News
Home » NewsThe tale of two Prime Ministers
With Sri Lanka embroiled in a constitutional crisis of having two prime ministers, the newly sworn-in Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa is seen greeting well-wishers at the Abhayaramaya temple in Narahenpita, while in-situ Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is seen surrounded by supporters at the PM’s official residence of Temple Trees. Pix by Amila Gamage
President to swear in 30-member Cabinet; address the nation
President Maithripala Sirisena will swear-in a thirty member Cabinet of Ministers tomorrow and address the nation this morning to give details of why he formed a new government with his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, as Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) supporters moved into take control of key state institutions on Friday night and [...]
UNF urges Speaker to summon party leaders’ meeting
The United National Party and its United National Front constituent partners wrote yesterday to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya urging him to summon a meeting of party leaders with a view to convening Parliament early as they could prove they had the majority in the House. A spokesman for the Office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told [...]
President says plot linked to Fonseka was game changer
President Maithripala Sirisena said last night that the main reason he decided to form a new government with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was the plot to assassinate him. He claimed that the name of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka had surfaced during investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department, but it was suppressed due to political interference. [...]
Shake-up in govt. positions: Ranil’s secretary removed
Top government positions have begun to change after the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister on Friday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s secretary Saman Ekanayake, a Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) officer, was removed by a special gazette notification. Mr. Ekanayake said he was not informed about the removal, but he was made aware [...]
World community expresses concern over situation here
Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan yesterday called on the newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakasa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The visit came as several countries yesterday expressed concern at developments here, with Britain even updating its travel advisory to warn its citizens of a period of political instability. This came after President Maithripala Sirisena sought [...]
SLPP loyalists forcibly take over state media institutions
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) loyalists have taken control of most state media institutions after the swearing in of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. SLPP union leaders or members at state media institutions, including Lake House, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), were issuing directives [...]
Speaker asks all to act with restraint
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has appealed to the public and public servants to act with restraint. The Speaker, in a statement, said he believed that the current political impasse could be resolved according to the principles of democracy and in keeping with the Constitution. He said that he will act impartially and in accordance with the [...]
JVP will not support either party
The JVP, yesterday, said that it would not support either of the main parties which would try to show their strength in parliament to secure the Prime Ministerial position. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference that the coalition government of Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinge had shattered the expectations of the people, [...]
Ranil stands firm as PM
Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterated yesterday that he remains the duly appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Flanked by leaders of the constituent parties that make up the United National Front (UNF), PM Wickremesinghe remained defiant, a day after he was removed from office by President Maithripala Sirisena, saying that, under the Constitution, it [...]
UPFA to Ranil: Vacate Temple Trees by 8 am today or else…
The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), yesterday, issued an ultimatum to ousted Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe to vacate Temple Trees premises by 8 am today (28), or risk being forced out. National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa issued the ultimatum at a media briefing convened yesterday. Mr Weerawansa urged Mr Wickremesinghe to learn [...]
PM post: TNA says its support linked to assurances on national question
The main opposition Tamil National Alliance says that in the battle for the Prime Minister’s post, its support will go to the party which will make two key promises on the national question.A TNA spokesman said Opposition and TNA leader R. Sampanthan spoke to Prime Ministers Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday and conveyed the [...]
Gotabaya new defence secretary
Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to be appointed as the new defence secretary and is to assume duties next week. He will replace Kapila Waidyaratne. Yesterday, the former defence secretary liaised with senior police officers about security arrangements for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Police, STF on alert; leave cancelled
Police and the Special Task Force (STF) personnel have been placed on standby in and around Colombo City while leave has been cancelled for all police officers. The STF has been deployed to safeguard strategic locations in and around Colombo City. They include the state electronic media institutions, the Speaker’s residence, the Presidential Secretariat and [...]
Legal opinions vary on legality of President’s move
Mixed views were expressed by legal experts on the legality of President Maithripala Sirisena’s move to replace Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. Former Senior Additional Solicitor General Wasantha Navaratne Bandara PC said the President, as the first citizen, has the foremost responsibility to uphold and protect the constitution. “In terms of the 19th Amendment to [...]
Air forces explore neighbourhood security mechanisms
Sri Lanka’s strategic location has the potential to be exploited as the combined task force hub to secure the Indian Ocean and is also ideally positioned to become a centre for search and rescue for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The suggestion came at the Colombo Airforce Air Symposium 2018 by Air Vice Marshall Sudharshana [...]
New CJ pledges to act sans political bias, favouritism or personal agenda
New Chief Justice (CJ) H.N.J. Perera, who took office last week, pledged to act without political bias, favouritism or a personal agenda, during his tenure. “My ambition has always been to be diligent in the execution of my services in this field, with sensitivity towards the plight of the poorest and weakest in society,” he [...]
Taken by surprise, a country reacts
As the dramatic developments of Friday night unfolded, there were mixed reactions from supporters of the two main parties. Supporters of the newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa were jubilant, while UNP supporters expressed anger at the turn of events. Shortly after the swearing in, Mr Rajapaksa, visited the Gangaramaya Temple and then returned to [...]
