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Postal Dept. ready to distribute postal voting ballot papers as scheduled

Posted on March 9, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The newly-appointed Postmaster General Ruwan Sarath Kumara says that the postal voting ballot papers can be distributed within the stipulated time period, if they are received on the due date.

Speaking to media after assuming duties as the new Postmaster General, Mr. Sarath Kumara pointed out that the Department of Posts was already prepared for holding the postal voting in the 2023 Local Government (LG) polls, mentioning that the voting can be done within the scheduled time period.

Although the 2023 LG election was scheduled to be held on March 09, the Election Commission announced that the polls will not be held on the scheduled date due to various reasons including the lack of funds.

On Tuesday (March 07), the commission announced that it deems April 25 as the ‘most suitable’ date to hold the 2023 Local Government polls.

The chairman of the election body, Attorney-at-Law Nimal G. Punchihewa stated yesterday (March 09) that necessary measures are being taken to conduct the postal voting from March 28 to 31 accordingly.

Thus, the delivery of the reserved packets containing the postal ballot papers to the Postal Department is scheduled to be carried out on March 21.

Meanwhile, an all-party meeting organized by the March 12th Movement was held in Colombo this afternoon (March 09) in order to discuss the obstacles to holding the LG polls.

There, a minute’s silence was observed to mark the inability to hold the election today, as scheduled.

In the meantime, MP Dullas Alahepperuma stressed that an election will not be provided and that it will have to be obtained.

He also alleged that the government is questioning when and where the election will be held, having kept Rs. 180 million of election deposits in their possession.

Schoolchildren affected by tear gas, water cannons during Colombo Uni protest

Posted on March 9, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

A protest organised by university teachers and the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) in Colombo yesterday (8) opposing the Police’s use of tear gas and water cannons against the the IUSF-organised protest Tuesday (7) near the University of Colombo was also met with tear gas and water cannon attacks by the Police, which had reportedly affected after-school transportation in the vicinity.

During the protest – which started near the university premises with the participation of more than 500 university teachers and students, including IUSF members – protestors chanted slogans against President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the current Government, and the Police while holding up placards that read various slogans. The protest progressed towards the Town Hall area along the road in front of Thurston College, Colombo 7. At the time, a heavy Police presence, including officers of the Police Special Task Force, Anti-Riot Unit Officers, and Army personnel, was observed around the area and water cannon trucks were seen parked on the side of the main road. As the protest moved forward, protestors were observed stopping and shouting towards the private residence of Wickremesinghe on Fifth Lane in Colombo 3. In response, a large group of police officers was deployed to the location of the President’s residence.

The protestors then proceeded to move further towards the Town Hall area, prompting the Police to use tear gas and water cannons on them at Cambridge Place in Colombo 7. The tear gas and water cannon attack by the Police had also affected schoolchildren in school vehicles. As seen in video footage, schoolchildren were greatly inconvenienced by the tear gas and water cannon attacks. Meanwhile, a student in a school bus was seen holding a placard which read: “Victory to the people’s struggle (“aragalayata jayawewa”)”.

The protest held by the IUSF on Tuesday – which was based on a number of demands, including the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, the release of student activists arrested for what the IUSF claims to be were unjust reasons, and the holding of the Local Government election as scheduled – was met with tear gas and water cannon attacks by the Police in the area surrounding the university. During the Police’s tear gas and water cannons attack, protestors had entered the university premises, following which a group of Police and Anti Riot Unit Officers had also entered and allegedly assaulted several protestors.

Police fire tear gas to disperse protesters near Kelaniya Uni.

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Police has fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse a protest march organized by the students of the University of Kelaniya, a short while ago, Ada Derana reporter said.

The protest march has reportedly staged by the students demanding the release of Students’ Union President of Kelaniya University Kelum Mudannayake and student activist Harshana Dissanayake who are currently under remand custody.

The two students’ union activists were arrested on January 02, 2023 by Thalangama Police after they appeared before Thalangama Police. The arrests had been carried out over the charges of damaging public property during a protest near the Education Ministry on June 10, 2022.

Consumer market to shrink by 60% by April, unemployment rate to rise

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

If the Central Bank Governor is unable to take a firm decision to prevent the contraction of the economy, the consumer market will shrink by 60% by April, the Sri Lanka United National Businesses Alliance (SLUNBA) said.

The consumer market had shrunk by 40% last December and due to this, the unemployment rate had increased.

The small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be forced to close their companies and while facing the current situation, the government is requesting that Sri Lanka should downsize the SME facilities, the SLUNBA said.

