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The Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) already battered reputation took another serious hit this week of its own making, after its “spokesperson,” Noel Priyantha’s comments during a live discussion on a private television channel.

Mr. Priyantha’s tirade came when he was asked to comment on the recent tragedy where a father of two children died from electrocution while trying to obtain electricity from a neighbouring house. He had been burdened by financial difficulties and had fallen behind on his electricity bill payments, leading the CEB to disconnect electricity from the house. The distraught father had been forced to obtain electricity from a neighbouring house so that his school-going children could study. This ultimately led to the tragedy.

Mr. Priyantha refused to accept any responsibility by the CEB for the tragedy, instead telling the interviewer there was no reason the victim’s children could not have studied using an oil lamp. “Ask the doctors, professors, and other professionals in their 50s and 60s if they had electricity when they were growing up. People should know how to reach their goal using the tools they have,” he said. He also alleged that the victim was “probably into drinking” and claimed those who lived on the plantations were “always drunk” by 2.00 pm.

The comments clearly lacked empathy or even basic professionalism. They immediately caused a firestorm of criticism on social media. Even government ministers weighed in, with State Minister and Ceylon Workers’ Congress General Secretary Jeevan Thondaman saying on X (formerly Twitter) that the statement was unacceptable. Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara also responded on X, saying the comments did not reflect the views of the government or the CEB.

Amid the criticism, Mr. Priyantha wrote to the CEB Chairman, stepping down as the board’s spokesman. The role of CEB spokesman, however, is simply an additional role with no remuneration. Mr. Priyantha will continue his usual role as Deputy General Manager (Business & Strategy).

What’s worse, Mr. Priyantha’s “resignation letter,” seen by the Sunday Times, neither accepts responsibility for his actions nor extends a proper apology for the damage he caused. He does apologise for “any type of mistake” that may have occurred while speaking to the media, especially during live TV programmes. However, the official attributes his decision to resign to being “continuously disturbed during 24 hours especially in night times,” owing to media queries. He has also claimed his daughter, who is sitting for the GCE Advanced Level examination, also complained that he should reduce his frequent communications with the media.

While Minister Wijesekara claimed on X that the former spokesman had tendered a public apology, this is far from the truth. In essence, Mr. Priyantha has neither accepted responsibility for his public utterances nor been held accountable for them. He continues to serve in his
CEB post, now away from the public eye.

Prelate commends MP’s remarks on loincloth, the ocean and the election

A group of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs led by Namal Rajapaksa are visiting Buddhist temples around the country these days, seeking blessings from the Maha Sangha. They have been calling on the chief incumbents of these temples during these visits. Among the temples they visited recently were the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, the Bellanvila Raja Maha Viharaya and the Sunethradevi Pirivena. On one of these visits, in one temple, the chief incumbent held the hand of SLPP parliamentarian D. Weerasinghe and told the MPs led by Mr. Rajapaksa that Mr. Weerasinghe had made a very good statement to the media recently. When asked what that was, the prelate recalled that Mr. Weerasinghe, when asked who the SLPP’s presidential candidate would be, had replied that people were starting to wear their loincloths to name candidates when the sea that was the presidential election was still so far away.

The monk noted that this was a good response. “There are so many other issues in the country that need to be resolved. The election is anyway still far away. There is no sense in going about throwing your support behind one person or another,” he said.

Several SLPP MPs have expressed views in recent weeks over who their potential candidate will be.

Mr. Rajapaksa agreed with the prelate’s assessment of Mr. Weerasinghe’s response, saying the MP had given the response because he loved the party. “Various people in the party have said different things (on an SLPP presidential candidate), but they are not speaking for the party. Ultimately, we will make a decision collectively on who the candidate will be. We will talk about the candidate when the election comes. This is not a time to waste time on such talk,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

SJB MP rushes in panting to move adjournment motion amid jokes and laughter

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s attempt to move an adjournment motion on the “current situation of the country” for debate nearly ended in disastrous embarrassment on Wednesday.

The motion was due to be moved by SJB Kurunegala District parliamentarian Thushara Indunil Amarasena. When Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe called on the MP to move the adjournment motion to begin the debate, he found that Mr Amarasena was not in the chamber. He then turned to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to ask where his MP was. Panicked SJB MPs appealed to the Deputy Speaker to give them a minute as Mr. Amarasena was on his way.

