Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has put to rest at least for the duration of this Parliament a freelance move to remove the 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution. He has said there will be no constitutional reforms during this Parliament. That is obvious because this Government is a minority Government in Parliament. But then the MP who introduced the proposed… Continue reading "Revert to the pre-2015 era."

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Regime Unlikely to Reach Out To Tamils and Muslims Before Parliamentary Elections as New Govt Wants to Retain Its Sinhala Constituency by Continuing With Hardline Majoritarian Stance. By P.K.Balachandran The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), whose Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the November 16 election without the support of the minority Tamils and Muslims, and is still… Continue reading "New Govt Wants to Retain Its Sinhala Constituency by Continuing With Hardline Majoritarian Stance."

Very little praise given for positive measures enacted by ‘Yahapalanaya’  Tamils who want to sing national anthem in their mother tongue are neither separatists nor extremists  Valalaai event initiated by Maithri-Ranil-Chandrika triumvirate a harbinger of hope  Return of Rajapaksa rule given rise to drastic changes, both positive and negative  By D.B.S. Jeyaraj  This is my third and final column in the… Continue reading "Return of Rajapaksa rule given rise to drastic changes, both positive and negative"

President Gotabaya commended in British House of Commons With the appointment of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President, the United Kingdom (UK) has a great opportunity to establish trade links with Sri Lanka, says Lord Naseby of the British House of Lords. Lord Naseby, who represents the British Parliament, expressed his views on Sri Lanka in the British House of Commons… Continue reading ""

Former United National Party (UNP) Minister Mano Ganesan says that it is the responsibility of the incumbent government to correct any shortcomings of the previous government. He expressed these views speaking to media following a program held yesterday (10) in Thotalanga. When inquired of the Commission set up by the previous government, Ganesan said, “It is not our government anymore.… Continue reading "No point talking about shortcomings of our govt. – Mano"

P.S.M. Charles, the newly appointed, first woman Governor of the Northern Province, who also happens to be a native of the region and a senior public servant, is looking forward to fulfilling people’s aspirations. P.S. M. Charles receiving a guard of honour She was born and bred in Ilavalai, Jaffna. Ms Charles was sworn in by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on… Continue reading "Northern governor hears call to serve on home turf"

The Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration has gone back to the 2005-2014 practice of appointing a host of near and dear ones to top government posts, the latest in a series being the appointment of his schoolmate and Los Angeles neighbour Malraj De Silva. Malraj De Silva Eva Wansundera According to an advertisement calling for representations on ambassadors nominated to serve in Sri Lankan… Continue reading "Gota’s Buddy Malraj, Mahinda’s Buddy Ex-SC Judge Eva Nominated As Ambassadors"

Whilst making a mockery of the government appointed four member board to screen persons to head state enterprises, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s personal travel agent Upul Dharmadasa from Los Angeles USA was appointed as the new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority. The said mockery based on President Gotabaya’s promise to appoint those on meritocracy was further confirmed when… Continue reading "Gota’s Travel Agent Appointed Chairman Civil Aviation Authority"

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s plans of appointing people to government posts on meritocracy hit a stumbling block, when the Rajapaksa super brats MP Namal Rajapaksa and Rohitha Rajapaksa had their respective Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law appointed as Directors to the Airport and Aviation (Services) Sri Lanka Limited. Rohitha Rajapaksa’s family and Mother-in Law Diedre De Livera Unbeknownst to many, MP Namal Rajapaksa’s Father-In-Law Thilak Weerasinghe Chairman Lanka… Continue reading "Namal’s Father-In-Law And Chichi’s Mother-In-Law Appointed Directors At Airport & Aviation (Services) Ltd"

By Nisthar Cassim Prime Minster President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday confirmed that the Government would seek a two-thirds majority at the upcoming General Elections to change the Constitution. Prime Minister  Mahinda Rajapaksa “There are issues with the 19th Amendment as well as the present electoral system. Currently, we are a minority Government and at the next Parliamentary Election we will seek… Continue reading "We will seek 2/3 majority at General Polls to amend Constitution: MR"

