By

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lanka on Monday was rife with speculation over President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s whereabouts, and uncertainty over the island’s political future, two days after citizens mounted massive resistance against the two leaders over an unprecedented economic crisis.

President Gotabaya, who has promised to resign on July 13, was on Monday flown to an airbase near the main international airport in Katunayake, near Colombo, AFP reported. When The Hindu contacted spokespersons of the island’s Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Force, both said they were unaware of such a development.

Continue reading ‘If Gotabaya Resigns on July 13, Parliament would be summoned on July 15. nominations for Presidency would be made on July 19 and a parliamentary vote will be held on July 20 to elect a new President’ »

By

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

Saturday the 9th of July was a moment of truth for our people. In coming together to Colombo in an unmistakable show of force, Sri Lankans brought to life the words of Albert Einstein that “in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.”

Sri Lanka has never faced a crisis of this magnitude, but I have no doubt that if our people can unite and remain singularly focused on the goal of saving our country, together, we will prevail. The whole country just came together to make clear that enough is enough. We have spoken with one voice against nepotism, graft, political witch hunts, ethnonationalism and brazen administrative incompetence.

Now it is time for professionals, policy makers and political leaders to do their part. This is not a time for vengeance or more violence. There should have been none in the first place. It is a time for the opposition to unite and do its duty, to send a message to the world that the Sri Lanka of tomorrow is a new Sri Lanka, one that is united, and ready to regroup and rebuild.

The image of a corrupt, ethnically divided, bankrupt nation at the mercy of strongmen and militarized rule must give way to a new brand for a pluralist, united nation on the path to recovery and prosperity. From now on, the institutions that form the pillars of order and justice must know that they cannot get away with blindly following illegal orders.

The vast majority of our people have not taken to the streets looking for perks, political patronage or other personal benefits. They are fighting to save our country and are doing that duty to give future generations of Sri Lankans a chance at a better life. The government has failed to protect its people and has failed to honour their oath to the people and the Constitution. The public service, especially the military, prosecutors and police, must not be the next to fail.

Never again can we tolerate an IGP, an Attorney General, military commanders or any of their subordinates who justify illegality by saying they were “just following orders.” This is the only way that they can restore their credibility and win back the faith of our people that has been squandered over a generation of cronyism.

Continue reading ‘Dragged into the darkness by dictatorship, democracy is the only way out into the light’ »

UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena says that the Prime Minister cannot resign as per the constitution in a situation like this.

Answering questions raised by reporters if the Prime Minister is going to step down, the former MP said that constitution needs to be followed and that there is no clause in the constitution to do so.

Continue reading ‘UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena Says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will not Step Down as Cannot Resign in the Present Unstable Situation; expresses Disappointment with the Media for Reporting Incorrectly and Cites Article 37 of Constitution in Support’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Political parties in Sri Lanka are scrambling to form an all-party government, a day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pledged to resign in the wake of a historic citizens’ protest.

Sri Lankans are living through a harrowing economic collapse, where anti-government protests persisted for three months over the government’s failure to address or arrest the long-simmering crisis

In a culmination of people’s agitations spanning months, massive crowds on Saturday thronged Colombo’s seafront, where anti-government protests persisted for three months over the government’s failure to arrest or address the long-simmering crisis.

Demonstrators stormed the Presidential palace, Secretariat, and the official residence of the Prime Minister, and occupied the country’s seats of power, in a rare display of public fury. Arsonists also torched Mr. Wickremesinghe’s private home.

The escalation of citizens’ anger pushed the top two leaders to agree to step down, although neither has formally handed in his resignation. Mr. Gotabaya has informed the Speaker that he would step down on July 13.

Continue reading ‘Political Parties Trying Hard to Share the Spoils by Forming an Alternative Govt After Protests by the People Result in Resignation Announcements by President Rajapaksa and Premier Wickremesinghe’ »

BY P. Waravita

Three youths were arrested in connection to the fire at Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence at 5th Lane last Saturday (9) night and have been remanded until 20 July by the Fort Magistrate’s Court.

“Three people were arrested yesterday – one is 19 years old, the other 21 years, and the third 24 years,” Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Attorney-at-Law Nihal Thalduwa told The Morning yesterday (10).

SSP Thalduwa said that the three were arrested at the property of Wickremesinghe.

Continue reading ‘Three Youths Aged 19, 21 and 24 Arrested for Alleged Involvement in the Arson Attack on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Private Residence are Remanded Until July 20 by Fort Magistrate’ »

By Dinitha Rathnayake

Eleven journalists attached to three media outlets, namely TV Derana, News First and Sky News, attacked by the Police while covering the protests in the country last Saturday (9).
The Police had attacked journalists near Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Colombo 7, and during the protest at Chatham Street.

Reporters and camera crew of Sri Lanka’s News First television network were taken to hospital after being beaten by Police in front of Wickremesinghe’s residence.

According to News First, eight of its journalists were assaulted, including staff reporter Sarasi Pieris, cameraman Varuna Sampath, U.D. Sindujan from the Tamil news division, and Janitha Mendis from the online news desk.

Continue reading ‘Eleven journalists attached to TV Derana, News First and Sky News, attacked by the Police and STF while covering the protests in Colombo on July 9’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Sunday was nothing like Saturday near Colombo’s seafront.

It was much less crowded, but still teeming with people. They were curiously surveying the Presidential Secretariat and official residence, a day after outraged demonstrators captured and occupied the iconic colonial-era structures, in a stunning finale to a season of protests in crisis-hit Sri Lanka.

In their smiling faces, a sense of accomplishment appeared to have displaced anger as they walked through the sites of unbridled executive power that have now become symbols of their resistance to it. “I was here yesterday, too. The rally was historic. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see and be part of such a massive protest to dislodge our leaders,” said Masha Munaweera, a 34-year-old banker. She was back at the site, along with her mother. “She too wanted to see this change,” Ms. Munaweera said, cautiously adding: “I really hope they [President and PM] do resign. There is some concern they may try to hold on to power. Let’s see.”
The scepticism is widely shared among citizens who had hoped for change. All the same, they were keen to savour the moment, and partake in the new hope it has brought.

The presidential palace, until 48 hours ago, was a high-security area, with barricades keeping passers by an entire lane away. From not being able to get even a glimpse of the building, people were thronging its gates on Sunday, as its new occupants tried to regulate a very large and excited crowd.

Continue reading ‘Jubilant Crowds Wait in Lengthy Regulated Queues at President’s House and Presidential Secretariat to “tour”the Premises Seized by the People after the July 9 “Aragalaya” (Struggle)’ »

By Buddhika Samaraweera

While condemning the torching of the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday (9), former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said that there is no need for violence to oust a government that lacks the support of the people.

Making a special statement regarding the prevailing situation in the country, she said: “Violence will only cause chaos and you (those engaged in the struggle) will be seen as using the same methods and practices as the Government that you wish to change. The people have had enough of the violence, lies, and robbery of the Rajapaksa regime. That is why the people support this struggle and they do not wish them to be repeated.”

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Kumaratunga Condemns Torching of Premier Wickremesinghe’s Home; “The ‘struggle’ does not need violence to achieve its goal of ousting a government that is highly disliked by the people” says Former President’ »

Dumbfounding constitutional pundits, the largely peaceful protestors in hundreds of thousands inspired by the three-month old ‘Aragalaya’ on Saturday forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to announce their resignations.

Defying shortage of fuel and public transport, anti-Rajapaksa people countrywide took to the street on Saturday and converged at GotaGoGama at Galle Face and Fort area and broke through barricades, withstood teargas and water cannon attacks and stormed the President’s House and Presidential Secretariat calling for his and interim-Government’s resignation over the failure to resolve the worst economic crisis in the country.

President Rajapaksa was not present in either of the locations and his whereabouts still remain a secret.

Continue reading ‘Thousands of Protesters inspired by the three-month old ‘Aragalaya’ force President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to announce their resignations.’ »

While condemning the attack on a group of journalists and the torching of the personal residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, National Movement for Social Justice Chairman Karu Jayasuriya called for those responsible to be brought before the law regardless of their status or standing.

He said in a statement that both these incidents are abhorrent and contemptible acts in the eyes of any civilised society.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by two barbaric incidents that were reported during the massive citizen’s protests carried out yesterday for the sake of democracy and the freedom of the people,” he said.

Continue reading ‘National Movement for Social Justice Chairman Karu Jayasuriya strongly condemns the attack on a group of journalists and the torching of the personal residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and wants those responsible to be brought before the law regardless of their status or standing.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

As the spark lit by Sri Lanka’s youth flamed into incendiary nation-wide revolt on Saturday, this column is written even as citizens breach the gates of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence in Fort, swarm within its premises and shout their now famous rallying cry, ‘Gota, go home’ from its rooftops where once, not long ago, snipers guarded points of entry.

A sea of troops and police using tear gas together with live ammunition could not stop thousands streaming to Colombo, packed in trains wrapped with protest flags, perched on roofs of the few buses still running with precious stocks of fuel. Those who could not find transport simply walked to the capital or protested in their own towns, Kandy, Chilaw and Galle including on the ramparts of the 2nd Test cricket match being played between Sri Lanka and Australia.

In Colombo, the Galle Face Green and the President’s residence in Fort quickly became the focal points of anger as the security forces scattered in the face of the massive public swell which rendered the capital’s main avenues close to invisible from the air. Preceding events had showcased the desperation of the President and his toadies placed at the heads of the state defence apparatus. Even when faced with a complete breakdown of the State at all levels as schools, offices shut down due to the lack of fuel, the President and his Government still did not hesitate to resort to failed measures of repression.

This included the imposition of an (illegal) curfew that was soon lifted as public defiance became emboldened. Indeed, those crude attempts went so far as to warn the public about possible terrorist attacks. This warning was both deadly and ironic given complicity of state intelligence agents of the Rajapaksa Security State in the strikes on churches and hotels by Islamist jihadistsin 2019 as the Catholic Church publicly denounced. This time around, all attempts by the President’s strutting henchmen failed to restrain or frighten the public on Saturday, spectacularly so.

Continue reading ‘Saturday’s events also reflect the humiliation of the Rajapaksa Security State, the apparatus so carefully built up by the Rajapaksa family in the longest political project in the nation’s history.’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to step down from office next Wednesday (July 13), Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced last night

“The President was agreeable with the decision. However, due to the need to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, the President informed me to convey to the country that he will step down from his post on Wednesday, July 13,” Mr Abeywardena said.

He said given the President’s decision, there was no need for further unrest and, appealed to everyone to remain calm and pave the way for a peaceful transfer of power for the sake of the country and its future.

The announcement from the Speaker last evening came as the whereabouts of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa were not known as a large contingent of protesters surged into the President’s House in Colombo Fort and simultaneously to the Presidential Secretariat and entered both premises. Many of them later swam in the Presidential swimming pool, used the kitchen to cook food and occupied both premises overnight.

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Informs Speaker he will step down from his post on Wednesda July 13 while Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe tells party leaders that he is willing to resign as Prime Minister and make way for an all-party government to take over.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign on July 13, the country’s Parliamentary Speaker said on Saturday night, hours after protesters stormed the Presidential Secretariat, official and private homes of Mr. Gotabaya and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a show of striking public fury over the country’s worsening economic crisis.

Late on Saturday, an angry mob set Mr. Wickremesinghe’s private residence on fire, despite military security. The PM or his family was not at the residence at the time, his office said, adding there were no known casualties so far.

President Rajapaksa, according to top defence sources, left his official residence on Friday night “as a precaution”. “He is under the protection of the military at a safe location in the country,” a senior official, requesting anonymity, told The Hindu, while some media reports said he was evacuated by the Navy just hours before the incident.

Tens of thousands of citizens took out a massive rally on Saturday, as part of a fresh wave of protests in the island, reiterating their call for the President and Prime Minister to resign immediately, for failing to arrest the crushing economic downturn that has left citizens scrambling for essentials.

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Moves to Safe Location Under Military Protection as Protests Escalate ; Gota will Resign as President on July 13th States Speaker Abeywardena’ »

A mob stormed the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last night around 8 p.m. and set it ablaze.

A crowd of around 200 persons had been gathering outside the residence, located at 5th Lane, Colombo 3 since last evening demanding Mr Wickremesinghe step down as PM. Police had fired tear gas and water cannon at the protesters as they attempted to make their way towards the residence.

Police and Special Task Force (STF) personnel stationed outside the residence also attacked several journalists from Sirasa TV who were covering the incident, beating them on live television. A total of six journalists attached to the network were injured and hospitalised following the attack.

Continue reading ‘Mob Setting Premier Wickremesinghe’s Private Residence On Fire Prevents Takes Over Fire Engine Preventing Firemen from Dousing Blaze; Six Media Persons Attached to Sirasa TV Assaulted by STF at 5th Lane Premisesh hospitalised’ »

By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Yoshitha Perera

The game plan had always been to storm the President’s official residence. To do so, protesters marshalled by the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) needed to breach several layers of security, risking a maximum force response from heavily armed police and military guards.

But they advanced, undeterred by several rounds of teargas and firing of live ammunition into the air. The agreed time to break through the final barrier had been 2pm, to allow for the largest possible crowd. At the last gate, two demonstrators went rogue before the allotted hour and climbed into the premises. When a policeman was seen warding them off, the others stormed in.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been evacuated. Once the protesters were in, the invasion took on the nature of a field trip. Groups stationed themselves in different locations, warning others not to cause damage. People took over the kitchen, making themselves tea and spooning rice and curry into plates before polishing it off.

Continue reading ‘Protesters Enjoy Themselves at President’s House in Fort after Gota’s Evacuation; Dancing Under Chandeliers, Cooking in the Kitchen, Taking Selfies everywhere and Relaxing in the Garden;Grand Party Organized after nighfall’ »

Thousands of protesters continued to occupy the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees last night after breaking into them earlier in the day as they demanded the immediate resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Protesters also converged on Parliament and Premier Wickremesinghe’s private residence located at 5th Lane off Thurstan Road in Colombo 3.

Police fired water cannon and teargas last evening to disperse those gathered near the Premier’s private residence. Protesters demanding the immediate resignation of President Rajapaksa first broke into the President’s House in Fort after breaking through multiple security barricades. They later breached the security parameters of the Presidential Secretariat, outside which they had been protesting since April.

