »

By Ajith Siriwardana National Peoples’ Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday assured northern people that they would create a situation where Tamil people would be able to learn and deal with the government in their mother tongue. Speaking at an election rally in Kilinochchi, he said there were two state languages such as …

Continue reading ‘NPP Presidential Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake Says They Will Introduce Schemes to Foster Sri Lankan Tamil Cultural Identity Through Indigenous Literature and Arts Instead of Depending on Tamil Nadu Artists’ »

By S.Venkat Narayan NEW DELHI, November 9: The Tamil Nadu Government has issued a government order to include 9,000 new Tamil words in the language. Currently, Tamil has over 4,70,000 unique words, and the over 2,000-year-old language is spoken by 77 million people in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and other parts of the globe. …

Continue reading ‘Nine Thousand New Tamil Words Coined by Experts Over a Period of Ten Months Included Officially by the Tamil Nadu State Govt Into the Tamil Language Spoken by 77 Million People Worldwide Including Sri Lanka’ »

By Sandun Jayawardana Former MP and State Minister Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, who is running as an independent candidate under the ‘owl’ symbol at next Saturday’s presidential election, said he was contesting to draw attention to what had been promised in President Maithripala Sirisena’s election manifesto and to highlight the manner in which those promises could …

Continue reading ‘Prof.Rajiva Wijesinha Contesting Presidential Elections Independently Under “Owl” Symbol Proposes Devolution of Power Through Pradeshiya Sabhasand Divisional Secretariats Instead of Provincial Councils’ »

by Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Pohottuwa campaigners visiting predominantly Catholic belt neighbourhoods with flyers containing images of blood stained altars of the Katuwapitiya and Kochchikade churches while soliciting the vote for former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa must be reminded that the blame for allowing jihadists to flourish unchecked in Sri Lanka is multi-faceted. Responsibility for intelligence …

Continue reading ‘Public Anger in Regard to an Incompetent ‘Yahapalanaya’ Leadership Must not Trap us into Exchanging what was Incompetent for the Infinitely Worse.’ »

Sri Lanka’s outgoing President Maithripaa Sirisena has caused public outrage by pardoning a death row prisoner who had murdered a Swedish teenager in 2005. Jude Jayamaha, from a wealthy, high-profile family, walked free from prison following President Maithripala Sirisena’s highly unusual decision to pardon him. The victim’s sister, Caroline Jonsson, said the killer had shown …

Continue reading ‘“I cannot begin to understand how a father of two daughters reached the decision to release this monster”? – Open Letter to Maithripala Sirisena From Carloine Jonsson the Sister of Swedish Teen Yvonne Jonsson Killed by Jude Jayamaha Who Received a Presidential Pardon.’ »

By M.A. Sumanthiran MP In less than a week, Sri Lankan citizens all over the island will go to the polls to select the country’s eighth executive president. There is no denying that, irrespective of the result, this election will mark a crucial turning point in Sri Lanka’s political history. A stark choice faced voters …

Continue reading ‘Why the Tamil National Alliance Decided to Support Sajith Premadasa as the Better Choice Between the Two Main Contenders at the 2019 Presidential Election’ »

By Shreen Abdul Saroor “We see only Muslim villages have been developed, but not the Tamil villages. The only way for Catholic and Hindu villages to get developed is to vote for Gota.” -Namal Rajapaksa in Mannar. “We have to act against Muslims. We Tamil youth have to think and act.” – leaflet by Kiran …

Continue reading ‘The Frontline campaigners of SLPP, especially in the north and east, are collecting voters for Gota through outright hate mongering and Pitting One Community Against the Other’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya When the UNP Presidential hopeful Sajith Premadasa and his backers bulldozed the former’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate through the UNP executive committee -after a series of mass rallies and implicit threats of party division- their objective was just to have their man on the party ticket. It is unlikely that …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa’s subconscious prejudices – or probably he is being over cautious not to be accused of pandering to minorities – is preventing him from actively reaching out to ethnic minority voters.’ »

The Presidential election campaign has almost reached its final stage today. You have ample clues to decide on which candidate to support if you look at the behavioural pattern in most election campaign stages. Most of the people seen on SLPP election platforms today are either owners of arrack factories, liquor bars, illicit rock or …

Continue reading ‘“National People’s Power manifesto was a progressive set of principles aimed at developing and rebuilding the country” Says JVP Leader and NPP Presidential Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake’ »

Jude Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha convicted for the brutal killing of the 19 year old Yvonne Jonsson at Royal Park in 2005 has been granted presidential pardon and most likely will be released today, highly placed sources confirmed to Sunday Observer. Accordingly the documents relating to the release has been forwarded through the Secretary to the …