Government MPs, though, pointed out that it was the SJB that had asked for the debate in the first place and urged the Deputy Speaker to adjourn proceedings for the day as the MP who was supposed to move the adjournment motion was not present.

Just as the Deputy Speaker prepared to adjourn proceedings, Mr. Amarasena entered the chamber. Clearly out of breath, he tried to excuse his behaviour by saying that he had stepped outside as Parliament officials had told him that one hour would be taken up for questions and answers, only to be told by the chair that the hour had already passed.

Like many MPs in today’s legislature, Mr. Amarasena is clearly not used to much physical exertion, and it took him a while to get his breath back and properly start presenting his motion. Nevertheless, he finally did so, and the debate got underway amid some jokes and laughter at his expense from the government benches.

Presidential Secretary’s election year prayer to St. Anthony

This year’s annual festival of St. Anthony’s Church in Kachchatheevu began on Friday, with thousands of devotees coming from all over Sri Lanka but not from India.

While President Ranil Wickremesinghe could not make it, his secretary, Saman Ekanayake, represented the President, and was warmly welcomed by the organisers.

Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake seen planting a sapling at Kachchatheevu during the festival (Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera)

A senior judge who was present on the occasion had proposed to the President’s Secretary to make three vows during holy mass. This was because St. Anthony is known as a powerful saint and intercessor.

Mr. Ekanayake replied that in that case, he would ask for the same thing three times.

The judge laughed, saying that given this is an election year, he could guess what Mr. Ekanayake would be wishing for. He asked him to come back next year along with the President.

Officials booked to go for event asked to cancel trip

The President’s Office has rejected a request to send five of its officials to a divisional secretariat in the Matara district simply to hand over a stock of school equipment donated by overseas Sri Lankans to children from low-income families.

The books and equipment are to be donated to more than 200 students from low-income families in the divisional secretariat area. The request had come from the Office of Overseas Sri Lankan Affairs, which comes under the President’s Office to send five officials to hand over the donations. They consisted of three officials from the Office of Overseas Sri Lankan Affairs, an official from the President’s Media Unit, and a driver.

The letter also contained a request for an advance to be released for the meals of the officials and expressway toll charges.

The request to send the five officials at state expense for a handover ceremony of school equipment given by well-wishers from overseas did not sit well with the Presidential Secretariat, which wrote back that officials needed to follow existing circulars that instruct officials to cut down on expenses wherever possible.

State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura signing his appointment letters

Minister gets pen pal while taking oaths 

Provincial Councils and Local Government State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura on Tuesday received an additional portfolio when he was also sworn in as the State Minister of Environment.

As he sat to sign his letter of appointment before President Ranil Wickremesinghe, however, Mr. Wakkumbura found that he had forgotten to bring his pen.

Luckily, Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake had an extra pen and quickly gave it to the state minister to sign the appointment letter.

As he was leaving, the newly appointed State Minister of Environment got some advice from President Wickremesinghe. The President said a person should never forget to take a pen for two specific occasions. One was when signing an appointment letter like the one the state minister had just signed. The other was when placing a signature to register a marriage.

‘Whites only’ party blacklisted after social media outrage

An attempt to host a “whites only” party yesterday at a foreign-run establishment down south has been cancelled by organisers following a fierce public backlash on social media.

The event had been billed as an “Opening White Party” with music by DJs from Russia and the UK. Posts advertising the party noted that the organisers would implement “face control.” The term refers to a policy in upscale nightclubs and other establishments where entry is regulated by subjective assessments of a person’s appearance and social status. The organisers had noted that face control at the party would be “white.”

Unsurprisingly, the move by a group of white people to host a “whites only” party in Sri Lanka came in for widespread backlash. There were calls to shut down the venue where the party was due to be held, and to fine or deport those who were organising it. The venue where the party was due to be held subsequently issued a statement distancing itself from the event, saying it had severed ties with the organisers of the event. A person claiming to have been part of the group who organised the party also tendered an apology on social media, stating that he admits the idea of a white party was “originally a bad idea.”

Some social media users are not satisfied and have called on authorities to investigate the background of those who planned the event and the venue where it was due to be held. The Sunday Times has repeatedly highlighted how foreigners are operating untaxed, unregulated ventures around the country.