Continue reading ‘Thousands of protesters continue to occupy the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees at night after breaking into them earlier in the day demanding the immediate resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

At least 55 people, including Samagi Jana Balawegaya Parliamentarian Suresh Vadivale, were injured in incidents around the Fort area where Police used tear gas to disperse protesters yesterday morning, hospital sources said.

The National Hospital’s Accident Service Coordinator, Pushpa R. Zoysa, said that among the injured were three civilians who had suffered gun shot injuries and they had undergone surgery.

Continue reading ‘At least 55 Persons Injured During Confrontation in Fort at President’s House Between Public and Security Personnel;3 Civilans Undergo Surgery at Colombo National Hospital for Gunshot Injuries. SJB MP’s Rajitha Senaratne and Suresh Vadivale Manhandled by Protesters’ »

After months of angry demands for Sri Lanka’s president to stand down, protesters laughed, took selfies and treated themselves to a swim as they suddenly found themselves inside his home.

The presidential palace in Colombo was overrun by hundreds of people on Saturday, capping months of public discontent over the island nation’s crippling economic crisis.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled just moments earlier, assisted by troops who fired into the air to clear his escape.

Once he had left, the mood inside the compound was festive, as the crowd set aside the frustrations of long-running food and fuel shortages, as well as a tense confrontation with security forces earlier in the day.

Continue reading ‘Huge Protesting Crowds “invade”President’s House after Confrontation in Festive Mood and have Fun swimming in pool,relaxing on lawns and Sofas, raiding the Presidential pantry for snacks and soft drinks and rolling in Gota’s bed’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence on 5th Lane in Colombo has been set on fire by the protestors.

A group of protestors entered his house and set the place on fire after a tense situation erupted between the protestors and security forces on the ground.

Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protestors gathered in the area.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Private Residence at 5th Lane Kollupitiya Set on Fire by Protesters after Violent Clash with Police; CMC Fire Brigade Unable to Reach Spot on Time to Douse the Blaze due to Prevailing Unrest’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assured that shortage of essential goods will be resolved within a few days as fresh supplies are on schedule.

“The objective of the Government is to overcome the existing economic challenges facing the country and to build a strong economy with new investments by giving priority to exports and agricultural economy,” President Media Office said in a statement.

“Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic situation faced by the whole world has led all countries to a severe economic crisis. The top richest countries in the world are looking for solutions to the current economic crisis. This situation is severely affected for an economy of a country like ours where there is no cash reserve,” it added.

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requests the people to properly understand the current situation and act peacefully and intelligently without getting caught up in wrong ideologies.’ »

A host of multi-religious and civil society leaders yesterday signed a six-point resolution calling on the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led Government to step down immediately.

Titled ‘Senkadagala Statement’, multi-religious and civil society leaders pledged their support to establish an all-party Government and to help Sri Lanka to seek international aid and provide relief to people suffering from the worst economic crisis in its history.

The statement includes six key demands including; the President should resign unconditionally, establish an interim Government comprising all parties, and present a definite timeframe for parliamentary and presidential elections by an all-party consensus Government.

Continue reading ‘Religious and Civil Society Leaders including Omalpe Sobhitha Thero and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Sign “senkadagala Statement” at Queens Hotel Kandy;6 Key Demands Include Resignation of President Rajapaksa, Setting up of all Party Interim Govt and Time Frame for Fresh Parliament and President Elections’ »

By

Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Colombo

Dilith Jayaweera can still recall the moment he realised Sri Lanka was hurtling, unstoppably, towards financial ruin.

It was around October 2021 and Jayaweera, a Sri Lankan media magnate and close friend of the Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had invited Basil Rajapaksa, the president’s younger brother, who was also the finance minister, to join him for dinner.

There was little love lost between Basil Rajapaksa and Jayaweera, who had long mistrusted each other. But nonetheless, as the pair ate in his sleek Colombo office, the media mogul had some urgent questions for the man responsible for Sri Lanka’s economy. Was the country heading for a terrible crash?

“Basil couldn’t answer even my basic questions,” recounted Jayaweera. “He was giving very lousy answers – that we’ll find money from here, from there, saying it would all be fine to pay our debts. I saw then he really didn’t understand the economy at all; that it was done, dusted, finished for us.”

Continue reading ‘The inside story of Rajapaksa family infighting that toppled a country into violence and bankruptcy’ »

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made a statement on talks with the International Monetary Fund and likely path of the country hit by a soft-pegging crisis on July 05.

The full statement is reproduced below:

Today, in front of this Assembly and the citizens of this country, I am ready to outline the roadmap that we are following which will revive the economy that has collapsed.

We were able to successfully proceed with the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Our country has held talks with the IMF on many occasions before. But this time the situation is different from all those previous occasions. In the past, we have held discussions as a developing country. In such a case, both parties have only to reach an agreement on the EFF or Extended Credit Facility. It is like moving along a straight line.

But now the situation is different. We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country. Therefore, we have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations. Once a staff-level agreement is reached, this will be submitted to the IMF Board of Directors for approval. But due to the state of bankruptcy our country is in, we have to submit a plan on our debt sustainability to them separately. Only when they are satisfied with that plan can we reach an agreement at the staff level. This is not a straight-forward process.

But we have been able to end the round of discussion effectively despite these difficulties. According to the IMF’s official announcement, “Positive and productive discussions were held on supportive economic policies and reforms. Significant progress was achieved.”

Continue reading ‘Full Text of Statement in Parliament by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe That Reported on the Progress of Talks with the IMF and outlined the roadmap being followed by the Govt to revive the Collapsed economy’ »

By Saif Khalid

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the newly appointed prime minister of crisis-hit Sri Lanka, has said he is confident he can turn the economy around – but cautioned it will take 18 months before stability returns.

“The year 2023 is going to be difficult, but by 2024 things should pick up,” Wickremesinghe told Al Jazeera last week [Thursday] in a wide-ranging interview at his official residence in the capital, Colombo.

The 73-year-old leader, who in May became prime minister for the sixth time, said that he took up the job under extraordinary circumstances.

“We had nearly two days without a government; things were getting out of hand,” he said, recalling the mass protests over shortages of fuel and electricity that forced Mahinda Rajapaksa, his predecessor and the brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to resign.

“I thought ‘the situation is bad, it’s your country, so you can’t be wondering whether you are going to succeed or not. You take it over and work to succeed,’” said Wickremesinghe, who met the president at the request of some MPs from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is confident he can turn the economy around but says it will take 18 months before stability returns – Al Jazeera’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

The Sri Lankan President on Wednesday reached out to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, seeking urgent credit for fuel imports for the crisis-hit island nation, even as Colombo negotiates a support package with the Washington-headquartered International Monetary Fund.

“Had a very productive telecon with the #Russia President, Vladimir Putin. While thanking him for all the support extended by his govt to overcome the challenges of the past, I requested an offer of credit support to import fuel to #lka in defeating the current econ challenges,” Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in a tweet.

Sri Lanka ran out of fuel last week, and the government said it was suspending fuel sales for two weeks to cope with the situation. An aide of the Prime Minister has indicated that supplies will likely arrive by July 22, while hundreds wait for days together in long queues to petrol stations. Colombo earlier dispatched its Ministers to Qatar and Russia to seek help. Scrambling for dollars for essential imports, the government is counting on credit lines from one of its bilateral partners. However, after Colombo opted for a pre-emptive sovereign default in April this year, global oil firms are less forthcoming with credit.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa Reaches out to Russian President Putin and Requests Urgent Fuel Supplies on Credit While Negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for Financial Aid’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that political reforms must take place parallel to the economic program so that the role of Parliament is strengthened.

“The institution that must be strengthened is the Parliament, while the Government institutions must be free from politicisation. The 22nd Amendment is one step towards achieving this. Strengthening parliamentary sectoral committees is another step,” the Prime Minister said in Parliament.

He said that the sectoral committee system that was in place in Parliament before independence should be re-introduced so that the entire Parliament contributes to policy formulation and governance, regardless of party or opposition.

“The political culture that has developed so far in our country is undergoing a complete change. Nowadays we divide into parties during elections. Even after coming to the Parliament, the divisions remain and grow.

“The Government alone brings orders, formulating policies. The State is in control. The Opposition focuses on opposing the Government. The Opposition has no chance of coming together to formulate policies related to governance in the country,” he said.

Wickremesinghe said that under this committee system, the Government will have to move away from individual opinion and reach a common consensus while the Opposition cannot limit itself to criticism but must contribute to finding solutions.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe states that political reforms must take place parallel to the economic program so that the role of Parliament is strengthened for all MPs to participate in the legislative process’ »

By Charumini de Silva

The worsening economic crisis has forced the Central Bank to further tighten the monetary policy, to curtail the soaring inflation to ensure macroeconomic stability.

The Monetary Board at its meeting on Wednesday has decided to increase the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 100 basis points to 14.50% and 15.50% respectively with immediate effect.

The latest hike comes three months after the tightest stance in April when policy rates were increased by 7%. “The inflation is running over 50% and as per our projections, it might even go close to 70%.”

“From the Central Bank’s point of view, the major concern here is to address inflation and expectations going forward. We hope to bring it down to a reasonable level as soon as possible,” Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe told journalists yesterday.

With the higher-than-expected escalation of headline inflation recently and the increased persistence of high inflation in the period ahead, the Board was of the view that a further monetary policy tightening would be necessary to contain any build-up of adverse inflation expectations.

Continue reading ‘Monetary Board Has Decided to Increase the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 100 basis points to 14.50% and 15.50% respectively with immediate effect States Central Bank Governor Dr.Nandalal Weerasinghe’ »

Business leader turned Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera yesterday did not mince his words but bluntly called for the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Finance Minister alleging that the latter is not sincere in tackling the burning problem of the country – boosting foreign reserves and currency.

Dhammika’s broadside on the veteran politician and six times Premier was during a briefing of some of the new initiatives taken by former’s Ministry’s Department of Immigration and Emigration yesterday.

Perera said: “From today I am also starting my struggle (Aragalaya) because in my first seven days in the Government, I saw what is really happening.

As Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is playing a political game and that must be stopped. He is stopping all dollars-generating projects. He has no plans to enhance the cash flow of the country. He has no plans to ensure people have three meals. No plans to bring in more dollars.”

Continue reading ‘Business Magnate turned Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Finance Minister alleging that Ranil is not sincere in tackling Issues of boosting foreign reserves and currency.’ »

The Cabinet greenlighted a proposal to streamline the country’s casino industry in order to recover tax dues owed by casino operators and to bring in legislative amendments to give effect to proposed tax increases.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies on Monday sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to issue orders under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act No. 17 of 2010 with the intention of regularising such industries and recovering levies due for the government, and to take measures to introduce appropriate amendments to the Betting and Gamin Levy Act No. 40 of 1988. Under provisions imposed by the Casino Business (Regulation)

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Approves Proposal by PM and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to to bring in legislative amendments streamlining Casino businesses in to recover tax dues owed by casino operators and increase Casino taxes’ »

By

Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Several fundamental rights petitions challenging the Presidential pardon given to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake were today fixed for support by the Supreme Court.

Former army staff sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake who was convicted and sentenced to death for the Mirusuvil murder case in 2000 had been released after he received Presidential Clemency.

Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Chief Justice, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Justice Yasantha Kodagoda fixed the petition for support on August 4.

Several petitioners including the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu had filed these petitions naming Commissioner General of Prisons, the Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the President and the National Authority for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses as respondents.

Continue reading ‘Several fundamental rights petitions challenging the Presidential pardon given by President Rajapaksa to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake who was Convicted for the Murder of 8 Civilians in Mirusuvil fixed for support On August 4 by a Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Chief Justice Jayasuriya and Justices Dehideniya and Kodagoda’ »

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday ordered an immediate investigation into the allegation of bribery in a transaction between the Aviation Ministry and a Japanese company.

President’s Media said Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva will step down temporarily from the position of Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services on the instructions of the President until the investigations are concluded.

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa Orderes immediate investigation into allegation of bribery in a transaction between the Aviation Ministry and a Japanese company; Gota Instructs Minister Nimal Siripala De Silvato step down temporarily from the position of Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services until the Probe is concluded.’ »

Former MP Hirunika Premachandra and 11 others, who were arrested by police while protesting in front of the President’s House in Colombo Fort yesterday were released subsequently on police bail.

The Presidential Security Division arrested a group including Premachandra who was protesting near the entrance gate of the President’s House under the charge of blocking the road. A group of women along with her had started this protest demanding they want to meet President Rajapaksa whom they alleged is the cause for the country’s worst crisis since independence.

Continue reading ‘Former MP Hirunika Premachandra and 11 others released on police bail after being arrested by Police while protesting in front of the President’s House in Colombo Fort’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“The dismal silence of places without

intelligence” – Camus (Lyrical and Critical Essays)

World War I began with fanfare. Leaders of all combatant nations predicted that their victorious troops will be home for Christmas. People believed and cheered. Only a few understood that the war would ruin losers and winners. “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime,” British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey lamented.

In Sri Lanka, most of the lamps are already cold, snuffed out by the economic idiocy of the Rajapaksas. Only a few cling to a flickering life. They too might go out soon, as the remaining air is sucked in by a president determined to cling to power at whatever cost and a suffering people bereft of rational leaders or sane choices.

There was always more than an echo of Narcissus in Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a man enamoured of his own performance. As Sri Lanka unravels strand by strand and Lankans swing from fury to despair and back, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s conviction of his own infallibility remains rock-solid. He is the unmoving mover of his own story. Sanguine in his cluelessness he issues gazettes, writes letters to world leaders, instructs officials, and scatters promises. His robe of leader-extraordinaire is in tatters. Every citizen might yell about the emperor’s unclothed state, but the emperor doesn’t hear, can never hear.

The revitalised Aragalaya has given the president time till 9 July to go home. He won’t. Had Sri Lanka remained a parliamentary democracy, a no-confidence motion would have sufficed. Thanks to the presidential system, J.R. Jayewardene’s deadliest legacy, there’s no constitutional lever to quickly dislodge even the most unsound president.

