In an apparent message to China and pro-Sino lobbies, Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Sunday highlighted how supportive his country has been to Sri Lanka and urged the nation to benefit from the giant neighbour’s success story by virtue of destiny. Speaking at the a reception to commemorate the 70th Republic Day of …
State intelligence units have uncovered details of eighty (80) politicians who had links with the underworld gang leader Makandure Madush. Police sources say that the PS chairmen, provincial councilors and members of parliament of different political parties are in this list. This information has been revealed when interrogating some leading criminals including Madush, who were …
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday made another attempt to get credit for the current STF operations against drug kingpins and underworld criminals. Addressing a function in Polonnaruwa, President Sirisena said he had started “polishing” the Police service, and went on to question what the ministers in charge of the Police service did over the last 25-30 …
By Wijayani Edirisinghe, Rakshana Sriyantha and Lahiru Fernando The Dubai Police yesterday had arrested drug smuggler Angoda Lokka, an associate of Makandure Madush who fled the scene when Dubai Police arrested Madush and another 16 suspects last Tuesday. He has been arrested by the police when he was hiding at another hotel in Dubai, Police …
By Maneshka Borham Notorious criminal and Sri Lanka’s most wanted drug kingpin Samarasinghe Arachchilage Madush Lakshitha infamously known as Makandure Madush, was arrested by Dubai law enforcement officials in an extraordinary raid this week. At the time of his arrest, Madush had been on the run for over two years, evading the Sri Lankan Police …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene It is no matter for jest when the President of a country publicly singles out national oversight institutions for ferocious censure. And without a doubt, it is even worse when that institution happens to be a national human rights institution. By the very nature of the work that it does and …
By Anurangi Singh Getting bogged down with language in the draft constitution should not become an insurmountable hurdle to enacting a new Constitution, one of the key pledges of the January 8, 2015 platform for change, legal experts said last week. Speaking at a seminar organised by civil society at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for …
By Uditha Kumarasinghe The hysterics by UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa and several others who were trapped in an elevator for a few minutes in the Parliamentary complex, became a high point in Parliament this week, even though other important House businesses should have dominated the sessions. Next Tuesday, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will receive a report …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa A presentation of my doctoral research to colleagues at CPA afforded the chance to talk and think about what social media means for those not on and the least aware of it. Conversations and commentary over 2018 posit to social media powers, responsibilities and roles that grossly simplify more complex, dynamic relationships. …
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament and a former Sri Lankan President, has strongly urged the governments of India and Sri Lanka to revive the “Troika” system which managed relations between the two countries during the crucial final phase of the war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam …
by Shamindra Ferdinando Authoritative sources said that of those arrested in two separate raids in Dubai early this week, 31 had been tested positive for cocaine. Sources said that United Arab Emirates mounted the operation following exhaustive investigations undertaken by Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities. Responding to a query, sources said that Sri Lankan artistes …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake It was Aristotle who said “All Earthquakes and Disasters are warnings; there’s too much corruption in the world.” We are on the road to show the truth of this thinking, especially with regard to a coming disaster. Ranil Wickremesinghe and the United National Party are keen to show us that disaster is …
By Saman Indrajith A controversial road development project, which, enviornmentalists, say is in the Sinharaja forest, would be carried out as scheduled, Mahaweli Development and Environment State Minister Ajith Mannapperuma told parliament yesterday. He said the forest would suffer no damage. Responding to JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the UNPer said the road leading to …
(Text of letter written by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission chairperson Dr.Deepika Udagama to President Maithripala Sirisena in response to his criticism of the Commission for many alleged faults) His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Residence Paget Road Colombo 07 Your Excellency, Re: His Excellency the …
(Text of Special statement made by the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya at the Commencement of Parliament in Response to the criticism and False accusations levelled by President Maithripala Sirisena against the Conduct of the Constitutional Council and Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission) I made a statement before this August Assembly even on 25th January 2019 regarding …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Refusing to back down on his stance to carry out the death penalty, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday criticised the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka for what he termed as interference in Government decisions to establish law and order, and the Constitutional Council for disregarding his recommendations on promotions of judges. Sirisena, …
