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Home » NewsPresident reads the minds of people at book fair
The new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been an avid reader since his childhood. His mother says that as a child he would sit on the branch of an araliya tree to read and read. Yesterday, the book-loving president visited the Colombo International Book Fair at the BMICH and read the minds of the people, [...]
IMF staff team to visit Sri Lanka on Tuesday for talks with new Govt.
Sri Lanka’s new political leadership is preparing to quickly initiate talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to continue its current financial programme, while also accelerating debt relief discussions with foreign creditors to support the country’s fragile economic recovery, according to Finance Ministry sources. Recognising the need to advance key economic reforms, an IMF team [...]
NPP Economic Council chief explains strategy for IMF talks
Prof. Anil Jayantha, head of the NPP Economic Council, said the JVP/NPP will proceed with the IMF programme without derailing it and meet the programme’s objectives in a way different from the previous government’s approach. “For example,” he told the Sunday Times, “we will submit revenue measures that ensure a more just sharing of the [...]
Jaishankar coming for talks with President
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is to visit Sri Lanka for talks with the new Anura Kumara Dissanayake administration next week. The one-day visit is scheduled for next Friday (October 4). The official visit comes in the unlikely event that the newly elected Sri Lankan President is to visit New Delhi. This has been [...]
Legal issues over free visas for visitors from 35 countries
A proposal approved by the previous Cabinet headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant free visas to tourists of 35 countries by October 1 this year will not go ahead as it was not sanctioned before parliament was dissolved this week. Authorities are now looking at whether President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has the powers to [...]
Only 14,837 passports available
Sri Lanka’s stock of new passports had by Friday dwindled to 14,837, even as desperate applicants queue for days outside the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) to secure travel documents. The Department now issues just 1,000 passports per day, and only 700 through its one-day service. The average daily demand is 1,300 travel documents, [...]
More than 100 institutions under each Cabinet minister
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the two other members of his Cabinet have been allocated more than 100 government institutions each, according to the subjects and functions gazette issued yesterday. In addition to the Ministry of Defence, the President also holds the finance portfolio. He also has the subjects of Economic Development, Policy Formulation, Planning [...]
BASL gets new president and vice president
Anura Meddegoda has been appointed as the new president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and Razik Zarook as the vice president. These appointments were made to fill the vacancies created by the resignation of former president Kaushalya Navaratne, PC and former vice president Nalinda Indatissa, PC.
KK is okay with all: Mantra behind his impressive 50,000 votes
Kaladugoda Kankanamge Piyadasa, or K.K. Piyadasa, a former parliamentarian and businessman who contested the September 21 presidential election as an independent candidate, has had the good fortune of coming seventh in a contest with 37 other candidates, ahead of some high-profile ones. He won 47,543 votes (0.36%) of votes polled with no televised speeches, election [...]
New appointments for SJB and SJS
Former MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar was appointed Chairman of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) by party leader Sajith Premadasa this week. Mr Bakeer Markar pioneered the United National Party (UNP) Student Movement in 1970 and became president of the Inter-University UNP Student Power Board in 1974. From 1975 to 1980, he functioned as the national [...]
The highs and lows and an election of many firsts
The September 21 election was one for history books vis a vis Sri Lanka presidential election for several reasons but mainly for going to a second preference count, something that has not happened since the first election to elect a president was held in 1982. In the lead up to the poll, Election Department officials [...]
SJB picking up the pieces for another major election bout
Despite the loss suffered by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) at the electoral level, some of the former parliamentarians have vowed to make a comeback at the upcoming parliamentary elections, while explaining reasons for the setbacks. NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerged victorious with 105 electorates, while Sajith Premadasa secured success in 50 electorates. The [...]
New President’s mother recalls humble beginnings of her son
The road to presidency by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the country’s ninth executive president, has not been a bed of roses, unlike his predecessors. The humble beginnings and the hardships were many. “Once the custodian of a Buddhist temple asked me to release him to be ordained. He was then 12 years old. I did not [...]