A comprehensive 21st Amendment could have defanged the presidency rendering Gotabaya Rajapaksa relatively harmless. That opportunity was lost because neither PM Wickremesinghe nor the Opposition could transcend the rut of narrow self-interest. The SJB and the JVP seem incapable of agreeing on anything beyond sending Gota and Ranil home. Whatever happens, or doesn’t happen on 9 July, the political gridlock will continue.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his brothers, nephews, and cousins are the main authors of the Lankan tragedy. But even if a kind wind blows the entire Rajapaksa clan to another plain of existence, the economic crisis will remain as intractable as ever, until the bitter pills of cost-cutting and revenue-raising are swallowed.’ »

BY Buddhika Samaraweera

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who participated in the Parliamentary session last morning (5) in his first public appearance outside the President’s House in three months, left Parliament, after his presence in the House was protested against by the Opposition led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The Parliamentary session commenced yesterday at around 10 a.m. and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special statement on the progress of the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the current economic situation of the country.

While the Premier was making the statement, the President arrived in Parliament at around 10.30 a.m. Arriving at the Parliament complex, he was received by a group of MPs representing the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, including Leader of the House and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Dinesh Gunawardena.

Continue reading ‘President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Comes to Parliament after 3 Months and Leaves some minutes later with Opposition MP’sCreate a Rumpus in the House by Waving Placards and Chanting the Slogan”Gota Go Home” Repeatedly’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that the ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not a straightforward process, but initial discussions have ended effectively despite many difficulties.

In a statement to the House in which he outlined the roadmap to revive the economy, Wickremesinghe said unlike in the past, Sri Lanka is now participating in the negotiations with the IMF as a bankrupt country and therefore have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than in previous negotiations.

“Our country has held talks with the IMF on many occasions before. But this time the situation is different from all those previous occasions. In the past, we have held discussions as a developing country. But now the situation is different. We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country,” the Prime Minister said.

Continue reading ‘“If things do not change,the whole country will collapse. Therefore, we should strive to move forward on this path. It is not an easy journey. I have reminded you of that from time to time. This will be a difficult and bitter journey. But we can get relief at the end of this journey. Progress can be made,” -Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament’ »

By

Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

First round of discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been a success but the assistance depends on the debt restructuring program which Sri Lanka has to come up with, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament.

Making a special statement in the House Mr. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka will hand over a debt restructuring program report to IMF in August this year. “The expert companies which we have hired are in the process of preparing a debt restructuring program and we will hand over the report on it to IMF in August this year,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our country has held talks with the IMF on many occasions before. But this time the situation is different from all those previous occasions. In the past, we have held discussions as a developing country. In such a case, both parties have only to reach an agreement on the EFF or Extended Credit Facility. It is like moving along a straight line.However now the situation is different. We are now participating in the negotiations as a bankrupt country.

Therefore, we have to face a more difficult and complicated situation than previous negotiations. Once a staff-level agreement is reached, this will be submitted to the IMF Board of Directors for approval. But due to the state of bankruptcy our country is in, we have to submit a plan on our debt sustainability to them separately. Only when they are satisfied with that plan can we reach an agreement at the staff level. This is not a straight-forward process. We have been able to end the round of discussion effectively despite these difficulties.

Continue reading ‘“Financial Assistance from the International Monetary Fund Depends on the plan on debt restructuring and sustainability being prepared by financial and legal experts Lazard and Clifford Chance. We hope to submit this Planto the IMF by August,” says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament’ »

by Reemus Fernando

Sprinter Yupun Abeykoon has become the first man in South Asia to break the 10-seconds barrier as he won a 100 metres race at a competition in Europe with a stunning feat of 9.96 seconds yesterday.

Competing in Resisprint International, a meet in Switzerland, the Italy-based sprinter clocked 10.11 seconds in the heats before breaking the 10 seconds barrier in the final.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Sprinter Yupun Abeykoon Becomes the first in South Asia to break the 10-seconds barrier in a 100 metres race by Clocking 9.96 seconds at the World Athletics Championship Meet’ »

By

Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne

The long-awaited 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill (22A) of the Gotabaya-Wickremesinghe Government (or, should we say, the SLPP Government in which UNPer Ranil Wickremesinghe is Prime Minister?) was published in the Gazette on 29 June 2022. This means it could be placed on the Order Paper of Parliament seven days after that. Citizens and citizens’ organisations would be able to challenge the Bill in the Supreme Court within seven days of the Bill being so placed. As this is a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the only question that can be raised before the Court is whether the People must approve it at a Referendum.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has just finished the first half of his term. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution (20A) that he and the SLPP said was essential to develop the country by strengthening the Presidency is just 20 months old. What happened under his watch need not be recounted. The attack on the Aragalaya by SLPP goons, obviously with the blessings of highly placed leaders, led to the resignation of Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa. The President, with all his powers, could neither stop the attacks nor the violence that ensued all over the country. It was then that the beleaguered President offered to go back to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and even hinted that he was amenable to the Parliament deciding to abolish the Presidential form of government, two of the main demands of the Aragalaya and also of the majority of the people.

A survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in April 2022 revealed that 74% of the respondents wished for the complete abolition of the Executive Presidency compared to 50.3% in October-November 2021. The results of the “Mood of the Nation” poll conducted by Verité Research show that the Government’s approval rating for June 2022 is a mere 3%.

The SLPP and President Gotabaya then pulled a masterstroke by inviting the UNP’s lone MP, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to be Prime Minister. This was a setback to the Aragalaya, with many of its upper and middle-class supporters thinking that Wickremesinghe had a magic wand to cure the country of the economic ills caused by the Rajapaksas. Such hopes are receding fast, but the country-wide is yet to see the Aragalaya picking up again, although that will be only a matter of time.

That the Government is making good use of the sense of hopelessness amongst the people is clear from the contents of 22A. It is nowhere near what was promised.

Continue reading ‘If the 22nd Amendment becomes law in its present form, no opposition party or even MPs who have opted to be independent would be inclined to join the government because of the powers that the President would continue to have during the term of this Parliament.’ »

( Text of Editorial appearing in the “Daily Financial Times” of July 5th 2022 under the Heading “Both the President and the Presidency must go”)

Last week the Cabinet of Ministers approved and later gazetted the proposed amendment to the Constitution, which if approved would be the 21st Amendment. The demand for change in the governance structure in Sri Lanka is no longer a demand only of the general public of the country but a prerequisite for many of the international partners who would be assisting the country to come out of its current economic situation.

However, the minimalistic approach of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa-Ranil Wickremesinghe Government to present a diluted amendment that retains both the executive presidency as an institution and the current incumbent in office until the end of his term would not suffice to address the current crisis.

An argument against the abolition of the executive presidency is that the presidency leads to stability. Proponents of the presidency say that in view of the political and economic challenges faced by a developing country such as Sri Lanka, a strong government freed from the whims and fancies of the legislators and which can take tough, unpopular decisions that are in the long-term interest of the country is needed.

The fact that President Rajapaksa has failed in governance, despite having overwhelming powers bestowed to him through the 20th Amendment (20A) and enjoying a two-thirds majority in Parliament, is testament to the abysmal failure of the institution of executive presidency.

Continue reading ‘The last two and a half years is ample proof of the abysmal failure of the individual, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the institution of the executive presidency. If there is to be any hope of economic recovery and moving forward from this current predicament, both the president and the presidency must go.’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader Sajith Premadasa and Sri Lanka Freedom Party Leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena met with several Opposition political party leaders as well as civil rights activists yesterday in a fresh effort to moot a collective program to get the country out of the current crisis.

The meeting was organised on the theme “National Reforms and Progress” and is aimed at finding common ground on several issues to salvage the country and bring about long-term reforms.

Premadasa who addressed the meeting said that whatever form a Government takes, the economic issues of the people have to be addressed urgently and a solution acceptable to all people must be found first. “We are faced with a dollar and cents problem today. The basic human needs can only be met with the increase in our foreign reserves,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and Ex-President Maithripala Sirisena Meet with several Opposition political party leaders and civil rights activists for discussions on the theme “National Reforms and Progress” and moot a collective program to get the country out of the current crisis.’ »

Sri Lanka has less than a day’s worth of fuel left, the Energy Minister said Sunday, with public transport grinding to a halt as the country’s economic crisis deepened.

Petrol and diesel queues snaked through the capital for kilometres, though most pumping stations have been without fuel for days.

Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said petrol reserves in the country were about 4,000 tonnes, just below one day’s worth of consumption.

“The next petrol shipment is expected between the 22nd and 23rd (of July),” Wijesekera told reporters in Colombo.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera Reveals that petrol reserves in the country are about 4,000 tonnes and cannot last more than a day;“The next petrol shipment is expected between the 22nd and 23rd of July” says Minister’ »

By Ram Manikkalingam

(The author is a Visiting Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam)

The social and political uprising is currently stuck. President Gotabaya’s appointment of Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister (PM) has enabled the President to continue to stay in office, while shifting responsibility and pressure onto the new PM.

Meanwhile, the economic crisis is intensifying, as Sri Lanka has run out of money to pay for food, fuel and medicines. This economic crisis can either lead to a petering out of the protests – as day-to-day needs take precedence in people’s lives over protests – or it can lead to the rallying of protesters and more pressure on the government.

International financial institutions (IFI) and bilateral lenders have expressed willingness to help the government, but they are holding back. They believe the government is neither stable nor capable.

Indeed, depending on how you count it, this is the third or fourth government we have had in the past couple of months. With only one seat in parliament – his own – it is hard to see how the current Prime Minister can be anything other than a stopgap measure by the party of the President to cling to power.

Even if this government lasts, it would be too weak to carry out the stringent economic reforms that the IFIs are likely to impose on Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘As long as Sri Lanka has a weak and unstable govt, no foreign govt is going to assist Sri Lanka. And Sri Lanka will continue to have a weak and unstable govt as long as there is no political reform.’ »

By Uditha Devapriya

When Ranil Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister a month or so ago, he warned that things would get worse before they get better. Mr Wickremesinghe has addressed the nation at least thrice since then, and on all three occasions he has reiterated this warning. To be fair, he is right: we will hit rock-bottom before we start climbing up.

In appointing Wickremesinghe as his Prime Minister, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took a gamble. The gamble worked for a month. Now, however, we are at a standstill. CPC sheds no longer pump fuel to private vehicles. Until late July, we will operate with less than 5,000 MT of petrol and 11,000 MT of diesel. The president may or may not have foreseen this, but for Wickremesinghe, the tightrope act just got a little tighter.

At the initial stages, his entry helped pacify the protests. Despite parading themselves as non-aligned, Gotagogama protesters had their own beliefs regarding the leadership of this country. When President Rajapaksa let his brother go and appointed a new Prime Minister, he ruptured the protests. Now, with a worsening fuel crisis, it is likely that what was ruptured will come back together again, stronger this time.

Continue reading ‘Blaming Wickremesinghe for these failures is hardly fair. But he is the Prime Minister of a collapsing economy. To be sure, Wickremesinghe’s biggest impediment has been the ineptitude of those he has had to work with. This does not, however, exonerate him.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 12 Indian fishermen near the coast of Point Pedro in Jaffna, on charges of fishing illegally in the island’s territorial waters. Their mechanised boat has been seized, Navy spokesman Captain Indika De Silva said.

The arrest comes weeks after the nearly two month-long fishing ban in Tamil Nadu— an annual practice to allow for breeding of fish— ended. Tamil Nadu fishermen have since resumed fishing.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Nadu Fishermen Resume Illegal Fishing in Sri Lankan Territorial Waters Again after Two Month Lull;SL Navy Seizes Mechanized Boat off Point Pedro Coast and Arrest 12 Indian Nationals’ »

By

Prof.Rohan Samarajiva

In his address to the nation on 11 May, the President committed to “enact a Constitutional Amendment that would restore the substance of the 19th Amendment” (my translation from the video record, because this speech is missing from the President’s websites).

By this time, he had seen the steadfastness of the Aragalaya and the nationwide support they had. It is reasonable to assume that former Finance Minister Sabry had briefed him that there would be no immediate support from the IMF for the imports of fuel and other essentials necessary to keep the economy functioning and that it was difficult to obtain bridge financing from other sources.

The unconditional commitments made in that speech appear to have been intended to address these concerns, two days after the fiasco of the attack on GotaGoGama by the former Prime Minister’s followers and the subsequent dissolution of the Cabinet.

So now, almost six weeks after that address, the official text of the 22A has been made public. It reestablishes the Constitutional Council and allows for fresh appointments to be made to the Independent Commissions, giving the people some confidence that inquiries into bribery and corruption will be conducted properly and that the Election Commission will not include party loyalists.

Continue reading ‘The Amendment approved by Cabinet on 27 June does not restore the content of the 19th Amendment ; it falls short of the President Rajapaksa’s commitment to the nation made on 11 May.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

Notwithstanding those ‘nava gilunath baan choon’ (lets make merry while the Titanic sinks) citizens obsessed with Sri Lanka being ‘thrashed’ by Australia in the Test series opener played in Galle, as the New Zealand Herald rather impolitely put it this Friday, there was a different and far more serious development happening alongside.

A sinister state agenda

This was when the police and the army, on orders from above prevented and in some cases, forcibly removed lawyers and citizens asking the President to ‘Go’ from the ramparts of the Galle Fort. Ostensibly this was to remove ‘distractions’ diverting the concentration of the players. That was, of course, a convenient excuse for a far more sinister state agenda, to prevent the right to peaceful protest.

Days later, lawyers of the Galle Bar filed a rights challenge at the Supreme Court alleging the infringement of their freedoms of speech, expression and right to movement (Articles 14 (1) (a) and (h)).

Amusingly enough, we seem to be now in the habit of piously quoting decisions of the late Justice MDH Fernando who retired prematurely from the Bench of the Supreme Court more than seventeen years ago.

Apropos the importance of the Jana Ghosha principle regarding the right to peaceful protest (Amaratunga v Sirimal and Others, 1993) which is fundamentally central to preventing state abuses.

That aside, this is also to point to an equally important judicial precedent in regard to safeguarding the right to movement (Thavaneethan v Commissioner of Elections and others,2003).