By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday, told Parliament that Makandure Madush, a notorious underworld drug kingpin who was arrested in Dubai on Tuesday would be prosecuted under the laws of that country first. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that the courts of United Arab Emirates would decide whether Madush would be deported to Sri …
By Chathuri Dissanayake Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera lauded reinstated Customs Director General Sarojini Charles with praise yesterday, expressing full confidence in her abilities to bring the ‘business mafia’ operating in the Port to book, with new systems set to be introduced in the Department. “She is an iron lady,” Minister Samaraweera said, …
By Darshana Sanjeewa Notorious underworld drug kingpin Makandure Madush and several other Sri Lankans were among a group of 20 suspects reportedly arrested in Dubai during a joint raid carried out by the law enforcement authorities today. Sources said popular Sri Lankan singer Amal Perera, his son Nadimal and underworld criminals identified as Keselwatte Dinuka …
By Chathuri Dissanayake Under pressure from unions and importers, the Government yesterday reinstated Director General of Customs P.Sarojini .M. Charles, who was to be replaced by a retired Navy officer. Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday withdrew the proposal presented to the Cabinet to remove Charles and appoint retired Rear Admiral Shermal Fernando …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa held the Government responsible for the trade union action taken by Sri Lanka Customs and related other services which went on for seven days. Based on the removal of the Department of Customs Director General P.S.M. Charles, the employees started a work to rule campaign which was joined …
By Gihan de Chickera Dr. Harshana Rambukwella is an academic with an interest in literary history, postcolonial theory and sociolinguistics. Bringing these disciplines together, he recently authored the book ‘The Politics and Poetics of Authenticity’ (UCL Press, 2018), which examines the unfolding of Sinhala nationalism through the life and work of Anagarika Dharmapala, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike …
President Maithripala Sirisena, addressing the Independence Day Ceremony, yesterday, said he was opposed to the efforts being made by the UNP to form a national government. “How ethical is it to establish a national government by enlisting the support of a single MP? I am opposed to this proposal. The people don’t want more ministers …
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya While Sri Lankans were distracted by a power struggle between the president and prime minister in December, the world’s superpower pulled off a heist in terms of extending its military footprint in Sri Lanka and, by extension, in the Indian Ocean. Between 24– 29 January, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet for a …
Continue reading ‘Duplicity and Doublespeak About The US Military Logistics Hub in Sri Lanka’ »
By Kanishka Goonewardena “In the name of God, go!” Rarely have these words of Oliver Cromwell been recycled with such farce and frequency as during Sri Lanka’s recent political crisis, not least by parliamentarians addressing rivals. As far as crises go, however, it was a remarkably peaceful affair outside of parliament and unrelated to any …
By Shamindra Ferdinando Attorney-at-law Nagananda Kodituwakku, yesterday, alleged that government sacked Director General of Customs Mrs. P.S.M. Charles (Sarojini Charles) as she continuously resisted political interference. Kodituwakku pointed out the government sacked Mrs. Charles soon after celebrating the International Customs Day, in Colombo. Kodituwakku said that the UNP proved again that honest and efficient public …
By Meera Srinivasan ‘LKR 700 (Rs. 275) it is,’ said Sri Lanka’s plantation companies earlier this week, fixing tea estate workers’ new basic daily wage. It is 300 rupees lesser than the LKR 1,000 that the workers demanded, but the negotiating trade unions concurred with the employers, and signed a collective agreement. While employers have …
By Namini Wijedasa The Prime Minister’s Office has notified a consortium of humanitarian agencies led by UN-Habitat and The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) that the Treasury cannot allocate money for their long-overdue initiative to build 25,000 brick houses for the war displaced in the North and East. The Government will, however, set …
By Gehan Gunatilleke There are things that have political currency in Sri Lanka – free education and healthcare, a reduced cost of living, and anti-corruption are usually among these things. Apart from this usual inventory, there are stranger things that can gain currency in this country. Their value is often difficult to see or measure. …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Amidst the political turmoil that took place in late October 2018, it was wholly predictable that Sri Lanka’s Counter-Terrorism Bill approved by the Cabinet just the month before, quietly slipped past public scrutiny. At a time when the country’s constitutional order itself had been shaken to its (albeit not entirely steady) …
By Colonel R Hariharan Introduction Recently India’s Indian Ocean neighbours – Sri Lanka and Maldives – witnessed political crises after heads of state attempted to tinker with constitution to suit their political ends, plunging the country into chaos and uncertain future. This was due to fractious and personality driven domestic politics practiced in both the …
(Excerpted from the “Sunday Times” of January 27th 2019) Standing atop the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, he proposed to her. The three dormant volcanoes, after which the mountain is named, did not erupt but his love for her had peaked. With a smile, she accepted. From the highest mountain in Africa (4900 feet), the …