A busy week for the new President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had a busy first week on the job. He took oaths as the 9th Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on Monday at a ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat. Even before being sworn in, Mr Dissanayake was meeting various foreign dignitaries who called on him to [...]
PM visits Maligawa and chief prelates
Malwatte Chapter Maha Nayaka the most venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera yesterday told Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya that the new Government must take steps to reopen closed factories and take measures to strength the country’s economy first. Ms Amarasuriya who assumed duties as the country’s Prime Minister last Wednesday visited the Dalada Maligawa and [...]
Foreign observers say their wide-ranging focus strenghthened democratic process
By Ishu Bandara International election observers focused on the infrastructure facilities provided to voters, enhancing transparency in political finance, advancing women’s participation in public life, and Sri Lanka’s political landscape in general, as there were no serious violations or irregularities in the conduct of the poll. However, they questioned the need for the imposing of [...]
Startling revelations: Concern over foreign observers’ role at polls
Posers to EC: Are foreign monitors needed when their agenda is not only to observe elections By Our Diplomatic Editor More than one hundred persons comprised two teams of election observers, one from the European Union and one from the Commonwealth Secretariat, at last weekend’s presidential election. In their responses to questions from the Sunday [...]
Officials’ luxury vehicles drama being replayed
By Kasun Warakapitiya The handing over of vehicles used by ministers, secretaries and other officials takes center stage during every toppling of a government. This has happened over and over whenever a new government is formed. Once again, following the victory of the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake the same act is being played. It happened [...]
Preparations are on once again for upcoming polls, say EC and Govt. Printer
By Sandun Jayawardana Funding for the upcoming parliamentary elections is not an issue and the Election Commission (EC) is already engaged in initial preparations for the poll, a senior election official told the Sunday Times. Funding is only one aspect of the large election process, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said. Preparations for the [...]
Ex-MPs get three months to move out of homes
The Ministry of Public Administration has moved to re-acquire houses of ministers and state officials. The Sunday Times learns that directives have been given by the ministry to lamwakers to vacate as many as 50 houses. Public Administration Ministry secretary Pradeep Yasaratne told the Sunday timesthat they have given the relevant orders to vacate officials [...]
New alliances in the making and overhaul of party organisers as main parties eye parliamentary elections
Political parties are gearing up for the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 14. The political arena is changing, with new alliances being made or existing ones being broken as politicians measure advantages before facing the next elections. The National People’s Power (NPP) is also eyeing the elections and has stated to fulfil their promises mentioned [...]
Environmentalists say KidNaturalist programme best answer to draw children away from digital addiction
By Malaka Rodrigo As World Children’s Day falls on October 1, the focus has fallen on the importance of getting more schoolgoing children to be a part of the KidNaturalist programme conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to veer them away from digital over dependency. Recent studies show that children spend more time on [...]
Herpetologists discuss risks to ‘blind snakes’
By Kasun Warakapitiya A lecture unveiling some of the secrets of ‘blind snakes’ was held last week by renowned herpetologist L.J Mendis Wickramasighe and his wife Nethu Wickramasinghe an educationist, scientist, writer, and naturalist with expertise in molecular biology. It was the monthly lecture hosted by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society at BMICH. The [...]
Nine new governors take up posts
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week appointed new governors to all 9 provinces. The new governors include businessmen, academics, former civil servants and former judges. The newly-appointed provincial governors are Hanif Yusuf – Western Province, Sarath Bandara Samarasinghe Abayakon – Central Province, Bandula Harischandra – Southern Province, Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya – North Western Province, Wasantha [...]
Voters lack knowledge about preferential voting, claim foreign observers
By Dilushi Wijesinghe For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka’s presidential elections, the Election Commission (EC) had to count preferential votes, as none of the leading candidates managed to secure the crucial 50 percent threshold. Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said that only 273,000 preferential votes had been used for the [...]
State sector new appointments at a glance
By Sandun Jayawardana A host of new appointments have been made to the state sector since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was sworn into office. The first appointment made by Mr. Dissanayake was the appointment of Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake as Secretary to the President. Dr. Kumanayake joined the government service as an Assistant Superintendent of [...]