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Sirisena Grants Presidential Pardon to Jude Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha Who was Convicted Over the Brutal Killing of 19 Year old Yvonne Jonsson at Royal Park in 2005’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” – George Orwell (The Adelphi – January 1939) “The first duty of the Memory Police was to ensure disappearances,” writes Japanese author Yoko Ogawa in her tale of an island where …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa is Not the Ideal Candidate or the Best Candidate But He is the Only Candidate Who Can Defeat Gotabaya Rajapaksa.’ »

By Jayadeva Uyangoda Who is winning? This seems to be the question many people these days are keen to find an answer to. Whenever this question is put to me, my usual answer is one that disappoints the interlocutor: “It is difficult to say. But I can tell you a little bit about what I …

Continue reading ‘The Presidential Contest Between Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa is a Contestation Between Two Mutually Opposing Political Projects.’ »

By Sanjana Hattotuwa The room was paid for, in cash, by someone else. The hotel was chosen because of its location close to the HQ of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence in 2014. Well before election day on January 8, full access to key websites was given to trusted individuals outside Sri Lanka, to …

Continue reading ‘“One can fear the outcome but still vote with hope. Please vote. We simply mustn’t go back to how things were, just a few years ago”.’ »

By C.A.Chandraprema By this time next week, the results of the presidential poll would be rolling in. It is very unlikely that the final result would have been announced by the time the newspapers hit the newsstands. Indeed the Elections Commission has said that the final result may not be announced till Monday Nov. 18. …

Continue reading ‘If and When Gota is Elected President He May Face A Hostile UNP Led Govt Until Fresh Elections To Parliament Are Held in Late April 2020’ »

(TEXT OF A PERSONAL STATEMENT ISSUED BY Dr. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA ON THE CULT OF INTOLERANCE AND IRRATIONALITY) I was horrified to hear a question that Dilka Samanmalee asked Ali Sabry PC on Derana 360. She said that “Dayan Jayatilleka has made a statement that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was responsible for the Easter attacks because he had …

Continue reading ‘“If I share a post of a quote from the Buddha, Jesus, or the Koran, Am I the author of it and Would It be my Statement? Asks Lankan Envoy to Moscow Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka!’ »

By Disna Mudalige The currently held portfolios in Parliament, including the post of Prime Minister, will have to be freshly appointed once the election results are released, and the person who has the confidence of Parliament will become the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. The Prime Minister made this response to a …

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Clarifies That Fresh Appointments Will be Made to All Current Posts Including that of the Premier After a New President is Elected and that the Person who Enjoys the Confidence of Parliament Will be Prime Minister’ »

by Tamara Kunanayakam “[T]here is no friendship when nations are not equal,when one has to obey another and when one only dominates another.” Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India in Closing Speech at the Asian-African Conference, Bandung, 1955 Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA), the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Millennium Challenge Compact …

Continue reading ‘MCC, ACSA, SOFA with the USA Are Incompatible With International Law’ »

New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate, Sajith Premadasa yesterday said that he, if elected President, he would appoint a new Prime Minister who could command the confidence of the majority in Parliament. Issuing a special statement, Premadasa has said that not a single MP who faces allegations of bribery and corruption will be appointed to …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa Says In Special Statement that “if Elected President he would Appoint a NEW Prime Minister Who Could Command the Confidence of the Majority in Parliament.’ »

New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa said once voted into office he would appoint a new prime minister who he felt could command a majority in parliament. “I will not include any individual accused of corruption in my ministerial cabinet,” he said making a special announcement at a private TV station. His remarks …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Says He Would Appoint a New Prime Minister After Being Voted Into Office Despite Prime Minister Ranil Telling Media That he would Continue to Remain PM During Premada’s Presidential Tenure Also’ »

Sajith Premadasa is saying that he will appoint a Cabinet of Ministers who are young vibrant and free of corruption allegations if he wins the Presidential elections on Nov 16. “I will appoint a new, first-time Prime Minister who will be endorsed by the majority,” he said in an address broadcast on his Facebook page. …

Continue reading ‘DNF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa Announces He Would “Appoint a New, First-time Prime Minister who Will be Endorsed by the Majority”’ »

(Text of a Statement Issued by the Tamil National Alliance on November 6th 2019 Under the Heading ” Presidential Election – 16th November 2019) An Election for a President to be democratically elected for Sri Lanka is due to be held on 16th November 2019. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) -The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi …

Continue reading ‘Leaders of the TNA and Its Constituent Parties the ITAK, TELO and PLOTE Urge All People Particularly the Tamil People To Vote for Sajith Premadasa the NDF Candidate Contesting Under the Swan Symbol’ »

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya In the face of intense public pressure, the government appears to have backpedaled on its decision to hurriedly sign the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation compact with the US before the Nov.16th presidential election. Conflicting news reports indicate there is still much ambiguity as to the government’s intentions, and no clarity as to …

Continue reading ‘Public Pressure Stalls Rushed Signing of Millennium Challenge Corporation Pact Amid Conflicting Statements From Govt.’ »

By Nisthar Cassim Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and his ally Ali Sabry PC, made a very strong and seemingly compelling case for the Muslim community to back the former last week at the packed National Muslim Collective Forum at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, with a key highlight being the continuous …

Continue reading ‘SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa Draws Applause From Audience at National Muslim Collective Forum Event at Shangri-La Hotel When He Claimed 65% of Muslims are Supporting Him.’ »

(Text of a media release issued by the Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 6th 2019 under the heading “UNP presidential candidate’s stand on the Unitary State”) The chapter on constitutional reform in the manifesto of the UNP presidential candidate contains provisions to replace the unitary state with a formulation that describes Sri …

Continue reading ‘Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa Issues Statement Accusing DNF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa of Including Provisions in His Manifesto Aimed at Dismantling the Unitary State and Creating a Federal State In Its Place.’ »

By Radhika Coomaraswamy Many of us were hoping for a new dawn in 2015. The hope for a “Yahapalanaya” government now leaves ashes in the mouth of many people. It is true they brought us back our freedom and strengthened independent institutions but they failed fundamentally in convincing people that democracy and freedom should be …

Continue reading ‘Who Will Guard The Guardian? Who Will Watch The Watchdog? It Has To Be Us ! But Without Freedom That Will Not Be Possible.’ »

The country’s leading Tamil political party, the Ilangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), yesterday announced it was giving support to NDF presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa in the forthcoming Presidential election. Party sources said that this was an independent decision by its central committee and was not based on any political negotiations or on any conditionality. “We …

Continue reading ‘Chief Political Party of Sri Lankan Tamils the Ilangai ThamilArasuk Katchi (ITAK) Decides to Support Sajith Premadasa in Presidential Elections as “The Best Choice For The Tamil People At Present”’ »

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kacchi (ITAK) pledged its support to National Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa yesterday. ITAK parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran made the announcement at a press briefing in Vavuniya yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s Election Commission chief Mahinda Deshapriya withdrew the censorship he slapped on state-owned ITN after protests that his action was supporting Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the main opposition candidate at November 16 presidential polls. Deshapriya shocked his own fellow commissioners by firing a letter to ITN saying that they are prohibited from broadcasting any politically-oriented programs …

Continue reading ‘Elections Commission Chief Mahinda Deshapriya Backs Down and Withdraws Ban Imposed on ITN Following Protests That His Unilatera Censorship was Favourable To SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ »

by C.A.Chandraprema UNF presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa launched his election manifesto in Kandy on Thursday. It’s called “Sri Lankawe idiri gamanata seemawak netha: Ekwa gamana yamu.” Loosely translated this would mean “There are no limits to what Sri Lanka can achieve: Let’s go on this journey together”. If there was one section of the population …

Continue reading ‘NDF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premada’s Election Manifesto Reflects Many of the Salient Points of the Draft Constitution Document Tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Early This Year.’ »

Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday banned state-owned ITN from telecasting any politically-oriented program after accusing it of broadcasting an interview which he said was unfavourable to opposition candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The sweeping censorship of the state television broadcaster also caused a rift within the independent commission. One of the three members said there had …

Continue reading ‘Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya’s Ban on ITN Telecasting Political Programs or Providing Live Coverage Criticised by Commission Member Prof.Ratnajeevan Hoole as “Unilateral Censorship, Ill-advised and Stalinist”.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka does not need a military response to tackle prevalent national security concerns; the country needs a sound political response, according to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader and presidential candidate of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). In an interview to The Hindu on Thursday, at the JVP headquarters near the Sri …

Continue reading ‘JVP Leader and Presidential Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake Says Prevalent National Security Concerns Need to be Tackled with a Political Response and not a Military Response.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s Presidential hopeful Sajith Premadasa on Thursday promised to complete the constitutional reform process initiated by the current government, if elected to the office. The ruling United National Party’s (UNP) candidate released his election manifesto in the central city of Kandy, a fortnight ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election. “The Constitution …