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Anuradhapura Convention has nominated President Maithripala Sirisena as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming presidential election, sources said. SLFP sources said the nomination was approved unanimously. “The candidate for the next presidential election will again be Maithripala Sirisena,” Parliamentarian Duminda Dissanayake told the media.. “No other name will be …
(Text of Independence Day Message Issued by the Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa on Feb 3 2019) 71 years ago, a group of remarkable men decided that enough was enough. Sri Lanka had all the strengths it needed to gain autonomy, govern its own jurisdiction and rule under its own mandate. We, a nation …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa The lines snaked their way past and around the calm Buddha, who in Chinese before Tamil, greeted one to Sri Lanka. The visa on arrival counter was clearly marked by a throng of very tired looking foreigners, some with families seated on the floor, because there’s no seating in that area. A …
By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London Chief Magistrate of Westminster Magistrate’s Court, Emma Arbuthnot tendered an apology for the ‘administrative mishandling’ of former Sri Lankan military attache, Brigadier Priyanka Fernando’s public order offence case, when hearing resumed on Friday. She has revoked the previous arrest warrant saying that she did not know how such a sensitive …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The UNP has sought to increase the number of ministers to 48 and non-cabinet ministers to 45 on the basis of the formation of a national government in accordance with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Parliament enacted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on 2015 April 28. Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake What has Freedom to do with having more Cabinet Ministers? I ask this because just three days before the 71st Independence Commemoration Day, the proposal has been made to have a ‘National Government’, which means more than 30 Cabinet Ministers. Those who brought the 19th Amendment to restrict the number of Cabinet …
(Text of a petition signed by 233 Individuals and 19 Organizations Urging President Sirisena not to issue a Presidential pardon on February 4th Independence day to Convicted prisoner Bodu Bala Sena Gnanasara Thero) We, the undersigned civil society organisations and individuals are increasingly concerned by reports that Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara thero (hereinafter Gnanasara thero) may …
By Bandula Jayasekara George Fernandez, one of India’s former defence ministers and socialist leader, died on Tuesday. It brought back memories from 1998, when I flew with the Defenceless Defence Minister of India. This article, written re that chance encounter in August 1998, is reproduced as a tribute to the fallen socialist leader. I was …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda Court of Appeal (acting President) Justice Deepali Wijesundera yesterday declined to sit on the Bench regarding a writ petition filed challenging UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Parliamentary seat. The petition was deferred for today (01) to fix for a support date. This petition had sought an order in the nature of a writ …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar Bench yesterday appreciated the prompt reaction by the parties concerned to ensure a conducive environment for witnesses. The judges urged all parties involved in the D. A. Rajapaksa Museum case, to act themselves in a manner that secures the respect of their professions inside court.The Trial-at-Bar Bench …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The order regarding the preliminary objections raised by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others challenging the Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar’s jurisdiction to hear the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case was yesterday fixed for February 11. The Trial-at-Bar Bench comprised High Court Judges Sampath Abeykoon (President), Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne. …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda An appeal filed by the Attorney General seeking a re-trial into the murder of former TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj, was fixed for April 4 by the Court of Appeal yesterday. A Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice Deepali Wijesundara and Justice Achala Wengappuli decided to differ the application consequent to a request …
By S. S. Selvanayagam The Court of Appeal fixed the appeal filed against the High Court Order in the Former MP Raviraj murder case to be mentioned for April 4 yesterday, and directed to re-issue notice on Chaminda Hettiarachchi, alias Navy Sampath. The Bench comprised Justices Deepali Wijesundera (Acting President/CA) and Achala Wengappuli. Court had …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Kumar Welgama, Member of Parliament from Kalutara is a colouful personality. Recently, he is in the limelight due to a revelation by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that 18 buses which had been given to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) had gone missing during his tenure as the Minister of …
By Megha Kaveri When the movie Ko released in 2011, the internet went berserk about the word ‘Kuviyamilla’ which had featured in a song. It was an unfamiliar word that a big chunk of Tamil Nadu’s population was hearing for the first time. Debates raged on social media, discussing the meaning of the word. Finally, …
Planned new appointments to the boards of Sri Lanka’s state tourism agencies were delayed Tuesday pending approval of Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, a minister said. “The President had approved the appointments,” Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga said. “However, Prime Minister said he also has to approve.”
