TELO Admin, Author at ரெலோ - தமிழ் ஈழ விடுதலை இயக்கம்

PAFFEREL requests PM not to delay LG Polls

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Election watchdog People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections has written to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena over the proposed amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act.

Executive Director of PAFFEREL Rohana Hettiarachchi in his letter has requested Prime Minister Gunawardena not to take any steps that will delay the conduct of the Local Authorities election.

Rohana Hettiarachchi said the Prime Minister led a Parliament Select Committee on Electoral Reforms which deliberated a number of issues and table recommendations.

The Executive Director of PAFFEREL said he also presented documentations to the Committee in order to amend the electoral system.

Rohana Hettiarachchi said the report of the committee was tabled only recently and now proposals have been made to appoint another committee.

He said this will undermine the committee and the observations of the Parliament Select Committee which was headed by the Prime Minister itself.

Executive Director of PAFFEREL Rohana Hettiarachchi noted that they do not oppose the move to amend the electoral system or the decision to reduce the number of councilors in local government bodies.

He said however under the pretext of reforms, delaying elections further is unacceptable. Rohana Hettiarachchi also noted that the Provincial Councils have been functioning without elected representatives for nearly five years while the Local Authorities election has been postponed for one year.

Executive Director of PAFFEREL Rohana Hettiarachchi therefore urged the Prime Minister not to take any steps that will prevent the conduct of Local Authorities election before the 19th of March 2023.

Bangladeshi banks asked to stop ACU transactions with Sri Lanka

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, has instructed banks in the country to refrain from transactions with Sri Lanka through the ACU system, foreign media reported.

The central bank’s Foreign Exchange Policy Department issued a circular yesterday and sent it to top executives of banks, reports The Business Standard.

The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is an arrangement through which participating countries settle import payments for intra-regional transactions.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are members of the ACU, which has headquarters in Tehran. The central banks of the countries have to make payments every two months.

If any Bangladeshi bank wants to settle a transaction with a Sri Lankan commercial bank, it can do that by ignoring the ACU system, the report further said.

–Agencies

21A doesn’t completely restore pre-20A staus quo: BASL

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The 21st Amendment to the Constitution regrettably does not completely restore the status quo ante which prevailed prior to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and does not place adequate checks and balances on the powers of the Executive President, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) says.

This was made known via a media release by the BASL today (27), further to the approval by Parliament to enact the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which has now been renamed as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution

“The BASL in its previous statements on the 22nd Amendment Bill highlighted the shortcomings of the Bill and of the danger that the nominations of a majority of members to the Constitutional Council will be controlled by the party or parties in the Government, resulting in it lacking independence and consequently affect the independence and integrity of the offices and institutions to which appointments will be made through the Constitutional Council,” the statement noted.

It further stated that now that the 21st amendment is enacted into law, it is essential that the Constitutional Council which is to be appointed thereunder and the Independent Commissions which will be reconstituted thereafter, be independent, impartial and be institutions which will help restore confidence in Sri Lanka and its Institutions.

“As such the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) calls upon the President, Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, and all political parties represented in Parliament, to firstly ensure the integrity of nominations to the Constitutional Council and to ensure that such nominations are devoid of partisanship and in a manner that will inspire public confidence,” the statement read.

The statement further mentioned that it was important to ensure that the non-ex-officio members of the Constitutional Council appointed from among Members of Parliament and from among non-Members of Parliament be done in a transparent and open manner and to ensure that those appointed will be acceptable to the members of the public and be persons of the highest integrity and reputation.

“After the Constitutional Council is established, it should thereafter adopt a transparent, open, and inclusive process by which it nominates Chairpersons and members of Independent Commissions and other institutions established by the Constitution and other laws,” the statement noted.

Further, the statement noted that upon the enactment of the 21st Amendment, the Chairpersons and members of Independent Commissions will cease to hold office upon these Commissions being reconstituted, and in doing so, it was imperative that those appointed to the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the National Police Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Finance Commission and the Delimitation Commission be persons who have not
only the requisite qualifications and abilities but also be those whose appointments receive wide acceptance.