Continue reading ‘” Constitution Reform Process on the Executive President Acting with the Concurrence of the Prime Minister, Devolution and Electoral Systems Begun by this Parliament will be Completed Without Delay” Promises New Democratic Front Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa in Election Manifesto’ »

By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Two weeks ago, the chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC) came out strongly against using the war victory of 2009 as a campaign prop in the November Presidential election. Prohibiting such usage he said credit for the war victory could not be claimed by any political party as it belonged to …

Continue reading ‘Both Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa are “Militarising” Their Presidential Election Campaigns by Focusing Too Much on the War,War Victory and National Security.’ »

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake The manifestos of the three front runners are now out with hardly any serious discussion on the substance of these electoral junk papers. Public meetings are held by the two lead players at locations that obstruct traffic, and show the cheering crowds, with purple or green flags in flutter, and the Swan …

Continue reading ‘Will Gotabaya and Sajith Move Away From the Political Culture of Corruption Fostered by Family Bandyism and Catcher Politics?’ »

By Yohan Perera, J. A. L. Jayasinghe and L B Senaratne New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa in his election manifesto launched yesterday, pledged to bring in a new constitution which will build a strong nation, to create a democratic pluralistic society and to devolve maximum power to provinces. He also pledged to …

Continue reading ‘New Democratic Front Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa Launches Manifesto That PLedges a New Constitution, Maximum Devolution to Provinces and a Second Chamber in an Indivisible Strong Nation With a Democratic Pluralist Society’ »

Out of 225 members of Sri Lanka’s parliament, 102 members are from political families, whose ancestors of close relatives have also been in the house, a legislator has said, which if correct, tops the hereditary peers of the UK’s House of Lords. Bimal Rathnayake, a member of Sri Lanka’s Marxist People’s Liberation Party said one …

Continue reading ‘102 out of 225 MP’s in the Sri Lankan Parliament are from Political Families Where Close Relatives Have also Been or are MP’s Reveals JVP’s Bimal Ratnayake.’ »

By Dr.Asanga Welikala Sri Lanka will elect a new president on 16 November 2019. While unusually that will be neither the current President nor the current Prime Minister, what is less well understood is that the office itself to which the new president is elected will be a new office in terms of its powers …

Continue reading ‘The New President Elected on Nov 16 Should Realise That he Has Less Powers Than Those Enjoyed by his Predecessors and Would Therefore Do Well To Discharge his Duties Accordingly’ »

By Chandani Kirinde In a major breakthrough, the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday approved the implementation of the $ 480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant, based on a proposal by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. While authorising Minister Samaraweera to sign the Compact Agreement with the MCC on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government, Cabinet also …

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Authorises Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera To Sign $480 Million Millennium Challenge Corporation Grant That was Long Delayed Due to Objections by President Sirisena’ »

(Full Text of a Statement Issued by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Moscow, Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Regarding Accusations Made against him at a Press Conference in Colombo) I was shocked to see on the 6:55pm Hiru News on Tuesday Oct 29th 2019 (yesterday) a media briefing by a few MPs described as Catholic MPs of the SLPP, …

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Envoy to Russia Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Firmly Denies Accusations of Conspiring with Mangala Samaraweera to Engage in False Propaganda Implicating Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the Easter Bombings and Strongly Denounces Such Attempts as a Plot to Turn Him Into a Dr.Shafi’ »

By Dinasena Rathugamage SLPP Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, campaigning in Vavuniya, yesterday, urged the Tamils to repose their faith in him. They should be not be cheated by politicians unlike in the past, he said stressing that he was focusing on doing his utmost for the welfare of the people. He said he would rehabilitate …

Continue reading ‘SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapksa Campaigning in Vavuniya Says If Elected to Office he would Rehabilitate the Remaining 274 Ex-LTTE Cadres in Custody and Re-integrate them Into Society’ »

By Romesh Madushanka SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa today pledged to take the Tamil community in the North and East to the future from the past to which they have been confined. Mr. Rajapaksa, who is in the North attending election rallies, said some people did their best to confine Tamils to the past. “I …

Continue reading ‘SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa Addressing Political Rally in Jaffna States he would Provide Govt Jobs for at Least One Member in Each Poverty – stricken Family in the North’ »

By D. C. P. Amarasekere With only a few weeks left for the 2019 Presidential Election, two questions seem to dominate our social conversations and news coverage: “who will win?” and “what will be Sri Lanka’s political destiny?” In the absence of country-wide scientific polling, the first question is typically answered by using anecdotes, quasi-scientific, …

Continue reading ‘Is the Simple Picture In Which Sajith Premadasa is Being Exalted as a Great Liberal While Gotabaya Rajapaksa is Being Depicted as a Scary Neo-Conservative Correct?’ »

By Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu A year ago, the country withstood a serious challenge to its governance and government. The Constitutional Coup launched by President Maithripala Sirisena marked a low point in the constitutional and political development of the country in as much as the decision of the Supreme Court and the role of civil society and …

Continue reading ‘Will President Maithripala Sirisena Be Held to Account After Nov 16th 2019 for the Actions Undertaken by him Through his “Constitutional Coup” of October 25th 2018?’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene This week, a citizen called into a popular (Sinhala) political programme on national television and asked the Minister being interviewed as to why it was that, one year following the 52-day old ‘coup’ in October 2018 installing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, no legal action had been taken against …

Continue reading ‘Sajith Premadasa Must be Credited for Having Dexterously Turned the Toxic Usage of Sinhala-Buddhism by Rajapaksa Followers on its Head By Questioning As To Who a True Sinhala Buddhist Is.’ »

By Michael Safi and Martin Chulov The Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been killed in a raid by US special forces on his Syrian safe house, Donald Trump has announced, ending a years-long hunt for one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists. Trump said the “impeccable” two-hour operation was conducted on Saturday night in …

Continue reading ‘Islamic State “Caliphate” Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Detonates Explosive Laden Vrest and Kills Himself Along with Three of his Children After Being Cornered by US Special Forces at Safe House in West Syria Confirms US President Donald Trump’ »

By Chandani Kirinde Her impeachment from the Office of Chief Justice seven years ago made headlines across the country and was flashed across the world. While a lot has been written and said about the infamous manner in which Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake was removed from office, little was known about her side of the …

Continue reading ‘43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Shirani Bandaranayake Reveals Her Side of the Story with Candid Detail in her Recently Released Memoir “Hold Me In Contempt”’ »

By S.S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal (CA) today issued notices on Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera and SSP Anuruddha Bandara Hakmana and HQI Senadhipathi K.D. de Silva of Mullaitivu returnable for November 8. The bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda (President/CA) and Arjuna Obeysekara after having satisfied on the material placed and submission made ordered to …

Continue reading ‘Court of Appeal Issues Notices on Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, SSP Anuruddha Bandara Hakmana and HQI Senadhipathi K.D. de Silva Regarding Contempt of Court Application Filed by TNA National List MP Shanthi Srikandarasa’ »

By Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H.Hoole Last Thursday (16 October) was a great day for Sri Lanka; the Jaffna International Airport was opened. It offered a great opportunity for integrating Jaffna with the rest of Sri Lanka; for tourists from Tamil Nadu (the largest number of tourists coming in from India) to hop over to Jaffna …

Continue reading ‘Ceremonial Opening of Jaffna International Airport at Palaly Event was Botched by Sinhala Officials from Colombo who Organized the Event.’ »

President Maithripala Sirisena, yesterday, promised that he would hang at least one drug dealer before his tenure as President ends if the Supreme Court gave a favourable ruling on his attempts to end a 43-year-old moratorium on capital punishment by hanging drug convicts. In July, the Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction against the execution …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Wants to Hang at Least one “Drug Dealer”Before His Tenure Ends If Supreme Court Removes Injunction on Executions’ »

By Anurangi Singh Fresh contempt of court papers have been filed against controversial Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagodaththe Gnanasara Thera, over his actions in violation of an order by the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court, involving a contentious burial on Hindu temple grounds. The controversial monk is facing contempt of court charges again, only four months …

Continue reading ‘TNA Parliamentarian Shanti Sriskandarajah Files Petition at Appeal Court Seeking Ruling Against Bodu Bala Sena’s Gnanasara Thero on Contempt of Court Charges for Directly Violating Mullaitheevu Magistrate Court Order’ »

By Chulani Kodikara Meera Srinivasan, the Hindu correspondent in Sri Lanka, at the first press conference with Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked him what happened to the LTTE cadres and others who surrendered to the army during the last days of the war, and who have thereafter disappeared. (See full interview here: https://tinyurl.com/SLPPmedia). She raised …

Continue reading ‘“Where Are They?”: The Question of Missing Surrendees Raised By “The Hindu”Correspondent at a Press Conference and the SLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Response’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara “The city has to elect me in full freedom… What I demand is one unanimous and joyful ‘Yes’… And in passing let me add: if anyone’s not for me he’s against me and has only himself to blame for anything that happens.” – Brecht (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) It was …

Continue reading ‘When the Contest is Between a Man who Praises His Own Tail and a Man who is Wedded to Violent Intolerance the Choice Though Cringe-worthy Is Also Very Clear.’ »