By S. S. Selvanayagam The Colombo District Court on Tuesday ordered Bank of Ceylon to pay a Canadian expatriate citizen $ 875,000, together with interest and legal costs, after the bank was found to have made unauthorised transfers of funds held in special investment deposit accounts. The litigation, initiated by the plaintiff Manohar Randolph Alexander Savundranayagam of Canada, through his… Continue reading "Sri Lankan Expatriate Canadian Citizen Whose Special Foreign Investment Deposits in Bank of Ceylon Were Allegedly Swindled Awarded $ 875,000 Along With Interest and Legal Costs by Colombo District Court"

Former Army Commander and UNF MP Sarath Fonseka today criticized President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to appoint Brigadier Suresh Sallay as head of the country’s State Intelligence Service (SIS). Speaking at the parliamentary session today(7), Fonseka said that Sallay’s ethnicity would affect his work as head of SIS. “Brigadier Suresh Sallay is a Muslim. How can a Muslim be appointed as… Continue reading "Sarath Fonseka Criticises President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for Appointing Brig. Suresh Sallay as State Intelligence Service Head:“Brigadier Suresh Sallay is a Muslim. How can a Muslim be appointed as the SIS Head? We are fighting Islamic terrorism and there is conflict of interest here.” Says Ex-Army Chief"

By R. Sampanthan – Gota’s Policy Statement & The National Question R. Sampanthan Mr. Deputy Chairman of Committees, we are debating the Policy Statement enunciated by His Excellency the President to Parliament on the 03rd of this month.  He outlined the programme that his Government will follow; he has identified issues of importance. It must be accepted that they are action-oriented and result-oriented. Depending… Continue reading "Eighty five per cent of the Tamil’s, voted against Gotabaya Rajapaksa"

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today noted that the military defeat of the LTTE was possible as a result of the assistance provided by India and the international community. The TNA said both India and Sri Lanka saw the LTTE as an impediment to reaching a negotiated, reasonable political solution in Sri Lanka. TNA leader R. Sampanthan, speaking in Parliament… Continue reading "India helped Sri Lanka defeat the LTTE"

By Rajeewa Jayaweera – Rajeewa Jayaweera The latest news from the Foreign Relations Ministry relates to the sudden recall of High Commissioner Manisha Gunasekera, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK since October 2018. High Commissioner Gunasekera joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1996. She has among other posts, served as Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the Republic of Korea; Deputy Permanent… Continue reading "Change Of Guard At London High Commission"

By S. Rubatheesan P.S.M. Charles, the newly appointed, first woman Governor of the Northern Province, who also happens to be a native of the region and a senior public servant, is looking forward to fulfilling people’s aspirations. P.S. M. Charles receiving a guard of honour She was born and bred in Ilavalai, Jaffna. Ms Charles was sworn in by President… Continue reading "Northern governor hears call to serve on home turf"

Sri Lanka High Commissioner Manisha Gunasekera, a senior career diplomat, has been recalled to Colombo after serving for just over one year in London.  No official reason has been given for her sudden recall. Saroja Sirisena, also a senior career Foreign Service officer, who is now serving as Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other… Continue reading "High Commissioner recalled from London"

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ‘State of the Union’ address at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Friday was the way he wants the country run; business-like. He came in suit lest someone objected that there was a ‘Stranger in the House’ given the strict dress code within the Chamber — the sanctum sanctorum of the National Legislature. There was no pomp… Continue reading "Changing ’19 A’ seems a desperate, almost futile bid of Rajapaksha family."

by C.A.Chandraprema Parliamentrian Wijedasa Rajapakshe has presented to Parliament two Private Member’s Bills for the amendment of the Constitution styled the 21st Amendment to the Constitution and the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The JVP has its own Private Member’s Bill in the form of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Though many people are under the impression that there… Continue reading "Wijedasa R’s constitutional reform proposals"

The Government is to conduct a special survey on religious and historical sites located in the Northern and Eastern Province. The move comes with allegations being raised that illegal and unauthorised constructions of religious sites have been taking place in the North and East. The survey is to be carried out by the end of January, officials told The Sunday Morning.… Continue reading "Survey on religious sites in North and East"

By Skandha Gunasekara The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLFP) has been violated, senior SLFP sources alleged. Sources charged that despite the MoU between the two groups stipulating that various positions including ministerial portfolios as well as positions within Parliament were to be fairly shared, the SLPP had failed… Continue reading "SLFP-SLPP at loggerheads"