“It is equally important to ensure that the enactment of the 21st Amendment must not be used as an excuse or mechanism to discontinue Chairpersons and members of Commissions whose services helped establish public faith in such Institutions. It is also vital for the Government to make provisions for the Commissions to have financial independence and that these Commissions adopt procedures that promote accountability and transparency in their work,” the statement mentioned.

The statement concluded by stating that any failure of the 21st Amendment to address the issue of creating strong independent institutions in Sri Lanka will also have a bearing on future law reform initiatives, such as the proposed composite Anti-Corruption law, and will have an adverse impact on the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka.

TRCSL moved from Defence Ministry to Technology Ministry

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has been placed under the purview of the Ministry of Technology through the issuance of an Extraordinary Gazette.

The TRCSL was previously placed under the Minister of Defence.

The gazette in this regard has been issued by the President with powers vested in him under Paragraph (1) (a) of Article 44 of the Constitution.

Sri Lanka to receive another stock of medicines from China

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Another batch of essential medicines will arrive in Sri Lanka from China today (27).

The Chinese Embassy in Colombo said the move come in a bid to support Sri Lanka in overcoming the medicine shortage.

Accordingly, two chartered flights of essential medicines worth Rs.1.8 billion gifted by China will arrive in Colombo today.

The Embassy noted that in June and September this year China donated medicines amounting to Rs.1.2 billion.

EU puts focus on inclusive and peaceful society in Sri Lanka

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

An inclusive and peaceful society is one of the two priorities of the European Union’s (EU) cooperation with Sri Lanka from 2021 to 2027.

The EU Delegation in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together with its implementing partners have organized a series of activities under the broader campaign of ‘EU Support for a Peaceful & Inclusive Society’ at the Independence Arcade, Colombo 7 from 26 October till 11 November 2022. The exhibition space will be open to the public from 1pm to 6pm on weekdays and 9.30am to 6pm on Saturdays.

Speaking about the campaign, Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives stated “for the European Union, inclusion, solidarity and human dignity are fundamental values, because they serve peace, our ultimate goal. Thus, an inclusive and peaceful society is one of the two priorities of the EU’s cooperation with Sri Lanka from 2021 to 2027. We hope this campaign, through art and dialogue will foster an enabling environment that promotes peace, solidarity and unity in diversity.”

Visitors can view the art exhibits of the winning entries including those shortlisted from the ‘Art for Peace’ children’s virtual art competition that was held in June this year, as part of Europe Day celebrations. This will be complemented by art workshops conducted by three renowned and talented artists.

The venue also hosts the EU-funded photographic exhibition ‘Thé Kahata’, organised by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), which features creative visual images captured by youth from the plantation community, and ‘Costumes Speak’, an exhibition that explores different social influences on Rukada puppetry and the role different communities play in shaping artistic traditions.

An interactive digital library consisting of audio and visual materials of the numerous initiatives of the EU funded projects is available for guests to access and indulge in.

The campaign on EU Support for a Peaceful & Inclusive Society, commenced with a jazz music tour across three key cities in Sri Lanka in celebration of European Day of Languages in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of France, Alliance Française, Goethe-Institut and the British Council.

This was followed by ‘Threads on Threads: An International Conference on Textiles in Sri Lanka, South Asia and Europe’, organized in partnership with the Threads of History Museum and Lanka Decorative Arts, as an initiative of the EU Cultural Heritage Series.

Wijeyadasa requests Speaker to appoint PSC to amend electoral system

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reforms, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to appoint a Parliament Select Committee to amend the electoral system.

This committee, pursuant to the provisions of the Standing Order 101 of Parliament, should not consist of more than 21 members, Minister Wijeyadasa noted in a letter addressed to the Speaker.