Wage demands over tea leaves industry stewing
The beleaguered plantation industry is facing another serious challenge over deadlocked talks between plantation sector trade unions and Regional Plantation Companies over a collective agreement on worker wages. The latest crisis comes at one of the most testing times for the sector, with the tea industry denied access to the lucrative Japanese market, labour shortages, [...]
Govt vows contractual action against CHEC on landfill project
The Government has vowed to take contractual action against China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd (CHEC)–builders of the sanitary landfill in Aruwakkalu– for discharging excessive amounts of water, along with soil, into the Serakkuliya lagoon. The contractor has also been told to come up with a water management plan to ensure that water collecting on site [...]
Over 200 MPs attended only one sitting day of Parliament from Jan1-Oct. 1
More than 200 of the 224 MPs attended only one sitting day of Parliament during the 58 sitting days between January 1 to October 1, information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) Application revealed. The only day there were more than 200 MPs in attendance was on April 4, 2018, the day when a [...]
AG wants Shashi Weerawansa to report to the CID
The Attorney General (AG) has made an application to the Chief Magistrate of Colombo, seeking an alteration in the order made against Shashi Weerawansa, wife of MP and leader of Jathika Nidahas Peramuna, Wimal Weerawansa , directing her to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), instead of the court registrar. Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa [...]
Downpours displace thousands, landslide dangers unabated
Landslide warnings in the Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Kandy, Ratnapura and Badulla Districts are still effective due to the prevailing turbulent weather, said the National Building Research Organization (NBRO). Residents of Walapane divisional secretariat in Nuwara Eliya, Gangawata Korale and Udunuwara divisional secretariats of Kandy, Ukuwela divisional secretariat of Matale, Ratnapura, Elapatha, Pelmadulla and Nivithigala divisional [...]
SriLankan’s former line Minister clueless about its operations
A Former Minister of Civil Aviation, Piyankara Jayaratne, under whose purview the national carrier SriLankan Airlines (SriLankan) operated, said that, even though he was the line Minister who secured Treasury funding through Cabinet, for SriLankan’s operations, he was not consulted in any of SriLankan’s decision making processes from 2010 to 2015. Mr Jayaratne was testifying [...]
Multi-pronged effort to save elephants from trains
Overhead passes, soundwave-emitting equipment, barricades and electronic warning systems are among a raft of recommendations issued by a ministerial committee appointed to look into ways to protect elephants against being hit and killed by trains. The committee, which includes officials of the departments of railways and wildlife as well as an engineer, Iresh Perea, was [...]
Wigneswaran forms Tamil Makkal Kootani (TMK)
With the five-year mandate of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) lapsing this week, the council joined six other Provincial Councils (PCs) whose five-year mandates lapsed and were brought under Governor’s rule until fresh polls are called. The expiry of the five-year mandate of the NPC on Wednesday, also saw the birth of new political parties [...]
Law enforcement on the high seas needs strengthening: UNODC head
With around half of the world’s oceans beyond any nation’s jurisdiction, more needs to be done to address the law enforcement challenges that occur in the high seas, head of the Global Maritime Crime Program of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Alan Cole said this week. The UN expert, addressing the [...]
Media urged to be a part of climate action
The media have been encouraged to become a key stakeholders in informing Sri Lanka of the dangers of climate change. Participants at a forum have bemoaned the lack of interest among news editors on the subject. Dr. Sunimal Jayathunga, director of the Climate Change Secretariat of Sri Lanka at the Environment Ministry said last week: [...]
A helping hand for stroke victims to get up again
“Let’s get up again after a stroke,” are the encouraging words being given out by several Consultant Neurologists echoing the theme of ‘Up again after stroke’ of World Stroke Day which falls tomorrow (October 29). Reiterating that it is important for stroke sufferers to overcome disability which would keep them down and get back into [...]
Building industry to name, shame and penalise dengue offenders
The construction industry regulator will join forces with the Health Ministry to fight the spread of dengue by downgrading builders who let mosquitoes breed on their sites. Frustrated by continued carelessness at construction sites, the Health Ministry has enlisted the assistance of the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA) to control dengue in the Western Province. [...]
Air forces explore neighbourhood security mechanisms
Sri Lanka’s strategic location has the potential to be exploited as the combined task force hub to secure the Indian Ocean and is also ideally positioned to become a centre for search and rescue for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The suggestion came at the Colombo Airforce Air Symposium 2018 by Air Vice Marshall Sudharshana [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Shelton Hettiarachchi, Lal S. Kumara, Jayarathna Wickramarachchi and Tusitha De Silva
Lover’s Leap –where man alone is vile
The Nuwara Eliya District is one of the biggest tourist attractions in this country. Unfortunately, the security of visitors to some parts of this picturesque district has been called into question. One such location is the surroundings of the ‘Lover’s Leap Waterfall’ on the western boundary of the Piduruthalagala Forest Reserve. A meeting of the [...]