Continue reading ‘This collapse has been gradual. The silence of professionals and academics during the time when systems were still capable of being saved and the chicanery of politicians have contributed to the ruin of this country today.’ »

(Excerpted from the “Sunday Morning” Political Column “The Black Box” by “Capt.Vasaba)

The IMF team that was in Colombo met with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe on Monday (27 June) for another round of meetings.
During the meeting, the IMF team had expressed concerns over the delay in reaching an agreement with China on debt restructuring. The IMF has maintained that China’s agreement on debt restructuring was important since it would help Sri Lanka’s overall debt rescheduling programme.

The IMF team had also discussed some of its observations and proposals during the meeting. Some of the proposals put forward by the IMF team had been turned down by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who had pointed out that the people would not be able to bear them given the crisis situation in the country.

One of the main proposals that had drawn the Prime Minister’s attention was increasing the country’s tax revenue by further reducing the taxable income threshold to a level that would cover a majority of low income earners. The IMF team had noted the need to include those earning Rs. 40,000 per month into the tax net. Wickremesinghe, it is learnt, immediately expressed concern, saying it could not be done as it would further increase the socio-economic crisis faced by the people.

Continue reading ‘IMF team in Colombo Recommends Taxes on those earning above Rs. 40,000 per month but Prime Minister Wickremesinghe immediately expressed concern saying it could not be done as it would further increase the socio-economic crisis faced by the people’ »

(Excerpted from the “Sunday Morning” Political Column “The Black Box” by “Capt.Vasaba)

The Government continues to face pressure from certain sections in the Opposition as well as from within the Government to initiate a dialogue with Russia to gain access to fuel and fertiliser at cheaper rates.

The group of 10 (G-10) ruling alliance partners led by MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, and Vasudeva Nanayakkara are in the forefront of the campaign to seek Russian assistance. Several members within the Government have also started questioning why Sri Lanka has not officially approached Russia for assistance. The pro-Russia members have noted that even neighbouring India had managed to reach an agreement with Russia for cheaper fuel and Sri Lanka should also follow suit.

However, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is of the belief that moving towards Russia could have an impact on reaching an agreement with the IMF, which the Government believes would help Sri Lanka secure the much-needed bridge financing.

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa Initiates Moves to Seek Procure Fuel and Fertilizer at Cheap Rates from Russia Despite Misgivings by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe that Moving Towards Russia Could Impact the Negotiations with IMF’ »

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday filed a motion in the Supreme Court, asking the latter to take up on Monday for interim relief the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition lodged on behalf of the citizens over the continuous violation of the fundamental rights due to the ongoing shortages.

The Petitioners including BASL President Saliya Peiris PC and three of its office bearers moved the court to consider the case as a matter of extreme urgency and national importance and have this case listed for support for interim relief on 4 July.

The Petitioners also sought a permanent Bench of the SC be appointed to hear and determine this case, as there is a need for continuity in the proceedings due to the critical importance of the matters referred to in the Petition.

The Petitioners have cited 43 Respondents including the Prime Minister, Cabinet of Ministers and secretaries to various ministries.

Continue reading ‘Bar Association of Sri Lanka(BASL) Files Fundamental Rights Petition On Behalf of Citizens Suffering Shortages of Essentials Including Fuel,Gas and Medicine Citing 43 Respondents Comprising Prime Minister,Ministers and Secretaries; pleads for Supreme Court to take up case Speedily for Interim Relief on July 4’ »

A Fundamental Rights petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking redress for the violation of the rights by Police and Army personnel who broke up a peaceful protest at the Galle Fort during the Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia, and forcibly removed the protest placards.

The FR application was filed by two lawyers Amara Diwakara Liyanarachchi and Hewage Ajith Kumara.

The respondents in the case are Commanding Officer of Galle Fort Army Camp, the Army Commander, the Inspector General of Police, Galle Police Headquarters IP, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Galle District, the Inspector General of Police, Public Security Minister Tiran Alas and the Secretary of the Ministry and the Attorney General.

The petitioners point out that on the 30 June they engaged in a peaceful protest by displaying placards in protest against the President and the actions of the current Government, and that the Army personnel entered the premises and forcibly removed their protest placards.

Continue reading ‘Protesters Evicted by Army at Galle Cricket Match Between Sri Lanka and Australia ricket match file Fundamental Rights Petition at Supreme Court Alleging their rights were forcibly violated by Military personnel’ »

(Text of Message from David McKinnon the High Commissioner of Canada in Colombo, Sri Lanka , on the occasion of Canada Day – July 1, 2022)

Happy Canada Day! Today, Canadians celebrate together our country’s achievements and hopefully have some fun doing it. We also reflect on the challenges that we face as we look to build a better Canada.

Canada Day is typically celebrated informally, with a focus on family, friends, and community. This reflects Canadians’ inclusive sense of nationalism, enabling our diverse citizenry to integrate the various layers of their personal identities into an overarching sense of what it is to be Canadian, under the maple leaf.
While the acute phase of the pandemic is, thankfully, behind us, the world faces different and complex challenges that once again require us to work together in our response. Major crises with global consequences have emerged around the world, most notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In Sri Lanka, the economic crisis has been exacerbated by these external shocks, and it is wrenching to see the adversity ordinary Sri Lankans endure every day as a result. As we did during the pandemic and for nearly 70 years before that, Canadians have extended their support to Sri Lanka in these difficult times.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization, we are funding the procurement of essential medicines and supplies. Canada is also working with the World Food Program to purchase urgently needed rice stocks for the National School Meal Program. As the crisis deepens, we are looking how we can best respond to the recent flash appeals by the UN and the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies.

Continue reading ‘“Canada supports the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, as well as the empowerment of women and marginalized communities, whose success is integral to that of the country”- Canadian Envoy David McKinnon’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The Gazetted draft of the 22 nd. Amendment (22A) of the Sri Lankan constitution, which will be presented to parliament in the coming week, is a compromise between the interests of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It is also designed to maintain the stability needed to tide over the current economic crisis and to avoid a referendum.
If passed by parliament, by the required two-thirds majority, the draft 22A will enter the constitution as the 21 st.,Amendment (21A).

Constitutional Council and Independent Commissions

In a significant change, the draft 22A re-establishes the independent Constitutional Council (CC) to replace the Parliamentary Council of the 20 th.Amendment (20A). The CC will, in turn, appoint the Chairmen and members of the various Independent Commissions (ICs) which would make key appointments and oversee the work of sectors assigned to each.

The Independent Commissions are: the Elections Commission, Public Service Commission, Police Commission, Judicial Commission, Finance Commission, Bribery and Corruption Commission, Delimitation Commission, Human Rights Commission, Audit Service Commission and National Procurement Commission.

The CC comprises the parliament Speaker (who will be its chairperson), the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, one Member of Parliament (MP) appointed by the President, 5 MPs comprising one ruling party MP, one MP from the party of the Leader of the Opposition, three non-MPs appointed by the Speaker in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and approved by a majority of MPs in parliament, and one MP from a party other than the one represented by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

All appointments should reflect the pluralistic character of Sri Lankan society. Non-MPs should be persons of repute and integrity. CC members will serve for three years. Vacancies will have to be filled in 14 days.

It is the President who makes appointments to the CC. But the 22A enjoins the President to make the appointments within 14 days of receiving recommendations from the CC. If he fails to do that, the appointments will be deemed to have been made as recommended by the CC.

Continue reading ‘Gazetted draft of the 22nd Constitutional Amendment (22A) is a compromise between the interests of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.Will it get the Necessary two-thirds majority in Parliament?’ »

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday said there was significant progress during the 10-day long discussions with the Lankan authorities and more engagement will continue virtually towards reaching a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) on the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement in the near term.

In an End-of-Mission statement, the IMF said the objectives of the new support program would be to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, while protecting the poor and vulnerable, safeguarding financial stability, and stepping up structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities and unlock Sri Lanka’s growth potential.

The IMF mission team, led by Peter Breuer and Masahiro Nozaki, visited Colombo from 20 to 30 June to discuss its support for Sri Lanka and the authorities’ comprehensive economic reform program.

IMF Asia and Pacific Department Deputy Director Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf participated in policy discussions. The IMF team had constructive and productive discussions with the authorities on economic policies and reforms to be supported by an IMF EFF arrangement.

At the end of the mission, Breuer and Nozaki issued the following statement.

Continue reading ‘Discussions with IMF will continue virtually with a view to reaching a Staff-Level Agreement on the EFF arrangement in the near term. Because public debt is assessed as unsustainable, Executive Board approval would require adequate financing assurances from Sri Lanka’s creditors that debt sustainability will be restored.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Critics of the draft 22 nd Amendment (22A) to the Sri Lankan constitution, which is to be presented to parliament next week, have denounced it as an affront to the masses who have been agitating for the restoration of democracy for months.

They say that the 22A is tantamount to breaking a promise to repeal the 20A in toto and restore the repealed 19A. Further, the 22A is nothing but a self-serving step taken by the Prime Minister and Justice Minister to suit the narrow interest of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is bent on continuing to be Executive President till the end of his term.

The Tamil National Alliance (MP) M.A.Sumanthiran, who has become a bitter critic of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, is quoted in the media as saying that the powers of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should have been reduced at least to the degree of 19A. On the contrary, President Gotabaya is going to remain in the position enjoying most of the draconian powers of the 20th Amendment (20A).

“People have been fooled. They have been asked to believe that another Amendment to abolish the Executive Presidency will follow as the second step, whereas there is no such intention. The need of the hour is a system change. That is what the people ask,” the MP from Jaffna commented.

Continue reading ‘22nd Constitutional Amendment is nothing but a self-serving step taken by the Prime Minister and Justice Minister to suit the narrow interest of President Rajapaksa, who is bent on continuing to be Executive President till the end of his term.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Just after Tamil Nadu’s annual fishing ban ended mid-June, Indian fishing trawlers are back near Sri Lanka’s northern coast, “crushing” fishermen’s livelihoods that are already under enormous strain during the island’s economic crisis, according to northern Sri Lankan fisher leaders.

“At least four of our fishermen’s nets, worth 6.5 lakh rupees [LKR], were damaged by the Indian trawlers yesterday in Point Pedro. The economic crisis has already impacted us severely, we don’t have enough kerosene for our boats. Now the return of the trawlers is just crushing what is left of our livelihoods,” said Annalingam Annarasa, leader of the federation of fisher cooperative societies in Jaffna, on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu’s annual fishing ban— to allow breeding of marine organisms— that lasts for nearly two months, usually offers some respite to northern Sri Lankan fishermen. Fishermen in Mannar, Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi could go fishing with greater hopes of a decent catch, and no fear of their nets being damaged.

However, this year, fishermen in the island’s northern, coastal districts hardly went to the sea during this time due to an acute shortage of kerosene, used by 90% of the fisherfolk for their modest boats. “We get some kerosene once in 12 or 14 days, and it’s just 20 litres per boat. Only about 20 % of our fishermen have been able to go out to the sea with that,” Mr. Annarasa told The Hindu.

Continue reading ‘Livelihood of Northern Sri Lankan Fishermen Being “Crushed” again after Return of Indian Fishing Trawlers after 60 Day Lull due to Fishing Ban’ »

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray

For as long as the human race has organized itself into sovereign nations, no country has had a story of limitless success. Nations and empires alike have risen and fallen, over thousands of years. Every language has phrases like “it takes a village” to remind us of the limitations of individual people and the need to work together. Similarly, no nation will ever thrive in isolation. The fate of every country is dependent on its relationships with other countries, with allies who share their values and who support each other in times of need.

History is littered with examples of countries that have been beset by natural disasters, militarily crippled, ridden with diseases, targeted by terrorism or economically ruined. What separates those who overcome these challenges from those that don’t is the willingness of other countries to come to their aid.

After World War II, for example, when the Axis powers were roundly defeated, it was the countries that vanquished them who stepped in to rebuild them. Indeed, without the aid of the Allies, neither Germany nor Japan would have grown into the economic powerhouses they are today.

The Marshal Plan, an American initiative, enabled West Germany and other West European nations to rise from the ashes of war and gain rapid economic development.

Continue reading ‘Today, Sri Lanka finds itself crippled by an unprecedented crisis. One Day , I have no doubt that my country will rise again .But we will do so only with the support of friends, who will speak in solidarity and act in support. Sri Lanka is ripe for rescue.’ »

By Nisthar Cassim

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owes debt and payments worth nearly $ 1 billion, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed yesterday exposing the bankruptcy of the State-owned entity which has aggravated the on-going fuel crisis and urgent procurement.

“With accumulated debt and other pending payments, the total due is almost $ 1 billion,” Wickremesinghe told a meeting with editors of print and electronic media where he explained the current economic situation including the emergency measures being taken to address the fuel crisis.

Of the CPC dues, the two State banks’ burden is nearly $ 600 million.

Continue reading ‘Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owes debt and payments worth nearly $ 1 billion Reveals Ranil Wickremesinghe:Prime Minister exposes the bankruptcy of the State-owned entity which has aggravated the on-going fuel crisis and urgent procurement.’ »

BY Safrah Fazal

The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) alleged that the suspicious death of an inmate at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, following which the mass escape of over 500 inmates also occurred, was due to an assault by an Army officer.

Speaking to The Morning yesterday (29), CPRP General Secretary Sudesh Nandimal Silva claimed: “The Army oversees the rehabilitation of inmates at Kandakadu. As per the information we have received so far, an Army officer had assaulted the said inmate, which led to his death.”

He also claimed that according to sources, fellow inmates were provoked by this incident, leading to unrest and the subsequent escape.

Silva further claimed that a sound similar to a gunshot had also resounded in the area around the same time that the inmates had reportedly breached the gates at the main entrance and escaped the centre.

Last morning, the Police revealed that over 500 inmates of the Kandakadu Centre had escaped following a tense situation that erupted after the death of an inmate on Tuesday (28) evening.

Continue reading ‘Was Mass Escape of over 500 inmates from Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre Triggered off by the Suspicious Death of an Inmate Allegedly Assaulted by an Army Officer? Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) Raises Doubts.’ »

By

Prof.Rohan Samarajiva

Finally, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution that seeks to reverse the damage done by the 20th Amendment rammed through by the Rajapaksas has been gazetted. It is likely to fall short of the 19th Amendment. Those who want to undo the damage will have to push for further amendments at the committee stage.