By S.S. Selvanayagam The Commercial High Court issued an Enjoining Order restraining telecasting, exhibiting, displaying or showing the film ‘Sujatha,’ produced in Sri Lanka in 1953. High Court Judge Ashan Marikar issued this order pursuant to an Intellectual Property litigation initiated by G.R. Pathmaraj, son of K. Gunaratnam. Court issued notices returnable for 7 February. …
The Dravidian language family’s four largest languages — Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have literary traditions spanning centuries, of which Tamil reaches back the furthest, researchers said. The Dravidian language family, consisting of 80 varieties spoken by nearly 220 million people across southern and central India, originated about 4,500 years ago, a study has …
By Jehan Perera The issue of the Leader of the Opposition’s position once again came to the fore when it was brought up in parliament last week by TNA leader R Sampanthan. This issue seem to have been resolved when Speaker Karu Jayasuriya issued a ruling earlier this month that the UPFA’s Mahinda Rajapaksa would …
By Shamindra Ferdinando National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, yesterday, vowed to quit his post in case the powers that be blocked Provincial Council polls ahead of presidential polls later this year. Pointing at N.J. Abeysekera (Commission member) and Prof. Rathnajeevan Hoole (Commission member) seated at the head table, Deshapriya said that one of …
By M. Thevarajah and W.A. Sunil Thousands of plantation workers in Sri Lanka’s Central Hills district held strikes and protests yesterday in opposition to a sellout wage deal signed by the trade unions and the plantation companies, with the backing of the national government. Plantation employees, who are one of the poorest sections of the …
By Ajith Alahakoon The Parliamentary Committee, appointed to conduct an investigation into the disorderly conduct of MPs in parliament on November 14, 15 and 16 last year has found that 59 MPs acted in violation of the provisions of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, sources said yesterday. Among those 59 MPs there were 54 …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The ongoing war of words in Parliament over the appointment of judges to the superior courts has an increasingly sinister dimension to it that must not be underestimated. Eerily familiar signs Taken together with the push by some politicians and supportive monks to seek a presidential pardon for General Secretary of …
By Sharmini Serasinghe An Open letter to Minister Mangala Samaraweera by Sharmini Serasinghe on behalf of the Voiceless & Faceless Citizens of Sri Lanka Dear Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Hope you don’t mind me not referring to you as Hon. Mangala Samaraweera because those of us who know you are honourable don’t need a reminder. Also, …
By Anurangi Singh A heavy security presence in the courtroom as Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ‘D.A. Rajapaksa trial’ kicked off at the Special High Court this week, caused serious concern for State attorneys and witnesses appearing in the case, but lawyers recalled the tactic has been used before very successfully by the former Defence Secretary, when he …
By Rajitha Jagoda Arachchi Calls are mounting for controversial Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnansara Thera to be granted a presidential pardon ahead of independence day. The requests have come largely from religious quarters, with all four chief prelates of the four Buddhist monastic orders writing separate letters to President Maithripala Sirisena, urging him …
By Saman Indrajith The Constitutional Council (CC) considered not only the seniority of nominees but also the recommendation of the Chief Justice and their recognition in the field when appointing superior court judges, CC Chairman and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday. The Speaker, making a special announcement in Parliament, at the request of the CC, …
by Saman Indrajith Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, yesterday, referring to the argument that Mahinda Rajapaksa could not hold the Opposition Leader’s post as he (Rajapaksa) and President Maithripala Sirisena belonged to the same party, told Parliament that there had been precedents. The Speaker said so making a special statement in response to a statement that had …
One Sri Lankan Army Captain and a trooper were killed and three others were injured when their convoy came under an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Mali today, the Sri Lanka Army said. An armoured vehicle, WMZ carrying Sri Lankan Peacekeeping troops on patrol in the general area of Douentza in Mali, came under …
Honorable Speaker Parliament Jayewardenepura Kotte Sir, I seek your leave to raise the following questions relating to a matter of public importance “The Position of the Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament” 1. You made a statement in Parliament on 18th December 2018, pertaining to the position of Leader of the Opposition. …
The Sri Lankan government yesterday strongly protested against British legal action in respect of Brigadier Priyankara Fernando, one-time defence attache with the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK. Well informed sources told The Island that at a meeting held at the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon between Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha and British High Commissioner …
By Saman Indrajith There were 190 officers at SriLankan Airlines, each drawing a monthly salary of over one million rupees, and they were one of the reasons why the airline suffered a 40,000 mn-rupee loss during the last nine months, parliament was informed yesterday. Chairman of the parliamentary watchdog committee – COPE (Committee on Public …
By Indika Sri Aravinda Buddhasasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera today said that he will discuss with President Maithripala Sirisena to secure a pardon for Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera as soon as the President arrived in the country.
