Category: Politics

India Curbed social fallout by acting fast, ties entered new…

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India curbed social fallout by acting fast, ties entered new .. (Times of India 27-01-2023) NEW DELHI: Lauding India’s financing assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), backing Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring efforts, Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda said the social fallout of the economic crisis in the strategically located island nation would have been worse if India had not acted swiftly and that India’s support will minimise any trust deficit between the two countries. Speaking to TOI, Moragoda said no other country would have helped Sri Lanka the way India…

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Shameless coalitions ahead of LG polls

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Shameless coalitions ahead of LG polls The economic crisis and the resultant political upheaval that brought down the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime have created ridiculous political alignments.  In fact, the major part of the “credit” for the creation of those alignments should go to Gotabaya’s younger brother and his Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The alignments have now grown into political alliances with the approach of the local government elections that have now been scheduled to be held on March 9. Of these coalitions, the one between President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s party, the United…

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An EC Member’s resignation will not affect LG election, say former and current EC Chairs

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An EC Member’s resignation will not affect LG election, say former and current EC Chairs Punchihewa says election preparation will continue EC yet to receive P.S.M. Charles’s resignation  Ex-Chairman Deshapriya points to Constitution The resignation of an Election Commission (EC) member will not affect the Local Government (LG) Poll, Chairman of the EC, Attorney Nimal Punchihewa noted yesterday (26). When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether the resignation of an EC member – in the backdrop of media reports that EC member P.S.M. Charles has resigned – would affect the…

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Time to overcome ethnic divide is now

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By Jehan Perera (The Island 24th Jan 2023) Time to overcome ethnic divide is now After much procrastination, the Election Commission has finally decided that local government elections will be held on March 9. The elections to these bodies had already been postponed by a year, as permitted by law. Postponing elections, beyond a year, would take the country into the murky realms of extralegal governance, which would pose a threat to democracy, by eroding the rule of law. The country is being propelled in the direction of elections. It…

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Delimitation Committee to meet today

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Delimitation Committee to meet today Technical committees to be appointed this week BY Mirudhula Thambiah (The Morning) The five-member National Delimitation Committee on the Demarcation of Wards for Local Authorities appointed by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and chaired by former Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, which is to submit its final report by 28 February 2023, is to meet and appoint technical committees during the course of this week. Speaking to The Morning on Sunday (6), Deshapriya said that a final report on the matter will be submitted to Premier Gunawardena by…

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Sri Lanka opposition SJB demands elections, warns of protests against delay tactics

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Sri Lanka opposition SJB demands elections, warns of protests against delay tactics (Monday October 31, 2022)  ECONOMYNEXT – A proposal by Sri Lanka’s minister of justice for a special committee in parliament on election reforms is being challenged by the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) which claims that the proposal is an attempt to delay elections. SJB general secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara speaking at an event said on Monday October 31 claimed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had given an assurance to ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) legislators that…

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BASL calls for strong independent institutions through 21A

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BASL calls for strong independent institutions through 21A Warns failure to create independent institutions will negatively affect future law reforms and rule of law Claims recent constitutional reform was a result of the public outcry due to the economic crisis Says 21A does not restore status quo which prevailed prior to 20A Calls on the President and all responsible to ensure integrity of nominations to independent institutions The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called for strong independent institutions to be created through the 21st amendment to the constitution.…

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Parliament passes resolution on ‘National Council’ without objection

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Parliament passes resolution on ‘National Council’ without objection The resolution proposed by the Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to constitute the Parliament Committee called the “National Council” was passed in parliament yesterday without objection. National Council will consist of the Speaker of Parliament as the Chair, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the Chief Government Whip and not more than thirty-five Members of Parliament representing the Ninth Parliament from recognised Political Parties in Sri Lanka as determined by the Leaders…

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Bopage tells UNHRC no prospect of meaningful HR and democratic reforms under Wickremesinghe Govt.

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Bopage tells UNHRC no prospect of meaningful HR and democratic reforms under Wickremesinghe Govt.  Calls on UNHRC to enhance scrutiny of the situations Informs council of arrests under PTA by Govt.  Says Govt. has systematically subverted key accountability processes Aragalaya activist, Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage addressing the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) said the Government’s violent response to protests leaves no room for optimism about the prospects of meaningful human rights, democratic reforms and accountability under the administration of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Bopage was representing the…

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Bid to scuttle probes alleged

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Bid to scuttle probes alleged By Shamindra Ferdinando The reappointment of two key parliamentary watchdog committees, COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) and COPA (Committee on Public Accounts) has been further delayed for want of a consensus among political parties on who should head them.In spite of earlier indications that the ruling SLPP might go ahead with the original plan to give leadership of COPE and COPA, in addition to that of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) to the Opposition, the government seems to have second thoughts, political sources said.…

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