Under the 19A, the President was not allowed to hold any portfolios. Under an interim provision, President Sirisena who was in office at the time the amendment was approved was permitted to assign himself the subjects and functions of Defence, Mahaweli Development, and Environment. According to the amended Constitution, his successor could not assign himself any subject or function.

The proposals to restore political and economic stability made by the Bar Association in April 2022 and endorsed by many others, stipulated that “the President should not hold any portfolio (as stipulated by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution).” However, it appears that the President will be allowed to hold one or more portfolios (Defence, at least) according to the 22A that was approved by Cabinet on 27 June.

Continue reading ‘The assigning subjects and functions to the new Minister of Investment Promotion in 3 Steps By President Rajapaksa has once Again proved that Gotabaya is incapable of rationally assigning subjects and functions to ministries.’ »

Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera yesterday announced several measures to upgrade the Immigration and Emigration Department, inculcating a private-sector approach to boost efficiency and streamline operations.

He introduced six key steps following a special inspection visit to the Department yesterday. This was the first task Perera took after being sworn in as a National List MP.

Immigration and Emigration Department has been in the media spotlight, as thousands of people who visit its head office in Battaramulla have faced multiple problems and undue delays in services over the last couple of months.

The pent-up demand for passports has increased significantly since the latter part of 2021 with the ongoing economic crisis.

Continue reading ‘Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera ,inculcating a private-sector approach to boost efficiency and streamline operations ,announces several measures to upgrade the Immigration and Emigration Department, following a special inspection visit to the Department’ »

By

Kelum Bandara

In a step close to integration with India in energy security, Sri Lanka has sought to purchase four shipments of fuel – 40,000 tonnes each- from India on cash payment terms, Daily Mirror learns.

India is a bulk purchaser of fuel from the global market with attractive discounts. There is a proposal in the road map worked out by the Sri Lankan envoy to New Delhi Milinda Moragoda for the development of bilateral relations to tie up with India to buy fuel from the world market together, to benefit from the same discounted rates.

Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris also proposed the idea during a meeting in recent times.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka to purchase four shipments of fuel from India for Cash instead of on credit; Deal Expected to materialise in One week will result in Initial shipment Followed by Petrol Shipments When Required.’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution will be published in the Gazette today (June 29), following which it will be presented to Parliament after seven days, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday (June 28).

He said that on Monday (June 27), the Cabinet had given approval to publish the Bill in the Gazette after the draft Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman was cleared by the Attorney General, who informed that the Bill is in accordance with the Constitution.

He said while the Bill will be gazetted as the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, it will be enacted as the 21st Amendment.

“The SJB presented a Private Member’s Bill titled 21st Amendment to the Constitution and the Supreme Court ruled all its clauses will need approval at referendum hence it will not be possible to enact their Bill. The Government Bill will be enacted as the 21st Amendment,” Rajapakshe said.

Continue reading ‘The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution will be published in the Gazette of June 29 and presented to Parliament after seven days, Says Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe; Cabinet Approved Draft Bill on June 27’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka suspended nationwide fuel sales, except for essential services, for nearly a fortnight as the island faces a rapidly worsening economic crisis.

In a press conference held on Monday night, Cabinet spokesperson and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana said private vehicles will be barred from buying fuel until July 10, after which the government has promised to ensure the usual supply. Authorities halted bus services between provinces and urged citizens to work from home in a bid to save fuel. Schools also remain shut.

“Fuel will be issued only to health, defence, power and export sectors from midnight today until July 10,” Mr. Bandula Gunawardena told reporters.

Continue reading ‘Life Comes to a Near Standstill in Sri Lanka as Govt Suspends Nationwide Sale of Fuel for 2 weeks Except for Essential Services;Colombo seeks ‘urgent’ supply from India, Russia, Qatar’ »

(Text of a Press Release Issued by the South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) on June 28 2022)

South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, vehemently condemns the arrest of Indian rights activist and Journalist Teesta Setalvad on 25 June 2022.

SAHR perceives the detention of Setalvad as a deliberate move by the government to silence and criminalise those who strive to hold the state accountable for rights violations and stand for the constitutional rights of the people. Setalvad as a strong and brave human rights defender has been steadfast in her campaign to get justice for riot victims of the 2002 Gujarat violence and is a founding trustee and secretary of the NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace (CPJ).

Continue reading ‘South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, vehemently condemns the arrest of Indian rights activist and Journalist Teesta Setalvad on 25 June 2022.’ »

US President Joe Biden at the G7 Summit yesterday announced $ 20 million in additional assistance to strengthen food security in Sri Lanka.

Building on other recent funding announcements from the US, this newly posted assistance will target Sri Lankans most in need during the current economic crisis. The funding aims to support a school nutrition program that will feed over 800,000 Sri Lankan children and provide food vouchers for over 27,000 pregnant and lactating women over the next 15 months. The effort also plans to support approximately 30,000 farmers through the contribution of agricultural assistance and cash in order to increase food production in vulnerable Sri Lankan communities.

Continue reading ‘US Commitment in Economic and Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka Since June 16 Goes up to $ 32 Million After President Joe Biden’s Announcement of $ 20 Million Additional Aid’ »

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) President Ambassador Federico Villegas (Argentina) has announced the appointment of Radhika Coomaraswamy of Sri Lanka to serve as a member of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.

Radhika Coomaraswamy

Coomaraswamy will join Kaari Betty Murungi of Kenya (chair) and Steven Ratner of the US, who were appointed to serve on the human rights investigative body on 2 March.

The Geneva-based Human Rights Council created the Commission of Human Rights Experts on 17 December 2021 with a mandate to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law in Ethiopia committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Radhika Coomaraswamy Appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to serve as a member of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.’ »

An Extraordinary Gazette published on Monday (June 27)listed the core responsibilities and institutions under Dhammika Perera’s Ministry of Investment Promotion.

The institutions are the Board of Investment, Colombo Port City Economic Commission, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company Ltd., Techno Park Development Company Ltd., and Information Technology Parks.

The previous Gazette had TRC, ICTA and SLT among others under a Ministry called Technology and Investment Promotion. However, the Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company is a venture of TRC.

Continue reading ‘Name of Dhammika Perera’s Ministry Changed from Technology and Investment Promotion to Investment Promotion; New Gazette Issued Listing Institutions and Functions Allocated to Ministry’ »

BY Dinitha Rathnayake

Residents of Thennamaravadi, Kuchchaveli, which is a rural village some 65 kilometres north of Trincomalee, on the Pulmoddai Road, are struggling due to issues pertaining to the lack of land and housing.
Speaking to The Morning, the residents claimed that most of their lands had been grabbed by the Sinhala people.

“Around 225 families stayed in this village and all were Tamils. Only two Sinhalese fishing families were residing in this village before the war. When the war intruded, driving the villagers from their homes and wrecking their lives, one incident in particular caused the flight to Mullaitivu. Seven of the villagers who had taken their cows to graze in the jungle disappeared. They are believed to have been taken to the nearby Army camp. Five family members who went to look for them also went missing. Fearing more trouble, the villagers decided to leave, and as they crossed a river to the other side, they saw flames rising from where their houses stood,” they further claimed.

According to the villagers, more Sinhala people have come to Thennamaravadi from outside and are pretending to be residents without any legal documents.

Continue reading ‘Tamil residents of Thennamaravaadi Village in Trincomalee District Allege that Over 200 Acres of their Lands have been taken over by Sinhalese outsiders and that Govt officials are not taking action to help them get back the lands’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

There is a great deal of ruin in a nation, Adam Smith once said – meaning that the modern states are innately strong enough to withstand a good deal of external and internal pressure. It takes serious and serial bungling by the policymakers to break a nation. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has shown how a country could be ruined on a fast track. Consider these numbers. Sri Lanka’s nominal GDP per capita in 2020 was around US$ 3600, about US$ 200 down from the previous year. With the depreciation of the Rupee by 80% during the first half of this year, the GDP per capita at present should be around US$ 2000, in the range of India and Bangladesh. GDP per capita based on purchasing parity, which is a more accurate indicator of measuring the living standards might have taken an even worse hit, though actual numbers are elusive for the prices that double overnight. John Hopkins University Economist Steve Hanke gauges Sri Lanka’s real inflation in May as 128 %, only second to Zimbabwe. (The official inflation rate is 39.10%)

Along with the collapse of disposable income, comes the collapse of basic social indicators: child malnutrition is rising, general hunger is pervasive, hospitals are short of life-saving drugs and doctors and nurses are languishing in fuel queues instead at the hospitals. Schools are closed at a whim, and public transport is at a virtual standstill and functions only when there is fuel. Government offices are closed on Fridays to let the public servants farm, a sick joke in a country where the president has decimated the entire agricultural sector with a dim-witted ban on chemical agriculture.

In fact, Sri Lankans have not yet faced the full force of the wrath of the collapsing social wellbeing. Because, the country is still drawing from the innate strength of institutions, be it health care or education, that had been built over decades. Yet, as it happened elsewhere (such as in Venezuela, Latin America’s wealthiest country not so long ago, where Hugo Chavez invested the country’s oil windfall on at times unaffordable social welfare, albeit making rapid gains in social indicators) such innate strengths will be exhausted soon. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government are carrying Sri Lanka in that direction, steadily and fast. This freefall of the nation should be averted.

At present, Sri Lanka faces a twin crisis. One is political, caused by President Gotabaya’s desperate clinging to power, at the peril of the nation. The second is the economic crisis, which is fast deteriorating to apocalyptic proportions. After desperate patchwork solutions, it should now be starkly clear that the economic crisis cannot be addressed without solving the political crisis. Yet, Gotabaya remains the greatest handicap for Sri Lanka to try to fix the broken state.

Continue reading ‘The main opposition, SJB Spends its energy on media conferences and press releases to chide the govt. Sajith Premadasa excels at eloquent speeches but shows little interest in assuming responsibility.’ »

By

SVD Kesaralal Gunasekera

It’s been about six weeks since a ‘new’ government was formed by the President after inviting all the parties to come forward. Fundamentally, all the parliamentarians should support the present Prime Minister to steer this country out of this crisis. Without a new strategy, approach and support, we might not be able to bring some significant improvements to this ailing situation.

Give a true picture

I must lodge my disappointment however when the PM stated that the economy has collapsed. What we have is a crisis with regards to a serious lack of foreign exchange. The struggle is that we cannot enjoy the luxury of having petrol, diesel and domestic gas like we did because we cannot afford to pay for them. This message has not been clearly communicated to the public. The PM’s constant message that the ‘next two weeks are going to be difficult’ has become a mantra that people no longer take seriously.

The people must be told the hard and bitter truth about why we all need to cut down on our expenses and change our lifestyles. The dangerous situation is that when the PM has stated that the ‘books are cooked’ and does not give a true picture of what the books should state, there are many groups and individuals who present many other ‘versions’ that completely confuse the common masses.

Cut down

The people who are standing in queues for days on end have not understood the reality. It appears that the politicians too have no clue about the reality. As a nation, we have to drastically cut down on the costs. We have to change our lifestyle at least in the short term. This must start with the Government. The burden is always on the public. But the leaders should demonstrate at all levels that they are making the sacrifices before asking people to cut down on their expenses. The excessive number of vehicles and unwanted programmes should be immediately stopped because people are now being forced to cut down on many aspects of their daily lives.

Support the Private Sector

The ’Aragalaya’ has reached a point where many politicians will be out of the game by the next election. People are truly disgusted with the ineffective politicians who are neither claiming responsibility nor accountability for the sad state of affairs that we are in. People feel that they have been systematically robbed and they still have to pay for the loans that have been obtained. The economy is majorly governed by the private sector. Their investments and large-scale employment have always ensured the stability of the economy. The Government must ensure that the small and medium-scale private sector ventures are also fully supported as they have created more employment. The Government must have a plan to ensure that people do not lose their jobs. What can we learn from countries like Greece or Zimbabwe?

Acknowledge the feelings

The public does not trust the governing body anymore. There are many reasons for this. No one has come forward to state that they understand the people’s problems. Neither the President nor the PM (past and present) has expressed their understanding of what parents are going through and come up with a plan that can help everyone. Crimes are increasing, black markets are thriving, fuel is being stocked up and there is a constant lack of fuel, fuel prices are being increased and in parallel, all other items are going up in price. How can people live? Are we having a plan to look after the “extremely vulnerable” sector in this country? That is of prime importance.

Aid Agencies

For decades we have seen the state making NGOs the scapegoat for everything. I believe at this time, we must as a nation request the support of the international humanitarian aid agencies. Particularly with regards to Food, Nutrition, Livelihoods and Education they are in a better position to obtain aid from institutional donors than the government. We need the support of everyone.

Media must step up

The Electronic Media in this country can do much more for the people. At this juncture, the electronic and print media should focus more on guiding the public with positive alternatives to this crisis. The media need to bring in experts who will teach people how to be agile in this situation; how not to waste, how to preserve food, how to guide the children and focus on home-schooling and skill-building during this time, how to commit to work harder and longer, how to be creative in this crisis. We must turn to indigenous solutions to the current problem. Sri Lanka is NOT the first country to go through such a crisis and will certainly will not be the last. But without a plan with a timeline, we cannot overcome.

Courtesy:Daily Mirror

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday rapped the Government over its failure to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel which it warned threatens the social and economic stability in the country and international confidence.

BASL also called on the Government to immediately provide timely and adequate information to the public as to its plans in respect of ensuring the continuous supply of fuel in the short term; to present to the public a road map on its plans to extricate the country from the fuel crisis; and to immediately devise after proper consultation with relevant stake holders an effective plan to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of fuel to the people taking into account the need to ensure that public transportation and essential services are not hindered.

“The BASL calls upon the President, the Government as well as all other political parties and actors to understand the sheer gravity of the present situation and the grave consequences which may threaten the social and economic stability in Sri Lanka. The BASIL calls upon them to immediately take every step necessary to restore national and international confidence in the Government of Sri Lanka,” it said in a statement.

“At this stage, for the greater good of the country it is necessary that the President and all other relevant political actors bear responsibility for the hardships being caused to the people,” BASL added.