The highs and lows and an election of many firsts
By Chandani Kirinde The September 21 election was one for history books vis a vis Sri Lanka presidential election for several reasons but mainly for going to a second preference count, something that has not happened since the first election to elect a president was held in 1982. In the lead up to the poll, [...]
Sri Lanka Cricket appeals against RTIC directive to release report on sexual harassment of female cricket players
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appealed to the Court of Appeal against a July 2024 ruling of the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) declaring SLC to come within the definition of a ‘Public Authority’ under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from which citizens could request information and directing the release of the Manoli Jinadasa [...]
Kumara Welgama funeral on Monday at Matugama
Senior parliamentarian and former minister Kumara Welgama passed away yesterday at the age of 74. Hailing from a well-known family in Matugama, Mr Welgama was the son of transport sector businessman S A Welgama and Beatrice Welgama. He was born on April 5, 1950 and schooled at St Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. He started out [...]
Maligawa marks World Tourism Day
Marking World Tourism Day, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) organised a special celebration event. The event consisted of a various programmes and activities to educate foreigners about Kandyan culture and cuisine. The Sri Dalada Maligawa and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau invited foreign representatives from different countries to participate. [...]
MPs’ perks cut to be taken up in first Cabinet meeting
The new Cabinet of Ministers, in its first meeting, will take up a proposal on reducing parliamentarians’ perks. A three-member committee is to be appointed to make recommendations on reducing the MPs’ benefits, such as pensions, allowances, and duty-free vehicle concessions. A senior official from the President’s Office said that it had been proposed that [...]
Judges should prevent their decisions being influenced by prejudices: CA judge
By Ranjith Padmasiri While agreeing that the judiciary should stand against external influences, judges should also attempt to prevent their decisions being coloured or influenced by their own prejudices, newly-appointed Court of Appeal Judge Damith Thotawatte stated. “As a judge it’s not possible to satisfy everyone as to a particular outcome and one must never [...]
3m who did not vote shows need for laws to protect franchise
By Niranjala Ariyawansha In last week’s presidential election, the fact that 20.5% of the registered voters have not cast their ballot has raised concerns about voter participation. A total of 17,140,354 (17.14 million) voters were registered, but 3,520,438 (3.5 million) have not cast their vote. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka points out that this [...]
Immigration DG remanded till January for contempt of court
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Director General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya was ordered to be remanded in custody by the Supreme Court on Wednesday over his failure to implement the court’s interim order in relation to e-visa services. The SC had earlier issued an interim order suspending the Cabinet decision to [...]
Post-harvest losses: Fresh leadership and a new initiative
By Malaka Rodrigo Today, September 29th, marks the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste. The Sunday Times delves into the promises made by the newly elected president to tackle this issue, alongside a promising new initiative. In the fertile lands of Nuwara Eliya, farmers harvest cabbages the size of an average jackfruit. [...]
As the life of Parliament ends, so does the life of about 80 committees and sub-committees
By Sandun Jayawardana All parliamentary committees and sub committees stand dissolved following the dissolution of Parliament. A senior Parliament official said about 80 committees and sub-committees were functioning prior to the dissolution of Parliament by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake effective from midnight on September 24. Once the parliamentary election scheduled for November 14 is concluded, [...]
Jaffna drinking water plant to benefit hundreds of thousands
By Kevin De Alwis The long-awaited Thalaiyadi Sea Water Desalination Plant was commissioned on August 2. Situated on the flat plains of Jaffna, the Jaffna and Kilinochchi water supply project, was launched in 2011, with a loan from the Asian Development Bank and the French Development Bank, the co-financier. It is expected to ease the [...]
Polgolla reservoir emptied for maintenance work, Kandy water supply disrupted till Monday
Pix and text by Shane Senavirathne The Mahaweli Authority has taken steps to empty the Polgolla reservoir due to maintenance work that occurs every two years at its sluice gates. Water from the reservoir was released into the Victoria reservoir beginning on September 28, completely emptying the reservoir by the following morning (yesterday). Technical Officer [...]