Meanwhile, the Speaker should name the chairman and the members for this committee, the lawmaker said further.

According to him, the committee members should be vested with powers to summon any individual, request any document or report or obtain evidence verbally or in writing, in order to conduct an extensive study into amending the electoral system.

He also suggested authorizing the committee to determine its quorum and to seek the assistance of experts and veterans in the field.

UK help will be to review Easter Attack reports, no new investigation

Posted on October 27, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL)’s planned request for assistance from the UK Police with regard to the Easter Sunday terror attacks of April 2019 will be only for the review of the reports pertaining to the investigations that have already been conducted, and not for a fresh investigation into the attacks, which claimed over 260 lives.

When queried as to whether a request has been made by the Government from the UK police authorities with regard to the investigations into the said terror attacks, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security S. Hettiarachchi told The Morning: “It has been decided to make a request to the relevant UK police authorities. However, it is not to carry out an investigation, but to review the reports pertaining to the investigations that have been given to them, and to see if there are any flaws. The IGP was told to make that request, and he will make it accordingly.”

Accordingly, the Ministry of Public Security has instructed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to request the relevant UK police authorities to review the reports pertaining to the investigations carried out by foreign authorities and Sri Lankan authorities into the attacks.

Hettiarachchi added that the Police authorities of several countries such as the UK, the US, and Australia had been assisting the Sri Lankan authorities, including the Police, in carrying out investigations into the attacks, and that they have been given all the reports pertaining to the investigations that have been carried out.

Last week, UK’s Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat informed the UK Parliament that the Metropolitan Police Service, the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, has not deployed any officers to support the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

However, he added, the UK would consider any request to support an overseas investigation where it is “proportionate, necessary, and legal” and that the Home Office works closely with policing partners to support requests from international partners across the full spectrum of policing.

“The Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command dispatched a team of specialists to Sri Lanka in 2019, including family liaison officers, to support the families of British victims and assist with the repatriation of deceased British nationals. A programme run by Interpol involved the training of 30 Sri Lankan forensic specialists and police officers by UK experts in disaster victim identification,” the Minister added.

Making a statement on 18 July 2022, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he plans to obtain the assistance of the UK police authorities to complete the investigation into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as the lack of a proper investigation has meant that this issue is yet to be fully resolved.

“One problem is the question we all are having about the Easter Sunday attacks. None of those procedures have been finalised yet. I am dedicated to resolving these problems. We don’t need to continue with these problems forever. We must ensure that this is brought to an end. There should be a full-scale impartial review of the material that is available. If everyone is willing, I would like to get the help of the UK and its police authorities. They are the best that we can find. In addition to the people from Sri Lanka who will be working on this issue, it is the responsibility of the Government to finalise this matter without any further delay,” he said.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had recently told the media that there was no need to seek international assistance to probe the Easter Sunday terror attacks, and that all that is needed is to depoliticise the local investigation process.

On Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019, three churches (the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, and the Zion Church in Batticaloa) and three luxury hotels in Colombo (the Cinnamon Grand, The Kingsbury, and the Shangri-La) were targeted in a series of co-ordinated Islamist terrorist suicide bombings. Later that day, another two bomb explosions took place at a house in Dematagoda and the Tropical Inn Lodge in Dehiwala. Over 265 people were killed in the bombings, including at least 45 foreign nationals, while at least 500 were injured. All eight of the suicide bombers in the attacks were Sri Lankan citizens associated with the National Thowheed Jama’ath organisation founded by the suicide bomber at the Shangri-La Hotel, Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran, alias Zahran Hashim.

Successive govts. murdered student leaders & activists – IUBF convener

Posted on October 26, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Inter University Bhikku Federation (IUBF) has recalled how successive governments had murdered hundreds of student leaders and activists.

Its acting convener Ven. Udenigama Gunaratana Thera told the media that among them were 13 conveners of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and 626 of its activists.

He also accused the CTID of ignoring the health of the remanded IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige and IUBF convener Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera.