Continue reading ‘Bar Association of Sri Lanka(BASL) calls upon the President, Govt as well as all other political parties and actors to understand the sheer gravity of the present situation and the grave consequences which may threaten the social and economic stability in Sri Lanka.’ »

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced a two-week halt to all fuel sales except for essential services and appealed to the private sector to work from home as it ran out of supplies.

“From midnight today, no fuel will be sold except for essential services like the health sector, because we want to conserve the little reserves we have,” government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan government on Monday announced that only essential services will operate from midnight till July 10 and all other operations will be temporarily suspended as the crisis-hit nation faces acute fuel shortage.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Suspends selling of fuel for 2 weeks until July 10th except for essential sectors like health, defence, power ,export and ports, airports, , food distribution and agriculture.’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Sunday Times” of June 26th 2022 Under the Heading “Adding corruption to the crisis”)

The Prime Minister sounded thoroughly exasperated when he addressed Parliament earlier in the week. He said there was one set of persons saying he was downplaying the prevailing economic crisis, while another was accusing him of exaggerating it. A damned if you do; damned if you don’t situation.

Coming away from talks with an IMF staff-level team in the country studying the crisis, and the legal and financial advisers retained by the Government to negotiate with the IMF, the Premier had probably the best assessment of the crisis. He said there was “no other option but to go with the IMF”, and asked the Opposition that had left the Chambers protesting the inability of the Government to solve the crisis, for an alternative option, if any.

It was an unusual stand by the Opposition. Fundamentally, Members of Parliament are elected to speak in the House on behalf of the people. That is representative government. Not to keep away from Parliament. Even otherwise, it is patently unreasonable to expect a silver bullet or miracle drug to cure the kind of shambles the economy is in.

If the Opposition does not want to be part of the Administration, to which it has been invited, then it must do its duty inside Parliament by providing some alternate ideas and proposals. It seems to want to take the battle outside Parliament by way of strikes which are on the drawing boards which will only make life even more difficult for ordinary folk to cope with. These Opposition parties are aiming at the next elections while the Government and the people are struggling, waiting for the next foreign loan to pay for the next shipment of fuel, gas and medicines.

Even that call for an election is a hollow one, when the whole country knows that electioneering and the logistics for an election are an impossibility in the midst of the current crisis. There’s no guarantee the outcome will ensure a stable Government either.

The focus on the 21st Amendment to clip the wings of the Executive Presidency also seems a non-starter with the political manoeuvres taking place by the ruling coalition clinging on to power while the ship of state is sinking.

In the process, high-level corruption is going on unabated. This corruption has percolated down to the fuel bowser driver and gas shed assistant and the whole country because with the shortages and demand over supply of essential goods comes systemic corruption.

Continue reading ‘Opposition parties are aiming at the next elections while the Government and the people are struggling; Even that call for an election is a hollow one, when the whole country knows that electioneering and the logistics for an election are an impossibility in the midst of the current crisis.’ »

The United States has agreed to provide technical assistance for fiscal management in Sri Lanka.

This was conveyed by the visiting US State Department Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Kelly Keiderling, during a discussion with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Continue reading ‘Visiting US State Department Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Kelly Keiderling Assures Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the US supports the ongoing talks between the Govt of Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund(IMF); US agrees to provide technical assistance for fiscal management in Sri Lanka’ »

By Dinitha Rathnayake

A tense situation has risen over the Kurundumale Archaeological Reserve, an ancient Sri Lankan monument deep in the dense forest of Mullaitivu.

According to the Department of Archaeology, the ancient Buddhist temple is said to be the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka built fully out of a particular type of wood. For decades it had been concealed, fully covered with sand and trees that had obscured its view.

The historic site also survived the three-decade war without any harm, although some treasure hunters had dug randomly in this area seeking valuables.

Continue reading ‘Army and Buddhist Monks Accused of Constructing Buddhist Structures on Kurundhu Malai Hill In Violation of Mullaitheevu Court Order; Cultural Appropriation of Ancient Saivaie Shrine by “Political Buddhism” with Connivance of Archaeology Dept?’ »

By

Vishvanath

Tomb raiders and politicians do not scruple to disturb the dead. The former look for valuables in tombs, and the latter hunt for memories, cherished or dreaded, to gain political mileage. One’s loss is said to be another’s gain. Nothing proves the validity of this axiom more than the sordid manner in which politicians use others’ misfortunes including bereavements, to their advantage.

The classical definition of politics is well known—‘activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government’—but given the way politicians exploit others’ agonies, politics may also be defined as the art of making use of others’ woes to gain and/or retain power. There is hardly anything that politicians do not use for this purpose. Not even cadavers are spared, so to speak, as has been the case in this country. Last Wednesday saw the latest instance of the dead being dragged into a political battle.

Raising a question in the parliament, SLPP Kalutara District MP Lalith Ellawala demanded to know what had really befallen the founder leader of the JVP, Rohana Wijeweera, who was arrested in 1989, forced to make a confession, which was televised, and made to disappear. Leader of the House, and Urban Development and Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, asked for two weeks to answer the question. MP Ellawela’s question listed on Wednesday’s Order Paper was addressed to the Minister of Public Security.

The MP seeks to know whether the Minister is aware that on 12.11.1989, the then UNP government had Wijeweera arrested, and published that fact in the media, and whether Wijeweera died on 13.11.1989. He has requested the Public Security Minister to inform the House whether Wijeweera’s death was a natural one, or whether it was an assassination; and if the death was an assassination, whether there was a verdict given by a court of law in Sri Lanka to that effect; and whether any member or any leader of the JVP has taken steps to institute legal action in respect of Wijeweera’s death.

Continue reading ‘SLPP Rakes up the Past About Rohana Wijeweera’s “Execution” to Politically Embarrass JVP and Premadasa -led SJB and Create Tensions Between Both Parties’but Blowback may Affect Ranil also’ »

By Sumudu Chamara

The concept of the Executive Presidency, especially the powers afforded to an Executive President, has been one of the most controversial topics in Sri Lanka’s political arena, and comes up often during elections and Parliamentary debates. Even amidst the prevailing instability, abolition of the Executive Presidency remains an important topic, which some deem essential to the reformation of Sri Lanka’s political culture.

The Supreme Court (SC), last week, discussed the birth and the background that led to the introduction of the Executive Presidency. This was, when it declared that certain sections of the draft Bill of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, presented by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), are inconsistent with the Constitution, and therefore required to be passed through a referendum if the Bill is to be enacted.

The draft Bill, presented in May amidst both support and opposition from various parties, was challenged by several petitioners, naming Attorney General (AG) and MP and SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara as first and second respondents. The case was taken up before a SC Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, Justice Janak de Silva, and Justice Arjuna Obeysekere.

Executive powers and constitutional reforms

In its judgement, the SC said that the main thrust of the submissions of the petitioners is that the Bill erodes the executive power of the elected President and as such violates Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution, and hence may be enacted only upon approval by the people at a referendum. It added that the response of Suren Fernando (the second respondent’s counsel) was that the agency or the instrument for the exercise of the executive power of the people can be changed by amending Article 4 without being approved by the people at a referendum, provided such amendment has no prejudicial impact on the sovereignty of the people.

Adding that it is apposite to examine the introduction of the Executive Presidential system of the Government into Sri Lanka’s Constitutional framework and the core principles underlying such system, the judgement read: “The 1972 Constitution was based on a parliamentary system of government. In terms of Section 5 of the 1972 Constitution, the National State Assembly was the supreme instrument of State power of the Republic, and was to exercise the executive power of the people, including the defence of Sri Lanka, through the President and the Cabinet of Ministers. The Head of the State was the President, while the Prime Minister was the Head of both the government and the Cabinet of Ministers.

Continue reading ‘Even amidst the prevailing instability, abolition of the Executive Presidency remains an important topic, which some deem essential to the reformation of Sri Lanka’s political culture.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

This week’s ruling handed down by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya’s (SJB) confoundingly optimistic 21st Amendment Bill seeking to wholesale consign the Executive Presidency to the dustbin was predictable, some would mutter even blindingly so.

Monumentally unsurprising judicial thinking

The SJB Bill sought to replace the ‘Executive Presidential’ system with a parliamentary democracy sans a Referendum in terms of Article 83 of the Constitution. A firm judicial ‘No’ transpired to that ambitious plea.

The Court responded with a familiarly conservative restatement of an old position, namely, that under the 1978 Constitution, the executive power of the People is vested in and exercised by a President elected by the People.

The Bill’s attempted subordination of the President to the Prime Minister was categorically struck down in all its various manifestations. These included clauses relating to the election and removal of the President by the Parliament as well as the stipulation that the President shall ‘always, except as provided by the Constitution, act on the advice of the Prime Minister.’

The President’s ‘loss of status’ as Head of the Cabinet and Head of the Government was ruled to require approval by the People at a Referendum along with a two thirds majority in the House.

Continue reading ‘The cry ‘Gota must Go’ is not necessarily personalised, though there is no doubt that this President exemplifies the evils of rash, ignorant and arrogant decision-making.’ »

By P.K. Balachandran

(P.K. Balachandran is a freelance journalist specializing in South Asia and based in Colombo, Sri Lanka)

In the 1980s, India was calling the shots in Sri Lanka, cashing in on its mediatory and interventionist role in the ethnic conflict that wracked the island. But New Delhi’s relevance receded after the minority Tamils’ armed struggle was crushed by the Sri Lankan forces in May 2009.

The post-war era in Sri Lanka was marked by a crash program of reconstruction and development. While India failed to seize the opportunity to deploy its economic muscle and retain its foothold on Sri Lanka, an aggressive China filled the vacuum with alacrity.

Given its convoluted decision-making process, the lackluster leadership of the day, and its lumbering bureaucracy, India was no match to Xi Jinping’s newly ambitious China, armed with the well-endowed and expansionist Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Xi quickly responded to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s call for massive funds and technical assistance for infrastructural development while India dithered.

According to a Chatham House study headed by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, the cumulative value of Chinese infrastructure investment in Sri Lanka between 2006 and July 2019 reached $12.1 billion. Economist Umesh Moramudali calculated that, considering both Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt, China accounted for 19.9 percent of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt in 2021.

However, since the deepening of the economic crisis due to a severe foreign exchange shortage in January 2022, the decade-old roles have been reversed.

Continue reading ‘India Strengthens Its Position in Sri Lanka Vis-à-Vis Rival China; Will China remain a bystander, watching India and the West displacing it in Sri Lanka?’ »

Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, twice Central Bank Governor and former State Minister for Finance, issued the following media statement last week on exchange rate flexibility.

“The decision to allow the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) to be “flexible” from March 7, 2022 onwards is sometimes described by certain persons as being a “unilateral” decision of then Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. Therefore, this statement is to provide the factual position so as to set the record straight.

”The decision to allow flexibility in the exchange rate was taken by the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka based on a Monetary Board Paper dated March 7, 2022 submitted by all three Deputy Governors (Mr Mahinda Siriwardene, Mr Dammika Nanayakkara & Mrs Yvette Fernando), Director – Economic Research Department and Director – International Operations Department.

“The Board Paper stressed the need for changing the exchange rate policy immediately in order that the exchange rate acts as a “shock absorber” in the face of adverse developments in the global front on Sri Lanka’s already fragile Balance of Payments, including the increase of the crude oil price to nearly USD 140 per barrel and the worsening Russia-Ukraine war.

“Based on that Board Paper and the discussion at the meeting, the Monetary Board decided to ‘allow the market to have a greater flexibility in the exchange rate with immediate effect and communicate that the Central Bank is of the view that forex transactions would take place at levels which are not more than Rs. 230 per US dollar.’

Continue reading ‘The decision to allow the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) to be “flexible” from March 7, 2022 onwards was not a “unilateral” decision of then Central Bank :Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.’ »

(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Sunday Island”of June 26th 2022 Under the Heading “National List: convenient for political parties, gravy for those appponted”)

Business tycoon Dhammika Perera’s swearing last week as a National List MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) evoked a great deal of interest for a number of self-evident reasons. Among these was that fact that he has publicly claimed to be the country’s biggest taxpayer. This has been seen on youtube by hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Whether Perera claimed this in his personal capacity or whether it included the companies he controls – and there are a great many of them both listed and unlisted – has not been clarified. Apart from that claim, it is very well known that he is a major shareholder in a clutch of listed companies including the Hayleys conglomerate, the thriving ceramics sector (Royal Ceramics, Lanka Tiles, Lanka Walltiles etc), his own Vallibel Group together with LB Finance, one of the country’s biggest finance companies. He also owns significant stakes in the banking sector. On top of that are his interests in the gambling industry in which the foundation of his fortune lies.

The SLPP’s decision to nominate Perera to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of ruling clan sibling, Basil Rajapaksa, was challenged in the Supreme Court by the Center for Policy Alternatives and some other petitioners. They included a former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Chandra Jayaratne, who has post-retirement been a vigorous public interest activist. As many as five fundamental rights actions challenging Perera’s appointment were filed after his appointment was gazetted by the Elections Commission.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s biggest taxpayer Business tycoon Dhammika Perera’s swearing in as a National List MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has evoked a great deal of interest for a number of self-evident reasons.’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that steps will be taken to legally grant land and house ownership to millions of people who do not have a deed to their own lands and homes.

The program to hand over land ownership to landless families under the ‘Land for All’ program began yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Launches ‘Land for All’ program to hand over land ownership to landless families at the Prime Minister’s Office.’ »

Business leader turned Member of Parliament Dhammika Perera was sworn in as the Investment Promotion Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday.

The appointment ends weeks of speculation and controversy and follows Dhammika being sworn in as a National List MP of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna on Wednesday after the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed all five Fundamental Rights petitions against the appointment.

He filled the vacancy created by the resignation of former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Continue reading ‘New SLPP National List MP Dhammika Perera sworn in as Investment Promotion Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo on June 24th 2022)

High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, Hon’ble Keheliya Rambukwella, Minister of Health, Hon’ble Nalin Fernando, Minister of Trade, Hon’ble Members of Parliament namely M.A Sumanthiran, V. Radhakrishnan, M. Udaya Kumar, Angajan Ramanthan, and several others including Senthil Thondaman welcomed a large humanitarian consignment consisting of 14,700 MT of rice, 250 MT of milk powder and 38 MT of medicines donated by the people of India in Colombo on 24 June 2022. The total value of this consignment is more than SLR 3 billion.

