Author: TELO Admin

The European Union (EU) has allocated 100,000 euros (over 34.5 million Sri Lankan rupees) for emergency humanitarian assistance to some 15,000 people affected by floods in Sri Lanka.

Families in the worst-hit localities in Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Western provinces will benefit from the aid, the EU’s Colombo mission said in a statement on Monday October 30.

“This EU funding supports the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in delivering emergency relief items, including drinking water, clothes, bed sheets and mosquito nets. In addition, affected families will receive cash grants to enable them to meet their basic needs. The assistance will also focus on cleaning up flooded areas and wells while delivering hygiene promotion campaigns. Medical camps will be set up to assist those injured in the wake of the floods,” the EU said.

According to the statement, the funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“The southern part of the island nation started experiencing a series of strong monsoon rains in early October, causing floods and landslides that affected more than 75,000 people in 13 districts. As a result of the continued downpours and strong winds, a number of houses, agricultural lands and crops in low-lying areas were damaged. Major traffic arteries to several districts were cut off by fallen trees. The floods left many drinking water resources contaminated. The worst affected areas were the coastal districts of Galle, Gampaha and Matara, with most parts flooded for more than a week.”

The European Union is signatory to a 10 million-euro humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal, the EU said.

State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage will keep her Parliamentary seat after the Court of Appeal ruled in its majority decision that there is no merits in the writ petition which sought an order declaring that she is not qualified to be a Member of Parliament.

Social activist Oshala Herath filed this petition seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Diana Gamage is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament and is thus not entitled to hold office as a MP. Oshala Herath told Daily Mirror that he is expecting to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the Court of Appeal judgment.

With Justice K.K.A.V. Swarnadhipathi agreeing, Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne in his judgment held that the merits of the case do not warrant issuance of a writ order. Justice Karunaratne further observed that the petitioner had filed this petition without complying with the Supreme Court Rules.

“The petitioner does not have an iota of evidence that would substantiate his claims against State Minister Diana Gamage. The petitioner has failed to satisfy the court that he has a statutory right against the State Minister. The petitioner is before this court with an attempt to bring disrepute to the State Minister and tarnishing her good name pursuant to petitioner’s personal agenda. The application of the petitioner is an action of private nature and therefore not governed by any statute of the democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka. As such the petitioner is not entitled to invoke the writ jurisdiction of this court against the State Minister. The merits of the case do not warrant issuance of a writ order. As such the petitioner’s application was dismissed with cost,” Justice Karunaratne held.

However, in a separate judgment, Justice M.A.R. Marikar held that the petitioner has proved a prima facie (at first view) case against the State Minister as decided in the case of Geetha Kumarasinghe. Justice Marikar said he cannot agree with the findings of the President of Court of Appeal Justice Karunaratne and thereby issued a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Diana Gamage is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament and is thus not entitled to hold office as a MP.

“The voters’ expectation is that parliamentarians should be accountable, transparent and their integrity. The petitioner has produced sufficient materials that the State Minister has not obtained Sri Lankan citizenship and not renounced her British citizenship. Being a Parliamentarian, first respondent Diana Gamage should be transparent and should have shown her genuineness with regard to Sri Lankan citizenship. The first respondent has an obligatory right towards the petitioner and the public that she is holding the public office maintained by the taxpayers’ money of the republic. Being a Member of Parliament, the first respondent should be an example in a transparent manner for the public. The duty of the first respondent is to prove her citizenship right rather than challenging the petition,” Justice Marikar observed.

In this case, the petitioner claimed that State Minister Diana Gamage is a British citizen and only a British citizen can hold a British Passport. The petitioner maintained that by virtue of becoming a citizen of another country, Parliamentarian Diana Gamage ceased to be a Sri Lankan citizen. The petitioner said Diana Gamage has not obtained dual citizenship or any other form of citizenship in Sri Lanka.

The petitioner further said Diana Gamage is disqualified from election as a MP or to sit and vote in Parliament under and in terms of Article 91 read with Article 89 and Article 90 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

Counsel Hafeel Farisz appeared for the petitioner. President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando appeared for Diana Gamage. Farman Cassim PC appeared for SJB General Secretary.

Two officials have been handed over charge sheets over sexually harassing female employees in the Housekeeping Department of Parliament.

The charge sheets were handed over last Friday (27) by Deputy Secretary-General of the Parliament – Attorney-At-Law Chaminda Kularatne, based on findings of initial investigations done in this regard.

The two parliament officials were given a 14-day period to show cause. If they fail to do so, they will be sacked from their positions.

(Source : Lankadeepa)

National People’s Party (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday expressed the view that Sri Lanka should embrace a genuinely non-aligned foreign policy in the present global landscape.

“Sri Lanka must transition towards a non-aligned foreign policy that does not align with any specific foreign power,” Dissanayake said.

The NPP leader made these remarks while speaking at an event in Los Angeles as part of his ongoing tour of the US to connect with party supporters and well-wishers.

“No nation can exist in isolation in today’s interconnected world. Global economies and communication are interlinked, and although not officially declared as wars, many powerful countries are engaged in power struggles with each other such as the conflicts between the US, China, India, Russia and Europe,” he noted. “At present, Sri Lanka lacks the potential to emerge as a global power centre,” he added.

The MP noted that due to this situation, it is inevitable that Sri Lanka becomes entangled in these power struggles or becomes a victim of them. Dissanayake emphasised that, as a result, Sri Lanka’s primary foreign policy objective should be to refrain from offering direct or indirect support to any of these feuding foreign powers and adopt a non-aligned foreign policy.

“Whether we like it or not, geographically, we are situated within the Indian power centre. Therefore, we cannot overlook India when deliberating on our political or economic choices,” he said.

“Consequently, we must formulate our economic strategy accordingly. The present economic plan has consistently relied on the same approach since the 1980s, centred on asset sales and acquiring loans. We must make a decisive departure from this course,” he remarked.

The NPP leader said, Sri Lanka should strive to build an economy capable of withstanding all the political and economic crises occurring globally.

Dissanayake is scheduled to visit Boston, Virginia Beach, Washington DC and New York to address Sri Lankans domiciled in the US.