Therefore, SLUNBA Chairman Tanya Abesundara requested the government to take immediate action to protect the SMEs.

Meanwhile, National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) Chairman Susantha Liyanaarachchi said the government did not control the dollar, but it had controlled inflation and created a recession while contracting the economy.

While describing the devaluation of the dollar and appreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, he said the Etham market had not operated since March 2022 and the dollars in Sri Lanka had been saved.

“The dollar exchange rate was reduced, and people were forced to release their dollar reserves because they couldn’t get more Sri Lankan rupees. Now people have no buying power. People do not have rupees in their hands,” he said.

Sri Lanka in talks with India to extend a $1 billion credit line

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka is reportedly negotiating with India to extend the USD 1 billion credit line by a few months.

The credit line is to due to expire on the 17th of March with Sri Lanka having used only about two-thirds of it, mainly for medicines and food.

The Reuters News Agency quoting sources reported that negotiations are underway as Sri Lanka tries to line up funds for the rest of the year while the International Monetary Fund looks set to approve a USD 2.9 billion loan for it shortly.

The extension talks come as data suggest that the economy is recovering and the forex reserves have increased in the past few months.

The Reuters report said the government wants to extend the credit line by 6-12 months because there was about USD 300 million of it left unused.

No agreement had been reached thus far.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka meanwhile earlier said the country’s official reserves had risen 4.5% to USD 2.22 billion in February from a month earlier.

Yesterday, President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament said there are signs the economy was improving but there was still insufficient foreign currency for all imports, making the IMF deal crucial so other creditors could also start releasing funds.

The President announced that China, Sri Lanka’s biggest lender, extended support for the IMF programme on Monday, clearing the way for the loan.

The IMF said its board would meet on the 20th of March to review a preliminary staff-level agreement first signed with Sri Lanka in September.

It said Sri Lanka had secured financing assurances from all major bilateral creditors.

Ballots for postal voting to be handed over to the Department of Posts on the 21st

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Election Commission says the secure envelopes containing the postal ballots for the local government election will be handed over to the post offices on the 21st of March.

Commissioner General of elections Saman Sri Ratnayake says that postal voting will take place in March.

The Election Commission says that the extradordinary gazette regarding the holding of the local government election on the 25th of April is due to be issued by the District reterning Officers.

Meanwhile, the Government printer says that they are to send a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (8) requesting funds for the preliminary printing of ballot papers and other preperations for the election.

The Government Printer says that it is estimated over 400 million Rupees will be required for printing purposes.

She further added that the printing of ballot papers will resume based on the response of the Finance Ministry.

The Government Printer says that they will request the Inspector General of Police today to provide additional security for the printing of ballot papers.

They also noted that ballot papers for postal voting have been printed in 17 districts so far.

NPP holds protest in Geneva calling for LG polls in SL

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The National People’s Party (NPP) members in Switzerland held a protest in Geneva on Sunday against the alleged attempts of the Sri Lankan Government to deny the people the right to franchise. The protest took place at 1 p.m. in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva. The protestors held placards calling for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down from the post and called for timely elections to be held in Sri Lanka. The protestors also shouted slogans against the Government’s new tax regime, the increasing cost of living, the drug shortages in hospitals as well as the rising costs of electricity and fuel. The protest was part of a series of demonstrations planned by the party in other countries against the delayed Local Government elections in Sri Lanka. The NPP has maintained that the Government is intentionally attempting to delay the vote due to its unpopularity among the citizens at this juncture. A similar protest was held in Melbourne, Australia in front of the State Library over the weekend. It was organised by the Save Sri Lankan Foundation affiliated with the NPP.

Sri Lanka’s Rupee Will Reverse Gains and Plummet 20%, Fitch Says

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka’s rupee, which became the world’s best performing currency this year amid hopes of an International Monetary Fund bailout, may resume declines and lose a fifth of its value against the dollar by end-2023, according to Fitch Solutions.

“We are optimistic that Sri Lanka will be able to secure an IMF board approval by early 2Q 2023,” said Seah Wang Ting, country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions. Nevertheless, there’s potential for disruptions after the initial board approval as authorities may find it challenging to stay on track with the IMF program amid a weakening economy and a local election likely on the horizon, he said.

Fitch maintained its forecast for the rupee to weaken to a record low of 390 per dollar by year-end. The rupee advanced 3% to 317.7 per dollar on Wednesday, taking its annual gains to over 15%. That’s after the IMF said it plans to decide on a $2.9 billion bailout for Sri Lanka following China’s assurance that it will support the nation’s debt restructuring.