Continue reading ‘Second Ship Carrying Humanitarian Aid Donated as a Gift by the Govt and People of Tamil Nadu arrived in Sri Lanka on 24 June 2022; Consignment consisting of 14,700 MT of rice, 250 MT of milk powder and 38 MT of medicines is valued at more than 3 billion Sri Lankan Rupees’ »

By

M.M. Zuhair

Given the dire struggle for fuel and gas worsening by the day across the country and the serious multi-facetted ominous impact on food supplies cum transport caused by the woefully irregular and paltry supply of fuel, the question arises as to why Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had not directly broached Sri Lanka’s humanitarian crisis with the Saudi government or any of the other oil exporting Gulf states for assistance to obtain essential fuel on humanitarian terms or credit basis, during his more than one month in the current term in that office.

Instead of employing foreign agents, the Prime Minister ought to have supplemented India’s continued and timely assistance, by promptly speaking to his counterparts in the Middle East, the world’s major producers and exporters of ‘quality fuel’, who would certainly assist Sri Lanka by providing long-term credit as well as investment packages that the country badly needs, if duly handled.

The experienced PM who took up the country’s complicated challenges by accepting office on 13 May for the sixth time, does not need 40 days to call on the Middle East leaders and seek their help to wipe the tears off the ever increasing number of hungry angry people.

Continue reading ‘Why Cant Premier Wickremesinghe Appoint Environment Minister Nazeer Hamed as Special Envoy to Seek Much Needed Fuel From Oil Rich Middle Eastern Countries?’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo on June 23rd 2022 regarding the Visit of a delegation led by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra to Colombo)

A delegation of senior Government of India officials, led by Mr. Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary, and consisting of Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor and Mr. Kartik Pande, Joint Secretary, Indian Ocean Region, Ministry of External Affairs visited Colombo on 23 June 2022.

2. The delegation had meetings with H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka and H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka during the visit. The talks between the two sides were held in a frank, cordial and constructive manner.

3. The Indian delegation underscored that the unprecedented recent economic, financial and humanitarian assistance of over US$ 3.5 billion to the people of Sri Lanka was guided by ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

4. During the call on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Indian side thanked the President of Sri Lanka for his commitment to the development of India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations. Both sides had a productive exchange of views on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka as well as India’s ongoing support.

In the meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the two sides had an in-depth discussion on the Sri Lankan economy and efforts undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka towards achieving economic recovery. In this context, both sides highlighted the importance of promoting India-Sri Lanka investment partnership including in the fields of infrastructure, connectivity, renewable energy and deepening economic linkages between the two countries.

5. The Foreign Secretary of India also had a separate meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ambassador Aruni Wijewardena. They agreed to work in close coordination towards strengthening diplomatic engagement and undertaking a bilateral visit at an early date.

6. The Sri Lankan side appreciated the consistent support of the Government and people of India over the past few years in a variety of fields such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, disaster management, humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, commercial engagement and people-to-people ties.

7. It may be recalled that development assistance extended by India stands at over USD 5 billion with more than USD 600 million being in grants, which include the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity Project. India continues to be the largest source of tourism for Sri Lanka.

8. Sri Lankan side also welcomed the support extended by India during the meetings at the IMF in March this year and on subsequent occasions in different forums including regional and plurilateral organizations. They further acknowledged the initiatives taken by the Indian leadership in encouraging other countries to support Sri Lanka in dealing with the post-COVID normalization of economic activity.

*****

Colombo
23 June 2022

The second ship, carrying over 15,000 tonnes of relief materials donated by the Tamil Nadu government, sailed from the VOC Port here to Colombo Harbour on Wednesday.

Minister for the Welfare of Minorities and Non-Resident Tamils Gingee K.S. Masthan; Food Minister R. Sakkarapani; Minister for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Anita R. Radhakrishnan; and Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan flagged off the merchant vessel VTC Sun that carried relief materials worth ₹67.70 crore.

Continue reading ‘Second Ship with 14,712 tonnes rice, 250 tonnes of milk powder and 38 tonnes of medicines Valued at 670 Million Indian Rupees sent as Gift from Tamil Nadu State to Sri Lanka Leaves Thoothukkudy Port’ »

( Text of Open Letter Sent to the Leader of the Opposition and Samagi Jana Balavegaya , Sajith Premadasa by Former Lake House Chairman and Ex- UNP Working Committee Member Krishantha Prasad Cooray on June 20th 2022)

Sajith Premadasa

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

Dear Sajith,

When Ranil Wickremasinghe became Prime Minister, I wrote to him and urged that he respond to the magnitude of the moment by directing his focus towards uniting the opposition and avoiding the mistakes of the past. Although I have deep reservations over how the Rajapaksas maneuvered him into the premiership, I sincerely hoped that he would succeed in uniting the country to face the greatest crisis we have encountered since independence.

Many people both known and unknown to me chastised me for “wasting my time”. I can only hope that this letter to you does not merit a similar reaction. Even if so, I have no choice. For my country’s sake, I have to try.

It is evident that that the Prime Minister understands the gravity of the situation, but so far, he has failed to do anything tangible to unify the country, secure any meaningful financial assistance or enact serious fiscal reforms that would get the international community to take us seriously.

By appointing committee after committee, the government appears to be trying to achieve different results through a spin on the same old style of governance.

Thanks to the tenacity of the Aragalaya movement, most of the Rajapaksas save for Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been driven out of power. But the vacuum of power they left behind is not being filled by well meaning, capable and sincere statesmen seeking to save the country.

Instead, like before, it is being filled by opportunistic politicians who want to be president, and some entrepreneurs who see our failing state as ripe for a hostile takeover, hoping to pick the bones of our economy on their way to the presidency to bolster their own extraordinary wealth on the backs of the poor.

In today’s climate, however, it is inconceivable that anyone who demonstrates such selfishness can ever be elected to lead the country.

Continue reading ‘“The Leader of the Opposition must engage in good faith with the President and Prime Minister to try and prevent them from driving Sri Lanka into calamity”- Open Letter to Sajith Premadasa by Krishantha Prasad Cooray’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday in Parliament provided a status update on the extent of the current economic crisis, measures taken thus far and proposed to resolve it. He also shared parallel efforts on political reforms. He urged everyone to come together as one country and join in nation’s rebuilding process. Here is the full text of the Prime Minister’s statement.

Every two weeks since taking the reins of this Government, I have taken steps to inform you of the real situation faced by the country and the measures we are taking to address it. Some have ridiculed this. They criticise me while asking: “Did he accept the Premiership to merely tell us the hardships faced by the country?” However, many others are also grateful that we are telling them the whole truth and they have come forward to present various proposals that would perhaps help us overcome these issues.

No matter which of these two groups you belong to, I call on you to come together as one country and join in the nation’s rebuilding process to see it through these dark times. Let us all embark on this journey together. Only by doing this will we be able to ensure the country’s recovery.

We are now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food. Our economy has faced a complete collapse. That is the most serious issue before us today. These issues can only be resolved through the reviving of the Sri Lankan economy. In order to do this, we must first resolve the foreign reserves crisis faced by us.

It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves. If steps had at least been taken to slow down the collapse of the economy at the beginning, we would not be facing this difficult situation today. But we lost out on this opportunity. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall into the very bottom. However, we must come out of this situation. If not, we will be unable to seek solutions to any other issue in the country.

Yesterday Minister Kanchana Wijesekera presented detailed information on the country’s fuel situation. Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is $ 700 million in debt. As a result, no country or organisation in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash.

We have taken loans amounting to $ 4 billion under the Indian credit line. We have requested more loan assistance from our Indian counterparts. But even India will not be able to continuously support us in this manner. Even their assistance has its limits. On the other hand, we too must have a plan to repay these loans. These are not charitable donations.

So, what is the way out of this dire situation?

Continue reading ‘“Our economy has faced a complete collapse. That is the most serious issue before us today. . It is no easy task to revive a country with a completely collapsed economy, especially one that is dangerously low on foreign reserves. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall into the very bottom.”-Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday made a fresh crisis resolution status update in Parliament, warning that the economy has faced a complete collapse hence all must come together in the nation rebuilding process.

“We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. Considering this planned framework and the official level agreement, it is expected that the Executive Board of the IMF will then arrive at its final decision. If we receive the IMF seal of approval, the world will once again trust us. It will help us to secure loan assistance as well as low-interest loans from other countries in the world,” the Prime Minister said in a special statement to the House.

He also justified and defended his decision to give a fortnightly status update on the economic crisis and on-going efforts. “I have taken steps to inform you of the real situation faced by the country and the measures we are taking to address it. Some have ridiculed this.

They criticise me while asking: ‘Did he accept the Premiership to merely tell us the hardships faced by the country?’ However, many others are also grateful that we are telling them the whole truth and they have come forward to present various proposals that would perhaps help us overcome these issues,” the Premier said.

Continue reading ‘“We intend to enter into an official level agreement with the IMF by the end of July. If we receive the IMF seal of approval, the world will once again trust us. It will help us to secure loan assistance as well as low-interest loans from other countries in the world,”- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a special statement’ »

By

Matt Godwin

Sky-rocketing food and fuel prices in Sri Lanka have precipitated the worst political unrest in the South Asian country in years, as tens of thousands of demonstrators march for change on empty stomachs. With the government teetering alongside its economy, the international community must take urgent action to help stabilize Sri Lanka, where domestic challenges have a history of going global quickly.

Sri Lanka is on the brink. Last month, the country became the first in South Asia to default on its debt repayments for two decades. With an estimated foreign debt of more than $50 billion, the government has admitted it is now hard to scrounge even $1 million in foreign reserve currency with reserves having fallen to their lowest ever levels. Inflation skyrocketed to 30 percent in April, the highest in Asia—sending prices soaring on rapidly diminishing supplies of basics such as food, fuel and cooking stoves.

An economic crisis is now a public health calamity. Dwindling medical supplies are forcing physicians to make heart-wrenching choices as many families struggle to pay the rapidly escalating cost of scarce prescription drugs. A country that aspired to be the next Singapore is now looking at a Lebanon-style collapse, with the Sri Lankan rupee the worst performing currency in the world.

Continue reading ‘The UK should join with the U.S., India and other “quad countries” to provide urgent bridge funding to Sri Lanka stabilize the country and offer a coherent alternative to investment dependency on China.’ »

By

Ruwani Fonseka

While stating that bringing in dollars is what he does best, newly appointed MP Dhammika Perera has stated that his intention is to bring in foreign exchange over obtaining loans.

He made this statement while speaking to the media after taking oaths as an SLPP National List MP today (22).

“I know that Sri Lanka can be brought up again, and in a country where people are losing jobs, I am here to create jobs. I feel that I am fulfilling my duties by entering parliament, instead of just shouting out on the streets. During the war, I was in the economic committee and this is not much of a challenge in comparison to that time,” he mentioned.

Continue reading ‘Dhammika Perera says he is grateful to Basil Rajapaksa : “Basil Rajapaksa had nominated me, this seat was supposed to be handed over to someone else, but it was Basil who asked me to step in”says new SLPP Nationl list MP’ »

I can assure that Sri Lanka will not face a shortage of food in the future and I have already made arrangements to ensure that citizens will not be left hungry despite the severe economic crisis, says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He made this statement while speaking in Parliament and in response to the doubts raised by Our Power of People Party (OPPP) Bikkhu MP Athuruliye Rathana Thero who stated that no assurance has been given by the Government of food security and whether by next month people would face starvation.

“This is my plan for the next couple of months to ensure food security. Let’s grow together and let’s bring victory to Sri Lanka is a campaign I plan on initiating. This will be a national programme to support local cultivations. We also intend to encourage people to cultivate food that they can at home and support small cultivations and farmers. Under the Indian credit line we are to receive 40,000MT of rice and this will be distributed amongst low income families. Apart from this, we are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to segregate 50 million rupees to convert paddy to rice. We also have a credit line with India for essential foods such as rice, sugar, corn, corn flour, onions, dhal, chickpeas, dry chillies, potatoes, garlic and milk powder and this will be for an amount of USD 112 million,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Outlines plan in Parliament for the next couple of months to ensure food security in Country:. “I have already made arrangements to ensure that citizens will not be left hungry despite the severe economic crisis” says Prime Minister’ »

Ashok Ferrey clinched the prestigious Gratiaen Prize 2021 for his novel ‘The Unmarriageable Man’, published by Penguin, India.

The winner was announced at a hybrid event with a limited in-person audience at the Barefoot Gallery in Colombo. The event was simultaneously live-streamed on the Facebook page of the Gratiaen Trust.

The Gratiaen Prize shortlist for 2021 announced on 23 May were ‘A Place called Home’ by Uvini Atukorala, an unpublished collection of short stories; ‘The Unmarriageable Man’ by Ashok Ferrey, a published novel; ‘The Lanka Box’ by Ciara Mandulee Mendis, an unpublished collection of short stories; and ‘Talking to the Sky’ by Rizvina Morseth de Alwis, an unpublished novel in manuscript form.

Continue reading ‘Ashok Ferrey wins Prestigious Gratiaen Prize 2021 for his novel ‘The Unmarriageable Man’, published by Penguin, India.’ »

Business leader Dhammika Perera yesterday took oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday.

He was appointed to fill the vacancy created following the resignation of SLPP National List MP Basil Rajapaksa.
Prior to his swearing-in, Dhammika handed over his declaration of assets and liabilities and the tax clearance report to the Speaker. This move he described was a sign of fresh change in the political arena in Sri Lanka.

Soon after taking oaths, Dhammika tweeted: “I fully commit myself to serve the citizens of Sri Lanka to overcome the current economic crisis.”

Separately speaking to the media on his way out of Parliament, Dhammika said he was not joining a sinking ship but a vessel in rough waters.

Continue reading ‘Dhammika Perera Sworn in as SLPP National List MP by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena; tells media “I hope to present my plan to generate foreign exchange within the next two weeks because I know how to do it.”’ »

More than 30 bondholders said they have formed a group to negotiate with Sri Lanka after it defaulted on its foreign debt. Still, at least one holdout has sued the country in a US court demanding payment.