The latter, suffering from fever for three days, was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital later yesterday (25).

Loans on top of loans, and White Elephant projects – Sri Lanka’s fall

Posted on October 26, 2022 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and the Finance Secretary have both echoed that the process to stabilize the economy is going to be a painful process.

However, the Minister of Mass Media, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, pointed out that the economic growth of the country is expected to be negative seven or eight by the end of the year.

He stated that Sri Lanka has never had a negative economic growth post-independence, and now, the country has neither rupees nor dollars in its reserves.

“We do not have any expert with the required intellect and skills to solve the crisis that has been brewing for 62 years. Sri Lanka’s debt status currently depends on heavyweight financial services company Lazard. Sri Lanka cannot access loans internationally for any project until the debt crisis is solved. This is not a crisis that was created because of a decision by one politician,” he said.

He also mentioned that the Government obtained loans to repay previously obtained loans, however, the result of overdoing it led to the crisis in the country.

“It is the same with a single person because when you obtain a loan and are unable to pay it back, you obtain another at a higher interest rate. When you cannot pay that as well, the person writes a letter blaming himself, and commits suicide. The government cannot do that.”

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That was Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media.

He had held various positions as Minister, and Deputy Minister since 1989.

He was once the Trade Minister, and the Deputy Finance Minister as well.

It is a matter of concern when he comments in a nature claiming that he was not present when decisions were being made to push Sri Lanka to the brink of total collapse.

So, who is responsible for the present status of Sri Lanka? Here’s an example.

At the end of 2005, Sri Lanka’s total debt was just over US $ 9, 367 Million, according to the Auditor General’s Special Report on Sri Lanka’s Financial Management and State Debt Control.

According to this report, as of 31st December 2021, Sri Lanka foreign debt was 245% greater than what it was in 2005.

Sri Lanka’s foreign debt which was US $ 9, 367 Million in 2005 increased to US $ 33,390 Million by the 31st of December 2021.

Why is Sri Lanka in so much debt to the world?

Did Sri Lanka divert funnel these funds into projects that generate revenue, or were they simply dumped on projects that generate no income but line up the pockets of the few?

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Mattala Airport

Sri Lanka boasts of an airport and a port, two projects that make headlines whenever a plane and ship arrive.

Sri Lanka obtained a loan of US $ 210 Million at a very high interest for the Mattala Airport, however, its return on investment is extremely low.

When the government changed this state-owned property was used for paddy storage, depicting a strategy of making policy decisions to allow airport infrastructure to decay.

Sri Lanka is now hunting for investors for Mattala Airport.

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Hambantota Port

The Hambantota Port was constructed at a cost of US $ 307 Million at an interest rate of 6.3% in 2008.

When Sri Lanka failed to service the debt, the best section of the port was offered to a Chinese Company in 2015 for US $ 1.12 Billion.

So, what Sri Lanka doing by offering the best section to foreigners and defaulting on the debt?

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Magampura International Convention Centre

The Magampura International Convention Centre was declared open in 2013 after construction cost US & 15.3 Million.

Has this convetion center served any purpose to-day?

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Lotus Tower

Sri Lanka obtained a loan of US $ 67 Million as a loan with a high interest rate for the construction of the Lotus Tower, which we today visit by obtaining tickets.

Later it was revealed that an advance of Rs. 2 Billion that was paid to a company for this project, and it had ceased to exist.

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Colombo Port City

The Colombo Port City is another massive project that does not have any clear form of investment.

What happened was that Sri Lanka was compelled to deliver lands rights for the sea area that was filled to create the Port City.

A separate law was introcuded awarding special benefits for the Colombo Port City.

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These are just a few projects in Sri Lanka that was launched after obtaining massive loans.

However, did the people ever ask for them? Or, were these projects implemented so that someone could make a quick buck?

Nevertheless, every single Sri Lankan is now compelled to pay for these laons.

When will necessary action be taken against those responsible for this situation?