By Chaminda Silva Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Vajira Abeywardena yesterday said if Ven Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera serving a prison term was to be offered a presidential pardon, it was not a task that could only be performed by the President alone. The UNP Minister said so in response …
The United States Navy is doing a cargo transfer operation at Sri Lanka’s main international airport under a plan to use the island’s location to make it a military logistics hub, the U.S embassy in Colombo said. Under the initiative, several U.S. naval aircraft are scheduled to land and depart from the Bandaranaike International Airport …
By Meera Srinivasan As Sri Lanka’s longest road-side protest nears the 700-day mark, agitating residents of Keppapilavu village in the northern Mullaitivu district say they will soon reclaim and occupy their lands, currently held by the military, if the authorities fail to ensure their return by Friday. “Why must we live in model villages like …
By Camelia Nathaniel Releasing of land is one of the main areas in the reconciliation process and the military is in the process of releasing the lands held under them since the end of the war. However, some of these lands which have been converted to farms, providing employment to many rehabilitated ex-LTTE members and …
(Text of Press Release Issued by the Tamil National Alliance Media Office on Jan 23rd 2019) A meeting was held between Mr Fergus Auld, Head of South Asia Department and India Coordinator, and Mr Sampanthan the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday (22.01.2019) at the Westminster House in Colombo. The meeting was also …
(Text of a media release issued by Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa on 23 January 2019 titled “A draft constitution to destroy Sri Lanka”) At the recent meeting of the Constitutional Assembly, the Prime Minister tabled a 187 page report prepared in the form of a draft constitution. Thereafter the PM has been going …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appearing for the Attorney General raised objections into the highly militarised environment around the Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar yesterday. Peiris appearing for the prosecution in the D. A. Rajapaksa Museum case told the Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar that this would adversely affect witnesses expected to testify before …
By Shehan Chamika Silva Raising a preliminary objection in the case filed against former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa the Defense said today the Special High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case under the Judicature (Amendment) Act. At the outset, President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva appearing for Mr. Rajapaksa said when this Bill was …
BY Saman Indrajith UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra yesterday told Parliament that she had received information that there was a plan to grant a Presidential pardon to Duminda Silva who has been sentenced to death, on this year’s Independence Day February. 04 Speaking during the debate on Commissions of Inquiry (Amendment) Bill, Premachandra said that there …
By Chathuri Dissanayake In an explosive statement, Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando yesterday said 11 soldiers would be prosecuted in the next two weeks over a high profile murder case, and called on the diaspora to submit evidence on crimes committed by any military personnel. “We will take legal action against 11 soldiers who have …
By Vijith Samarasinghe Recent visits by US Seventh Fleet vessels to Sri Lanka’s eastern port of Trincomalee make clear that the island nation is rapidly being integrated into Washington’s war preparations against China. The Seventh Fleet, which is headquartered in Japan, is an offensive formation geared for war and includes 60–70 ships, 300 aircraft and …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene There is a distinct commonality between corruption investigations and inquiries into grave human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, apart from ordinary Rule of Law dysfunctions. That is the amazing chutzpah with which performers engage in the same evasive dance while at the same time, propagating the myth that the law, as …
By Sowmya Rajendran Before we see Rajinikanth on screen, we hear the song Vantha Naal Mudhal, Indha Naal Varai. It sets the framework for what we’re about to see – Rajinikanth from those days, until now. Karthik Subbaraj’s Petta is exactly what he promised – a tribute to Rajinikanth, with the director’s trademark twists. And …
By Sowmya Rajendran After touring Eastern Europe in Vivegam, which didn’t go so well, Siva brings Ajith back to Tamil Nadu and reinstates him in a veshti-white shirt. It’s a wise move, because Viswasam is familiar territory to the director and he appears more sure-footed of what he’s doing than in his previous ambitious venture. …
By Dharisha Bastians & Aanya Vipulasena From Colombo to Giritale to Akkaraipattu, CID sleuths have pieced together the abduction of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda on January 24, 2010 and linked it to a shadowy military intelligence unit operating out of the Giritale Army camp. But four years after the investigation began, the case has hit a …
