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Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa may have tripped, but he avoids a complete fall. This happened to him when he arrived at the Supreme Court Complex on Friday for the oath-taking ceremony of a niece. Pic by Amila Gamage
UNP-SLFP numbers game continues; PM stays put
President Maithripala Sirisena goes into a second week to resolve his worst political crisis — whether to opt for the present coalition with the United National Party (UNP) or form a new Government with his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Whichever side he chooses in the coming week would not have 113 seats in the [...]
Two reservoir projects: Questions over tender procedures
The awarding of the contracts to design, build and finance the Kumbukkan Oya and Heda Oya reservoirs in the Moneragala District has run into problems after questions were raised about the manner in which the tenders are being awarded. The Sunday Times learns that plans were initially made to call for tenders for the two [...]
Legal snags over women’s representation; LCs’ formation may be delayed
Legal snags over having a minimum of 25 percent of women representatives in local councils will further delay their formation, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times yesterday. He said that as a result, the formation of councils which was expected to take place early next month may be delayed till the end [...]
More members than labourers in some councils
Some of the local councils will have more members than the number of labourers to maintain sanitation facilities and cleaning up roads in the council areas. In most Pradeshiya Sabha areas of the Matara District, the number of labourers is less than the council members. The Devinuwara PS area will have 21 members, but only [...]
Official says CEB engineers blocking emergency power purchases
The Ceylon Electricity Board’s plans to put in place standby arrangements for emergency purchase of power supplies ahead of possible drought conditions have been stalled due to ongoing trade union action by engineers. As a result, standby arrangements in the event of a breakdown of power stations also have been affected, a Power and Renewable [...]
Light pooja for Sivarathri
Hindus in Sri Lanka celebrated Maha Sivarathri on Tuesday. Devotees are seen here at the Captain’s Garden Kovil in Colombo 10 taking part in a light pooja Pic by Amila Gamage
Fire at Mawanella garbage dump
A fire which started at a garbage dump at Randiwala in Mawanella on Friday has spread. Smoke and fumes emanating from the burning garbage have enveloped several areas outside the immediate vicinity of the fire. According to residents the prevalent drought resulted in the fire spreading rapidly and around four acres of a rubber plantation [...]
Questions over ‘most peaceful poll’ as post-poll violence increases
Incidents of post-election violence have seen a noticeable uptick this week compared to incidents that occurred before the February 10 Local Government (LG) Elections. The period leading up to the election had widely been described as the most peaceful in living memory. No major incidents were reported on election day either. The lack of violence [...]
Sampanthan tells President: Fulfil the 2015 mandate
Amidst the prevailing political instability in Colombo, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan met President Maithripala Sirsena on Friday evening and urged him to fulfil the peoples’ mandate he received at the last Presidential election on January 8, 2015. “The Opposition Leader was of the view that the unity government should continue until its term ended in [...]
Parliamentary business committee meets tomorrow
The Parliamentary Business Committee comprising leaders of political parties represented in Parliament will meet at 9 .am. tomorrow, officials said . Parliament business for the week had been decided prior to the local government polls, but in view of the new developments with the setback suffered by the ruling parties at the polls, a party [...]
Poet Richard Murphy dies, aged 90, in Sri Lanka
Richard Murphy, the distinguished Irish poet and member of Aosdána, has died, aged 90, at his home in Sri Lanka, where he spent part of his childhood and returned to in the latter part of his life. The news was confirmed by his publisher, Cork University Press, which last year brought out his autobiography, The [...]
Blooming hopes
SLPP supporters celebrate their candidates’ victory in Anuradhapura by sharing in a meal of Kiribath. Pic by Jayarathne Wickremarachchi
Remembering D.B. Jayatilaka
The 150th Birth Anniversary of Sir D.B.Jayatilaka is being commemorated with a series of events this year. One of the events was held at the Colombo Young Men’s Buddhist Association of which he was the founder President and held the position from 1898 to 1944. The Chief Guest of the event was Chief Justice Priyasath [...]
Disregard post-poll political changes, serve the people: President to Ministry Secretaries
Ministry Secretaries have been instructed by President Maithripala Sirisena to disregard any political changes that occur after elections, but to continue with their development programmes to serve the people. President Sirisena summoned all Ministry Secretaries to the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (16) and told those present at the meeting that, it was normal for there [...]
TNA MP Sumanthiran warns UNHRC members of Govt. backsliding
Ahead of the annual session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva in March, the TNA is engaged in a vigorous campaign with representatives of member countries, to pressure the Government into implementing the UN Resolution within a year, which it co-sponsored. Speculating that the Government may derail implementation of its Geneva commitments, [...]
Polls chief takes responsibility for election night computer chaos
The computer chaos over the release of last Saturday’s local council election results has led to the Election Commission (EC) deciding that in future elections it will fax result sheets to the media instead of posting them on its website as results are released. The decision came after a new computer programme the EC had [...]