Hamilton Reserve, a St Kitts and Nevis based bank, has filed suit in the Federal Court of New York Southern District, advised by lawyers Bleichmar Fonti & Auld against Sri Lanka.

Some Sri Lanka bonds, especially those issued before 2015 have ‘single series’ collective action clauses which allow one bond holder with a large position to hold out and sue for full payment.
Hamilton Reserve had built up a 250 million US dollar ‘blocking minority in a July 2022 bond which is part of a debt suspension.
Later, bonds have aggregate collection action clauses which require a large position to be held in all bonds making, holdouts more difficult.

Continue reading ‘St Kitts and Nevis based bank, Hamilton Reserve, files suit in the Federal Court of New York against Sri Lanka for Defaulting on Bonds and Demands Full Payment’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP) and several independent MPs walked out of the Chamber yesterday after announcing they will boycott Parliament sittings this week in protest at the Government’s failure to address any of the problems faced by the people.

Joining the walkout were independent MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka and Ven. Athureliye Ratana Thera.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa who announced the decision by the SJB MPs to boycott sittings said that the President and the Prime Minister are both a failure and they have no solution to the people’s problems.

Continue reading ‘Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP) along with “independent” MPs Champika Ranawaka and Athureliya Ratana Thera walk out after announcing they will boycott Parliament sittings this week in protest against Govt .’ »

Business tycoon Dhammika Perera is expected to take oaths as a Member of Parliament today (22), The Morning learnt, after the Supreme Court rejected granting leave to proceed with the five Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions challenging his appointment as an MP.

The petitions were taken up by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Arjuna Obeysekera, and delivering the verdict, Justice Jayawardena, who led the three-judge bench, said that the SC would not grant leave to proceed with the petitions pursuant to the decision of the majority the bench.

Continue reading ‘Business Tycoon Dhammika Perera Likely to be Sworn in as SLPP National List MP on June 22 Following the Supreme Court 3 Judge Bench Majority Decision to not Grant Leave to Proceed for Five Fundamental Rights Petitions Challenging Perera’s appointment.’ »

The Supreme Court has determined that a majority of the clauses in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill which was tabled by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) are inconsistent with the Constitution and would require to be passed by a two-third majority in Parliament and be approved by the people at a referendum.

The Bill was presented to Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill by SJB MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and five petitions were filed challenging its constitutionality.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Rules that Majority of Clauses in 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill Tabled by Samagi Jana Balawegaya Would Require to be Passed by Two-thirds Majority in Parlianent and Approved by the People at a Referendum’ »

The Supreme Court (SC) has determined that several clauses in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill submitted by the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegayas (SJB), are inconsistent with the Constitution, and that it needs a people’s referendum to be passed, while the Government’s 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill will be sent to the Attorney General’s (AG) Department soon.

Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, addressing the weekly press briefing held to announce Cabinet decisions yesterday (21), said that Cabinet approval was granted to the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill on Monday (20), and that it will now be sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department and the AG’s Department.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in Parliament yesterday that he had received the SC’s determination on the 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill put forward by the SJB. Thus, he said that the SC has determined that Clauses 2-15, 19, 23, 24, 26-28, 30(a), 36, 39, 43, and 51 of the SJB’s 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill are inconsistent with a number of provisions of the Constitution, and has therefore ordered that a people’s referendum be held for them to be passed.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe PC claimed that the SC has determined that no clause in the said SJB Bill can be passed in Parliament without a public referendum and that the Opposition has to therefore accept the practicality of the situation.

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Approves Govt’s 22nd Constitutional Amendment Draft Bill; Draft would be sent to Attorney-General and Legal Draftsman for Fine Tuning’ »

by Rex Clementine

A nation facing its worst economic crisis and high inflation for months had finally something to smile about as Sri Lanka sealed a come from behind series win over Australia at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

Having set Australia a target of 259, the hosts bowled out the tourists for 254 to complete a four run win and clinch the five match series 3-1 with a game to spare. Friday’s final ODI will be a dead rubber.

Australia were on course for the target and had the required run rate under control as David Warner and Travis Head added 58 runs for the fifth wicket. Part-timer Dhananjaya de Silva then removed both batsmen in successive overs to put Sri Lanka back in the hunt.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Eyes Smile During Economic Crisis with Its Cricket Team Winning the One Day International Series Against Australia’ »

By
P.K.Balachandran

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to visit India shortly to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and other key Indian ministers, reliable sources said on Tuesday. The exact dates of the visit are being worked out, the sources added.

Both Wickremesinghe and Modi have been keen on meeting each other ever since Wickremesinghe assumed office in May. But the Sri Lankan leader had been busy trying to manage the unprecedented economic crisis his country has been undergoing.

In addition, he had to manage a fractious parliament in which he had nil support to begin with. Adding to his challenges, was the controversy over his appointment as Prime Minister bypassing others with more support in parliament. Further, agitators on the streets were wanting both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe to go home making way for a more legitimate all-party government.

Therefore, Wickremesinghe’s primary task, upon taking over, was to establish his legitimacy by proving majority support in parliament even if it was to be only a temporary patchwork of disparate elements. Eventually, and to his credit, fairly quickly, he did stitch together an informal, but working coalition with the help of the Rajapaksas’ political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will Visit India Soon to meet with Indian Premier Naendra Modi and Key Members of the Cabinet Including External Affairs Minister Dr.S.Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Those who have followed this column might know that I have regularly expressed strong reservations about Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his previous stint as the secretary of defence and later his reincarnation as the president. Those concerns would be vindicated when the Sri Lankan judiciary is unshackled from routine political meddling and inherent bias toward the powers that be. Nonetheless, after the other Rajapaksas resigned and their dynastic project crumbled, I, for one, had rather been inclined to put up with Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s continuation in office for the time being for the sake of political stability.

Initially, it appeared as a reasonable trade-off in exchange for political instability. Now, I must admit I have been naïve. Gotabaya is not a source of political stability, but rather the stark opposite. He is the greatest source of political instability. Not only was he the primary catalyst who mothballed an otherwise manageable sovereign debt crisis into a calamity of unprecedented proportions. His continuation in the office against a myriad of calls for his departure is prolonging the crisis. He should leave the office for the sake of the country. To begin, he should announce a timeline for his departure, removing the greatest handicap for the formation of an all-party government.

Once a new all-party government is formed, he should make himself redundant, (at maximum limiting himself to negotiate a safe way out). He should let the new government dig the country out of the hole, unencumbered by his presence. He should let Sri Lankans dream again, his government has been a long nightmare. If he and his ever-depleting number of sycophants cannot fathom why he should leave, here are a few reasons why his continuation would mean the ultimate demise of the nation.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the greatest source of political instability; He should leave for the sake of the country. To begin, Gota should announce a timeline for his departure’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Over a month after his unexpected appointment — following former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation amid unceasing anti-government protests over the crisis — Mr. Wickremesinghe spoke to The Hindu in his Colombo office on Saturday. Attired in a crisp white shirt and black trousers, the six-time premier sounded surprisingly upbeat in possibly the toughest assignment of his political career of nearly half a century. “It’s hectic, this is a new experience. I am working eight days a week,” he laughed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

Outlining his immediate plans for economic recovery the 73-year-old PM, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government hopes to firm up the staff level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of June. “Then we have to wait for the debt restructuring plan. That will give us a clear indication of what we have to do.

By July, I also hope to bring in the interim budget,” he said. Speaking of a “donor conference” where Sri Lanka will seek further foreign aid, Mr. Wickremesinghe said: “We have got to ensure that India, China, Japan all are singing the same tune.”

Sri Lanka is “in the middle of geopolitics”, he said, referring to assistance from the Quad, mainly through its members India and Japan, and China.

Commenting on foreign investment, Mr. Wickremesinghe emphatically welcomed the Adani Group’s entry into the country’s energy sector, despite the group’s project being caught in a controversy, after a top Sri Lankan official told a Parliamentary panel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “pressured” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to clear the $500 million renewable energy project in northern Sri Lanka. The official subsequently withdrew his statement.

“If the Indian government was really interested, I would have been told about this by Prime Minister Modi or his office. I haven’t got any request to expedite it,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.

Excerpts from the interview

It has been over a month since you took charge as PM amid the unprecedented crisis. What are your key interventions so far?

Continue reading ‘“I took on a challenge, let us see where it ends. But I always thought that being a party of one was a strength, not weakness. You could deal with anyone in the opposition or the government. You are not a threat to anyone, and you carry on.”- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By

Tisaranee Gunasekara

“All that is solid melts into the air…”
Marx and Engels (The Communist Manifesto)

The socio-economic edifice that is Sri Lanka’s informal sector is collapsing. According to the 2020 Labour Force Survey, informal sector accounts for 58.1% of the total employed. That is 4.65million people (62.1% of them male). Most have little formal education (nearly one million studied only up to grade 5 or less; 2.6million between grades 6 to 10). Almost 2 million are in elementary occupations, gruelling work with no job security, severance compensation or even a formal contract.

The socio-economic existence of most informal sector workers is precarious even in normal economic times, their lives built not on rock but sand. They work hard for long hours trying to shake off the stigma of poverty, to cleave to the lower end of the middle class, to improve their living standards and to educate their children. They don’t earn enough to save. A decent house and potentially upwardly mobile children are their sole assets.

The pandemic hit this sector the hardest. Still they could have made a comeback had it not been for that other, worse, plague – Rajapaksa rule. Already millions have lost their occupations, hurling entire families hurled into poverty. Everything they have built “is melting into the air,” including their dreams of educating their children into economic security and social acceptance.

According to the most recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey Sri Lanka’s poorest 40% had an average monthly household income of around Rs. 27,000 in 2019. Today that sum would be inadequate to live frugally for a week, let alone a month. The middle 60% had an average monthly household income of around 56,000rupees. A sizeable segment of this component must be struggling hard not to be swept below the line of poverty.

According to the World Food Programme’s current estimation, 86% of families miss a meal or eat less in terms of quality and/or quantity. 22% lack basic nutrition. It was these people the IMF chief talked about in her May 2022 BBC interview. She held up Sri Lanka as a warning to other crisis-ridden countries, identifying food and energy shortages and high prices as key causative factors of mass violence and urging the subsidisation of these essentials for the poorest sections.

Unfortunately, PM Wickremesinghe doesn’t seem to have heard either the warning or the counsel. The prices of essentials rose even higher under his watch. Though he talks of the need for a new social welfare net, it is often in anodyne terms. There is nothing concrete that can function as a psychological straw for the drowning masses.

Continue reading ‘The entry of Dhammika Perera is obviously a prelude to the re-entry of the Rajapaksas en masse. Whether Dhammika Perera is Mark Antony or Brutus in the coming drama remains to be seen.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

From Mullaitivu to Kurunegala to Athurigiriya, fury erupts among snaking lines of Sri Lankans hopelessly waiting for days on end for fuel. Finally, unity binds the Sinhalese, the Tamils and the Muslims in their collectively deep anger against a Government that has forsaken public trust. But is this too late as the country heads into dangerously uncharted waters of non-governance with dollar and rupee reserves reduced to zero due to a cabal of thieving and incompetent political leaders along with their obedient henchmen in public service?

Deflecting the blame to the citizenry

Across the length and breadth of the land, there is a discernible uptick in tensions as the police react with uncontrolled force against public protests. Is the Government inviting another deadly wave of public anger? This week, a (Tamil) journalist was attacked by an unidentified person while filming scenes of people waiting in lines for petrol on the Mankulam-Vellankulam road with the police looking on.

In Kurunegala, a (Sinhala) motorcyclist was literally sought to be throttled by a policeman even as the victim shouted that the particular fuel station concerned is distributing fuel in secret only to the ‘privileged.’

Interestingly a senior policeman reprimanded people flocking to the fracas to the effect that, ‘do not take the incidents of May 9th as an example to cause violence.’ This statement exposes the way that the State is authorising its agents to ‘manage’ and ‘control’ the acute crisis of law, economy and governance that is throttling Sri Lanka.

In effect, it is not just one stray citizen who is sought to be throttled by one stray policeman overstepping the bounds of his legal authority.Rather, this is a powerful symbol of the suffocation of the country itself as President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ministerial minions downwards practice the art of deftly deflecting blame to Sri Lankan citizens for their misery.

Continue reading ‘“If this country is ever to rise from the ashes even a generation or two later, majoritarian sentiment fed by hate-mongering against Tamil and Muslim minorities must be recognised and rejected for what it is. That is where national healing must start.”’ »

By
Meera Srinivasan

In March this year, women of Thambaddy village were thanking their stars for the good crab season. It ensured they were employed throughout the month at the local crab factory. Those who put in longer hours made some extra money that helped them cope with the spiralling cost of essentials.

Barely three months later, residents of this coastal village in Kayts island, off the northern Jaffna peninsula and connected to it by a causeway, are on the brink of starvation.
As Sri Lanka faces acute shortages of food, fuel, LPG, and medicine in the midst of a crushing economic downturn, people here have witnessed their livelihoods vanish.

With no kerosene available in the market, the men are unable to take their boats out to sea to fish. And without the catch, the women who make a living by removing crab shells are jobless. So are other villagers who subsist on allied livelihoods such as cleaning, transporting or selling the fish locally.

While most of the island’s southern fishermen use large boats that run on diesel, 90% of those living in the north use small boats that run on kerosene. As of today, neither fuel is available.

“In May, the factory only offered us work on nine days,” says Sugathevan Sailathevi of the early yet sure signs of a rapid breakdown of their rural economy, still beaten years after the civil war in the Tamil-majority region ended in 2009.

Poverty and joblessness were entrenched in the local economy well before this crisis arrived to make things worse. Families here were displaced at least twice during the war. Many moved all the way to Mullivaikkal on the north-eastern coast, the site of the final, gory battle between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the armed forces.

They witnessed scores of fellow Tamil civilians perish in the shelling, or forcibly disappear, with their whereabouts not known till date.

Continue reading ‘Current Economic Crisis Debilitates War Affected Northern People Further Especially the Women who are juggling jobs, housework and care, while persisting with their struggle for justice’ »