By Don Manu Just ten days before the newly set up speedy High Court’s judges begin to hear on a daily basis to its final finish the charges levelled against him of misusing public finances for personal use, Gotabaya Rajapaksa put the nation on notice when he announced for the first time his solid intention …
By Sanjana Hattotuwa Sirisena, Wickremesinghe, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his brother Chamal and Karu Jayasuriya! The last week saw media frame prospective candidates for an office that the incumbent said, nay, swore on 9th January 2015, he would never seek re-election to and would be the last to occupy. Evidence of Sri Lanka’s sickeningly bankrupt political culture …
The Sri Lankan Ministry of National Integration, Official Languages and Social Progress will be teaching Tamil to the staff of the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka and other Chinese nationals in the island wanting to learn the language, cabinet minister Mano Ganeshan said in a press release here on Friday. The Chinese Ambassador in Sri …
Sri Lanka’s police seized a haul of high explosives stashed near a wildlife sanctuary following the arrest of four men from a newly formed radical Muslim group, officials said Friday. Elite police commandos and detectives stumbled on the explosives which included some 100 detonators from a make-shift warehouse near the Wilpattu national park, police said. …
By Anuranghi Singh Is the new Constitution as bad as it is claimed to be – With many politicians alleging that it calls for Federalism in Sri Lanka and stating that it defeats the military victory earned by the valiant soldiers of the country. The claim is that the zero draft of the proposed new …
By Meera Srinivasan From 10 feet away, it looked like a grin, the row of teeth stretching from ear to ear. Freshly dug out from many layers of soil, the mud-covered skeleton lay on its spine, awaiting a number. “That would be 283,” says W.R.A.S. Rajapaksa. He is standing on an elevation inside the site, …
By Hannah Ellis-Petersen South east Asia correspondent Sri Lanka’s president has praised his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, which has taken thousands of lives, calling it an “example to the world”. In a speech during a visit to the Philippines this week, Maithripala Sirisena said he intended to replicate Duterte’s ruthless approach …
By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole Newspapers of 16 January report Indian poachers turning on our Navy. An earlier incident of 23 December where poachers really used violence was hardly reported. All this mis- and non-reporting raise questions of the veracity of our Navy and the irresponsibility of our press to us reader. These newspapers have …
(Text of a communique released by the TNA Media office carrying excerpts from a speech made by Mr.MA Sumanthiran MP in Jaffna) The media is busy reporting on what various individuals say about the draft Constitution, but don’t look at what draft itself says. The media is intent on reporting deliberately false and misleading news …
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda The Permanent High Court Trial at Bar has decided to hear the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case against the former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa from January 22. The case was taken up before the Special High Court three-judge bench comprising Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne, and Champa Janaki Rajaratne this morning(Jan 17).
By Sujith Hewajulige Hambantota District UPFA MP Chamal Rajapaksa speaking to the media yesterday said that he too is ready for the forthcoming Presidential Election. He said further that Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that if the people are ready, he is also ready to contest for the Presidential poll. If I am also suitable for the …
By Rajitha Weerakoon Was Dalrene Ingram guilty of killing her husband? Was she aware of Mathew Peiris’ criminal designs and the method of killing he carried out? Did she respond to his advances while her husband was still living? The continuous stream of film goers heading to cinema halls to see “According to Matthew” seeks …
By Sandun A Jayasekera Non-cabinet Minister Ajith P. Perera yesterday said he would speak to Home Affairs, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Vajira Abeywardana to see the possibility of presenting a motion in Parliament to hold PC polls under the old system as soon as possible. The Non-cabinet minister who represented the UNF at …
By Heather Stewart and Daniel Boffey Theresa May has pledged to face down a vote of no confidence in her government, after her Brexit deal was shot down by MPs in the heaviest parliamentary defeat of the democratic era. On a day of extraordinary drama at Westminster, the House of Commons delivered a devastating verdict …
By Sharmini Serasinghe As a Sri Lankan first, as a member of the predominant ethnic community- Sinhalese, as a follower of the Buddhist philosophy and as a grandmother, I have taken it upon myself to address the youth and young adults of Sri Lanka, amongst them – the future leaders of Sri Lanka – through …
By Ranga Jayasuriya The election of President Maithripala Sirisena four years ago on January 8 was a watershed moment in Sri Lankan politics. However, since then, it has lost its allure. This year’s anniversary was, by and large, abandoned by its early supporters. As he enters into his final year, the president himself looks as …