Sri Lanka has increased taxes, cut energy subsidies and loosened its grip on the currency to secure the IMF loan. The central bank recently lifted borrowing costs further to ensure that inflation which has slowed from nearly 70% doesn’t flare up.

“Sri Lanka still has significant external debt repayment needs and will need to build up its foreign reserve buffer over the coming months, which would put downside pressure on the exchange rate,” Fitch said in a report Wednesday.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday the country needs to repay about $6 billion-$7 billion foreign loans on average each year until 2029.

The Sri Lankan rupee may also be pressured by tightening global monetary conditions, according to Fitch. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated.

Source:Bloomberg

SL receive total school uniform fabric from China

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

While completing the total of 70% of school uniform materials donated by the Chinese government, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha today accepted the remaining 40% of them at the ministry.

The final stock was donated by China’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong at the Ministry.

On January 13, the government received 30% of the fabric, which were officially handed over to the minister by the acting Chinese Ambassador, Hu Wei.

He said the balance 40% of the school uniform materials were received, and thereby completing the 70% of the total school uniform fabric requirement for the year 2023.

Addressing the media, he said the total of 70% of school uniform materials for 4.1 million students have been unloaded and the distribution of the uniforms would begin in the next couple of days.

“We received a total volume of 8.86 million metres of school uniform fabric, with 70% as donation. The remaining 30% will be theough the Government’s Treasury, thus make to total of 3.831 million meters,” he said.

The first consignment of school uniform materials was distributed to remote areas including the Northern Province (Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Mullaithivu), Eastern Province (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara), Uva Province (Badulla and Moneragala), and North Central Province (Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa).

“Our target is to complete the distribution of all school uniform fabric with a variety of 23 cloth types among 4.1 million schoolchildren, including those in Pirivenas and Muslim schools, before March 24. The distribution of uniforms is handled by the cooperative sector.

North-East missing persons to submit report to UNHRC

Posted on March 7, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

While a representative of the Association for the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances in the North and the East will not be participating in the ongoing 52nd United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, a report will be submitted to the council highlighting that justice should be delivered to their longstanding issues via the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Speaking to The Daily Morning, President of the association Yogarasa Kanagaranjini said: “We have surrendered our loved ones and are eyewitnesses to such events. The Government has failed to inform us, the relatives of the missing persons, of the whereabouts of our loved ones, even though it is their responsibility. Those who are alive should be released and the Government should tell us what happened to those who are no longer alive. Therefore, we have now decided to reach the ICC to achieve justice for our longstanding issues. A long-lasting political solution should also be achieved for our future generations to live peacefully in this country.”

The said report – based on five demands, including the release of Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act prisoners, resettlement in ancestral lands and demilitarisation of the particular regions – is to be forwarded by Secretary of the association Leeladevi Ananthanadarajah.

“This cannot be achieved by only us as the support of the Member Countries of the UNHRC is needed. Some of those who have allegations against them are representatives of the Government here. Therefore, we believe that only the ICC can resolve our issues. We began our struggle separately in 2017. Since the 36th UNHRC session, we have been bringing our issues to the attention of the council. Everyone listens to our grievances, sympathises with our situation and sheds tears, but, we are yet to see a response from them to help us achieve justice. No one is coming forward to deliver justice for our grievances. Our expectation is still there – that the international community would deliver justice to our long-standing issues, but we are unsure of the timeframe as to when we would be given justice. Therefore, we would like to say that even if this has been dragging, we have no other option but to proceed to the next step,” she added.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Eelam Thamilar Suyatchi Kazhagam (Eelam Tamils Self-Rule Party) and former Northern Provincial Minister of Women’s Affairs Ananthy Sasitharan, who has been part of the struggle, trying to find the whereabouts of her husband Sinnathurai Sasitharan alias Ezhilan, also noted that she would urge at the UNHRC session that justice via the ICC is required as other options have failed over the years. Elsewhere, the Vavuniya High Court issued an order on 23 February to produce Ezhilan and another two Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members who surrendered to the Government’s security forces in 2009, on 22 March.

On 20 February, while marking the sixth anniversary of the struggle of the relatives of missing persons, on the 2,190th day, a massive protest involving more than 100 relatives was held in Kilinochchi, during which, Kanagaranjani urged the international community to identify those responsible for the enforced disappearances of their loved ones by producing them before the ICC.