By Ifham NizamThe British government was having discussions with the Sri Lankan Ministries of Justice and Foreign Relations on a case filed over containers of hazardous waste from UK dumped here, a top government official said, Central Environmental Authority (CEA) Managing Director Hemantha Jayasinghe told The Island that United Kingdom Environmental Agency officials would visit Colombo shortly. Jayasinghe said that… Continue reading "British toxic waste containers at Colombo Port: UK team due soon"

The Public Administration Ministry is planning to submit a note to the Cabinet seeking clarification on action regarding the allocation of a government house by the former government for the lifetime use of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan, an official said yesterday. The previous government had approved a Cabinet paper allowing Mr. Sampanthan to continue to use the… Continue reading "Cabinet to focus on TNA leader’s house allocation"

The Cabinet of Ministers yesterday decided to withdraw the Counter Terrorism Bill introduced by the previous rule to be enacted in place of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Daily Mirror learns. The former government worked out this bill which is modelled on the counter terrorism legislation in the United Kingdom. The then government did it in keeping with its commitment to… Continue reading "Govt. withdraws Counter Terrorism Bill"

ECONOMYNEXT- Sri Lanka’s rupee closed weaker at 181.30/45 to the US dollar in the spot market on Thursday, while bond yields gained, dealers said. The rupee closed at 181.15/25 to the greenback on Wednesday. Liquidity in the overnight market was 27.70 billion rupees, up from 36.69 billion rupees at Wednesday’s close. Central Bank injected 20.00 billion rupees in a reverse… Continue reading "Sri Lanka rupee ends weaker, gilts remain unchanged"

In the circumstance which the members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party have not been given any posts in the state sector under the new government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former President Maithripala Sirisena worried, reports said.   Despite the unconditional support given in the presidential election, none of it has ever been valued in the aftermath, the former President has… Continue reading "Former President worried over SLFP being used!"

Former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a group of political parties to form a new alliance. Wigneswaran is expected to sign the MoU before the upcoming Thai Pongal festival. The MoU is to be signed between Wigneswaran’s Tamil People’s Council (TPC), Suresh Premachandran’s Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and… Continue reading "Wigneswaran to sign MoU to form new alliance"

By Kumar David – Prof. Kumar David My MR-GR supporter friends and my Gota besotted relatives are adamant that they must win a two-thirds majority in the elections slotted for about May. They are after a constitutional amendment, but when I ask them what they want they become hazy. 19A has made the PM powerful at the expense of the President, so… Continue reading "Prevent An MR-GR 2/3rd Majority In Next Election"

Planting Sinhalese, encouraging mixed marriages, etc. through financial rewards  The oath was given on a different sheet of paper for each language. The mischief was that the oaths were different in the Sinhalese and Tamil languages. While the English and Sinhalese seemed innocuous, the Tamil version reflecting the world view of the new government, got employees to swear to being… Continue reading "Tamils are welcome only so long as they agree that this is a Sinhalese country"

Two Issues That Will Continue To Trouble  By Jehan Perera – Jehan Perera One of the striking features of the presidential election was the division of the country’s electoral map along ethnic lines. Over the weekend I was in Vavuniya to take part in an inter-religious exchange visit. Three groups consisting of religious clergy, civil society leaders, government officials and police officers… Continue reading "Failure of successive governments to implement their promises"

LTTE recognized as freedom fighters in Switzerland* Collecting funds for terrorist attacks on SL de-criminalised* Terrorist attacks to gain independence justified December 21, 2019, 6:19 pm by C.A.Chandraprema The drama surrounding the Swiss embassy employee is now in its fourth week with the Swiss government still holding that their employee is right and the Sri Lankan government is wrong despite… Continue reading "Swiss quagmire & SL govt.’s options"

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that Sri Lanka’s sovereignty as well as its very existence was protected and nurtured by the country’s armed forces in the face of several threats for division of the country. He made these comments while gracing the Passing Out Parade of 321 Cadet Officers of the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa at the invitation… Continue reading "Some countries angry with SL armed forces at political level – PM"