By Peter Walker After Theresa May’s huge defeat over her Brexit deal, parliament and the country face an uncertain next few days. On Wednesday, a no-confidence motion in the government will be debated. If the government loses there could be a general election. But even if she defeats the motion, the prime minister’s next steps …
By M.Mahasenan Can the boiling-over the ‘standardised-pasteurized’ milk on a corner of an apartment on a gas stove be considered Thai Pongal in its strictest meaning remains a troubling question for us today. The Pongal sweet rice thus made is offered to the sun that beats down through the high rise window. You are lucky …
By Mirudhula Thambiah Newly-appointed Governor of the Eastern Province, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, in an interview with Ceylon Today says, “I created a problem by being selected as the Governor of the East. I will find a solution very soon. I know how to tackle them. The protesters will be satisfied when they see my work. I …
Giving the clearest indication yet of his intention to run in the upcoming Presidential elections, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said he is ready to take up the challenge when polls are called, possibly towards the end of 2019. Speaking at a ‘Viyathmaga’ event at Water’s Edge on Saturday,Rajapaksa argued that he advocates ‘Jathikathwaya’ …
By Anurangi Singh The unedited footage of an interview with former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa aired on a private television channel over a year before Lasantha Wickrematunge’s assassination, was ordered into CID custody by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court last week, as friends and colleagues marked a decade since the senior journalist was assassinated in …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene White vans and ‘black media’ aside (which I will return to later), Sri Lanka has seen politicians insulting judges in Parliament under cover of parliamentary privilege in the past. Staggering and scurrilous abuse Each time, these attacks have been discomfiting, indicating the extent to which the ancient law of privilege can …
by Sanjana Hattotuwa The appointment of a new Army Chief of Staff. A fresh denial around the use of chemical weapons. The denunciation of a civil society protest against mainstream media supportive of the constitutional coup, not by members of the SLPP, but by those in the UNP and government. A photograph of a former …
by Zacki Jabbar Deputy Leader of the UNP and Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa revealed that President Sirisena had offered him the post of Prime Minister on 71 occasions – ten times prior to October 26 and 61 times after that. “However, I declined on a matter of principle as I opposed the President’s …
The Ministry of Housing development this week announced the construction of four new villages in honour of journalists who either lost their lives or were attacked in the line of duty. Attending the ground breaking ceremony of four Uda Gammana villages to be created in Weeraketiya, Hambantota in remembrance of four veteran journalists – late …
By P.K.Balachandran The Constitutional Expert Committee’s report, which was tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament on Friday abolishes the powerful Executive Presidency and replaces it by a Westminster style parliamentary system with a powerful Prime Minister and a ceremonial President. As per the report which can be described as the “draft constitution”, the President will …
By Saman Indrajith Poor attendance at the Constitutional Assembly (CA) meeting was noted yesterday with only 56 MPs being present when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented reports pertaining to constitutional reforms. The CA met, at 10.00 am at the Parliament chamber after a lapse of over a year. The meeting was convened to table five …
By Saman Indrajith Former President and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was spreading hatred and circulating misinformation about the new Constitution among the people, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday. “Rajapaksa has now become an orb of hatred. He recently visited a temple and said that by April a new Constitution would be introduced …
By Ashwin Hemmathagama A report prepared by the Panel of Experts for the Steering Committee based on the Interim Report, six Sub Committee Reports, the Report of the ad hoc Sub Committee assigned to look into the relationship between the Parliament and the Provincial Councils were presented to the Constitutional Assembly yesterday. As the Steering …
By Disna Mudalige, Camelia Nathaniel and Amali Mallawaarachchi Drafting a Constitutional Bill depends on the support of the Constitutional Assemblyand any such draft requires the support of a two thirds majority, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Addressing the Constitutional Assembly, the Prime Minister yesterday said public opinion is always respected in proceeding with Constitutional reforms. …
By Lahiru Fernando The United National Party stressed it had no involvement in the protest carried out by a number of social activists’ groups opposite several media institutes in Colombo on Thursday. Issuing a special statement yesterday, the party said the UNP is committed to promote and protect the freedom of media. The statement also …