Piyasena Fernando only JVPer to win a ward
Seventy-four-year old M. Piyasena Fernando became the only Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) member to win a ward at the February 10, local council elections. He was elected to the Wekada North ward of the Panadura Municipal Council with 566 votes with his closet rival K.Kandane of the UNP, a former Mayor of the Panadura MC [...]
UNP sweeps CMC winning 60 out of 119 members
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the biggest prize at the 2018 Local Government (LG) Elections, was won comfortably by the United National Party (UNP) last week. A total of 119 members were elected to the Council under the new electoral system, which is more than double the number under the previous one. The CMC has [...]
50 councils in limbo while leaders sniff political winds
Uncertainty exists over the formation of more than 50 councils around the country following last weekend’s local government elections while party leaders remain publicly silent on whether to topple the winning party by forming coalitions. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday told journalists there were bound to be particular problems with hung councils. “We are [...]
Fresh lease of life for many through generosity of grieving relatives
Sri Lanka marks Organ Donor Day today Vibrant Deceased Donor Organ Donation Programme at a few state hospitals 83 very ill people get kidneys and livers in 2017 As Sri Lanka marks Organ Donor Day today, many are the men, women and children who have benefited from the Deceased Donor Organ Donation Programme [...]
Illegal demolition caused building collapse fatalities
The seven people crushed to death in a warehouse collapse this week would have been alive if the building housing it was not being demolished illegally, leaving a wall unsupported that fell over on the victims. The Officer in Charge of the Grandpass Police Station, Chief Inspector Vimal Shantha, said neither the police nor the [...]
Hurry up and walk: Killer diabetes is just behind you
Anti-diabetes groups and Lions Clubs to launch 310km walk- and-run campaign from tomorrow until Feb 25 More Sri Lankans are becoming victims, ‘Broiler Chicken’ children among them Walking is the ‘medicine’ that doctors liberally ‘prescribe’ along with a healthy diet to prevent or control diabetes which has reached epidemic proportions in Sri Lanka. Following [...]
More support needed for palmyra as elephant barriers
Hardy palmyra trees endowed with sharp, saw-tooth-like fronds and rough trunks, should get more attention in being adopted as a natural barrier against crop-raiding elephants. While the trees take about eight years to grow fully, their rough exterior features can be a deterrent if planted in rows in a zig-zag pattern. Some NGOs have also [...]
Youth tripped up by political perils on social media
For Matara resident Asiri Mahindadasa, 32, Facebook is his main news source and the forum for his political views expressed via photos, posts, memes (funny political comics). Asiri who works at a private bank branch in Moneragala, said as most of the youth in the area are active on Facebook rather than other social media [...]
Ballooning councils need more room and money
Expanded councils are being forced to rent extra accommodation and buy more furniture and equipment for the flood of new members elected at the recent local government elections, and budgets will be stretched to meet increased allowance payments. The elections paved the way for the appointment of 8,325 council members, nearly double the previous number [...]
Academics urge proper planning in heritage city
Scholars, who discussed Kandy city development projects at a recent workshop, have called on politicians and planners to give due consideration to the city’s heritage and the environment in its development. University of Peradeniya Vice Chancellor, Professor Upul B. Dissanayake said Kandy has had a continuous cultural pattern and this should be considered in any [...]
Why pangolin’s armour is now its greatest weakness
The world’s most trafficked animal is the pangolin or scaly ant-eater, and global demand is making this animal rarer in Sri Lankan forests, with cruel revelations of its slaughter. Police following a tip-off last week found a live pangolin inside a freezer of a Chinese restaurant in Kollupitiya. Pangolin flesh is considered a delicacy by [...]
Veggie glut at Dambulla plunges prices as low as they can go
A vegetable glut in the market has led to a drastic price drop, with farmers who bring their produce to the Dambulla Economic Centre finding it difficult to obtain a fair price, but consumers say prices at retail shops are still high. The current vegetable harvest has been excellent, with large stocks of vegetables being [...]
No joy from rains for coconut growers, suffering farmers in five districts
More than 280,000 people, including farmer families, who are suffering due to the drought in five districts Puttalam, Kurunegala, Mannar, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa, will not be able to expect relief until at least the April inter-monsoonal rains, the weather forecasters say. The unprecedented drought also spells danger for the coconut industry in two leading growing [...]
‘Puttalam Booruwa’ on verge of extinction
The Puttalam district, famous for its herds of donkeys -originally brought to the country by either the Portuguese or Arab traders as ‘beasts of burden’- they lost their use when the means of transportation improved. Herds of these owner-less animals are found in Mannar and Kalpitiya and are commonly referred to as ‘Puttalam Booruwo’ by [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Sameera Weerasekera, Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi, Karuwalagaswewa Jayarathna, Karu Gamage and Nayanajeewa Bandara
Police bust smuggling of sea cucumbers, shark fins
Kalpitiya Police have busted a large scale smuggling of sea cucumbers between India and Sri Lanka. The racket, centred in the seas off Kalpitiya, came to light following a police raid in the Karamba area in Puttalam on February 13. The raid netted 523 kg normal size sea cucumbers, 165 kg small sea cucumbers, 625 [...]