Author: TELO Admin

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to lead a series of public rallies of the National People’s Power (NPP) covering all districts from 5 September, Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said.

Speaking to the media in the Kalutara area, Jayatissa said the rallies would be accompanied by a programme to reorganise electoral committees at the Grama Niladhari Division level.

He also challenged opposition groups to take to the streets and hold public meetings to demonstrate their support, instead of engaging in what he described as nightly conspiracies at the residence of former Minister G L Peiris.

“There is no point in saying that you have something more than Gotabaya Rajapaksa or Ranil Wickremesinghe, or that you have something more than this side or that side. Words are of no use,” he said.

Jayatissa said the NPP was reorganising its electoral committees from the village and Grama Niladhari Division levels.

“From September 5, large-scale public rallies will be held in districts under the leadership of the President. We say that if there is public opinion against the Government, prove it. That is all that needs to be done. They should at least look at the programme we carried out when we were in the Opposition,” he said.

The United Nations has welcomed Sri Lanka’s decision to simplify immigration procedures aimed at expediting the voluntary return of refugees who fled to India during the country’s civil war without valid documents.

UN Resident Coordinator Marc-Andre Franche said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees would continue to facilitate the return and resettlement of these refugees through the world body.

In a post on “X”, Franche said he welcomed the Cabinet’s decision on procedures for the voluntary return of Sri Lankan refugees, describing it as a key step towards ensuring a safe and dignified return to the country after years of displacement.

The Sri Lankan government made special arrangements earlier this month for the initiative, which is intended to streamline the process and facilitate the return of refugees currently residing in India.

Sri Lankan refugees began arriving in large numbers in Tamil Nadu following the outbreak of ethnic violence on the island in 1983, and the subsequent escalation of the armed conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

According to figures cited, around 18,000 refugees returned home between 2002 and 2022, while approximately 90,000 continue to reside in the southern Indian state.

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has sought Opposition Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa’s support for its campaign to pressure the Government to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council elections.

CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen and Director of Administration Surangi Ariyawansha met Premadasa at his office last Monday (17) as part of a campaign to rally political parties behind the demand for the elections to be held without further delay.

The discussions covered several issues relating to the electoral process, including the Provincial Council elections, campaign finance laws, women’s political participation, voter registration, advance voting and constitutional reforms.

The CaFFE representatives outlined several concerns they had identified in relation to the electoral process and the need for reforms, while Premadasa shared his views on the issues raised.

Premadasa also agreed to support CaFFE’s campaign calling for the immediate conduct of the Provincial Council elections.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who will visit Sri Lanka in the first week of next month, is expected to push for implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation signed between the two countries in April last year, the Sunday Times learns.

During his first visit in his capacity as defence minister, Mr Singh will have discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who holds the defence portfolio; Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya; and Defence Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Sampath Thuyacontha. He will also meet the tri-force commanders during his two-day stay.

Mr Singh’s trip follows Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Colombo earlier this month. Minister Singh’s visit is part of India’s drive for the speedy implementation of agreements reached during previous high-level visits by leaders of both countries.

An Indian External Affairs Ministry statement said, among other things, that the two sides discussed “modalities for expediting implementation” of energy projects, including the electricity grid interconnection project, the Sampur solar power project and the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub. They agreed to work towards “the earliest possible conclusion” of the tender process for implementation of the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity project. And they also directed that discussions be initiated “at the earliest” to conclude an MoU on rehabilitation and modernisation of the Kankesanthurai harbour project, to be implemented under a grant of US $61.5 million.

According to publicly available information, the defence MoU is an umbrella document that makes existing defence cooperation initiatives more structured and covers areas such as more joint exercises, capacity-building in various areas, exchanges in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), increasing port calls by naval units of both countries and exploring defence industry cooperation between the two sides. It will be in force for five years, with the parties having the option of terminating it with three months’ advance notice or continuing it for three more years.

The full MoU has not been made public, either in New Delhi or Colombo. While the Indian government has officially catalogued the document, its public bilateral-documents page provides the title/outcome rather than the actual agreement text. It was one of seven bilateral documents exchanged during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka on April 5 last year.

India’s official list of outcomes identifies it under the heading “Defence Cooperation” and says the MoU was signed by India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, and Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha.

Sri Lanka has dealt a heavy blow to press freedom in a former war zone by refusing to release a press club seized by the military more than 17 years ago.

Following the practice of earlier administrations, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government had cited unspecified ‘security reasons’ to continue with the occupation.

Unsuccessfully appealing to successive governments since 2009 for the release of the quarter of an acre land and building, the Kilinochchi Media Forum (KMF) has approached president Dissanayake with the request in May 2026.

“Although surrounding properties, such as the Yogar Swamigal Nilayam and the primary section of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalayam, have been released back to their respective owners, the land belonging to the Kilinochchi Press Club [is] yet to be released,” said a letter signed by the president and secretary of KMF.

A month later, the presidential secretariat had rejected the request based on ‘an information report obtained from the Ministry of Defence regarding the points mentioned’ in the KMF letter to the President.

“Accordingly, I kindly inform you that the Ministry of Defence has reported that due to the security reasons it is not possible to release the said land and building,” said W.M.S.P. Weerasinghe, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President.

The two paragraph letter does not clarify the justification provided by the ministry of defence.

Kilinochchi based journalists who are mostly Tamil speakers have carried out their media activities using the premises until 2008 when the area was under Tamil Tiger control.

Displaced during the height of the war, they managed to resettle in 2009.

Upon return, they found their workspace at ‘Kakka Kadai’ Junction along the Kilinochchi A9 highway under military occupation.

“We have submitted written requests to successive governments in the past pleading for the release of our property, but no positive outcome has been achieved so far. We would also like to bring to the kind notice of your excellency that media associations in all other districts of the Northern Province are currently functioning from their own lands and office premises. We are the only journalists’ association left without a proper workspace,” KMF said in their appeal to the president.

However, the Kilinochchi journalists, performing duties in one of the areas of Sri Lanka’s highest military concentration, are yet to see a change in their situation.

Source:The Leader.lk