Author: TELO Admin

The Chinese Police will not have a say at the Colombo Port City, the Sri Lankan Government said today.

State Minister for Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that only the Sri Lankan Police will manage law and order at the Colombo Port City.

He denied claims that the Colombo Port City will be a Chinese colony where the Chinese Police will manage law and order.

The State Minister also insisted that the Colombo Port City will be under the control of the Sri Lankan Government.

Speaking at an online media conference today, Cabraal said that the proposed Port City Economic Commission Bill will not make the Colombo Port City a Chinese colony and that Sri Lankan law will apply.

He said that once the Port City Economic Commission Bill is passed a commission appointed by the President will have control over the Colombo Port City.

A number of petitions have been filed at the Supreme Court challenging the Government’s proposed Port City Economic Commission Bill.

The United National Party (UNP) filed two separate petitions last week on behalf of the General-Secretary of the UNP and the Chairman of the UNP. The Attorney-General has been named as a respondent in the petition.

The UNP said the Bill is considered to be in violation of Articles 3 & 4 of the Constitution in regard to the Legislative, Judicial and Executive powers of the citizens of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) had also filed petitions challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill.

A party leaders’ meeting will be held tomorrow (19) under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, with a view to reaching a consensus on the draft of the Provincial Councils (PCs) Elections (Amendment) Bill.

Key governmental factions are yet to reach an understanding on the PC elections, especially concerning how the polls should be held.

Speaking with The Sunday Morning, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Udaya Gammanpila said: “The party leaders’ meeting will be held in order to reach a consensus on the draft PCs Elections (Amendment) Bill.”

In reply to a query with regard to what other issues would be raised at the said meeting, Gammanpila added: “If and when the party leaders come to a collective agreement concerning the issue at hand, they may also raise other topics.”

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary and State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, speaking to The Sunday Morning, added: “The party leaders’ meeting would be held tomorrow concerning the PC elections. We would be discussing as to how the elections would be held. While we do not plan on having it under the existing system (proportional representation), we are willing to opt for a new system (including the first-past-the-post system), as even the pradeshiya sabhas operate on a newer electoral system.”

Jayasekara also mentioned that he planned on raising certain queries with regard to the May Day rallies, as well as the current political situation within the country, at the party leaders meeting to be held tomorrow.

Efforts made by The Sunday Morning to contact Democratic Left Front Leader and Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara and National Freedom Front Leader and Minister Wimal Weerawansa to gain more insights into the issue at hand proved futile.

Some restrictions will have to be imposed on arrivals from overseas taking into account the uptick in positive cases of COVID-19 among individuals arriving in Sri Lanka, says the Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera.

In a statement, he said Sri Lanka has registered 52,710 coronavirus infections so far in 2021 with 1,593 of them coming in from foreign countries.

Reportedly, a large number of positive cases among those who arrived from the Middle East and some from Europe have been identified.

Sri Lanka’s cumulative infections confirmed in April added up to a total of 52,710 and 538 of them – some 15 percent – were from overseas, the chief epidemiologist stated.

As per Epidemiology Unit’s statistics, Sri Lanka has confirmed 78 coronavirus infections among the arrivals from overseas on Friday (April 16).

Dr. Samaraweera went on to note that some countries have already moved to halt foreign travels as third and fourth coronavirus waves continue to heap positive cases.

In order to maintain the progress Sri Lanka had made recently in controlling the spread of the virus, some restrictions will have to be imposed on the arrivals from overseas, Dr. Samaraweera pointed out.

Several pertinent questions posed by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) experts’ panel, to the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, that manufactured the Sinopharm vaccine, were not answered, the final review report of the independent experts’ panel on the vaccine stated.

The independent experts’ panel comprising Dr. Rajiva de Silva, Prof. Neelika Malewige, Prof. Arunasalam Pathmeswaran, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrema, Dr. Kanthi Nanayakkara, Prof. Channa Ranasinhe,

Dr. Hasitha Tissera and Dr. Lak Kumar Fernando, in the report dated 17 March 2021, said the NMRA requested data on both 1 March and 15 March.

However, the data provided by the manufacturer was not sufficient to decide on immunogenicity, safety and efficacy of the vaccine and therefore, they recommend not using the vaccine until more information was made available and evaluated, the experts’ panel said.

However, the Health Ministry sacked seven of the NMRA Board members over ‘not approving’ the vaccine. They were Dr. Palitha Abeykoon (Chairman of NMRA), Chamindika Herath (Lawyer), Harshana Karunaratna (Accountant), Dr. Kapila Ranasinghe (PhD Management), Dr. Asita de Silva, Dr. Nethushi Samarasinghe, Dr. Lak Kumar Fernando and they were replaced by a team led by a medical practitioner and not one of medical eminence, as required based on the NMRA Act.

The termination letter issued to all seven members had no specific reason given but that the ‘Health Ministry has decided to reform the NMRA and appoint new members to the Board and that the team was terminated’.

Out of the 11 questions posed to Sinopharm by the experts’ panel, seven (7) were left unanswered by the Chinese company.

Questions such as efficacy data in the 60-year-old age group, the sample size inadequate to draw conclusions, whether anyone with comorbidities had been included in the trial, safety data of phase three of the vaccine, side effects observed, whether anyone developed allergies or anaphylaxis, ingredients in the vaccine, whether it has BSA or FBS since vero cells are known to be grown in FBS, the number of persons included in the analysis of immunogenicity, number of persons from all age groups were not given answered by the manufacturer.

Furthermore, the manufacturer has not provided follow up data after the interim analysis of phase 3 data presented until 31 October 2020.

The answer to the question “Neutralising antibody levels in those below 60 years of age in comparison to younger individuals,” the manufacturer had not responded other than ‘Seroconversion rates of 18-59 and below 60 provided but not the neutralising antibody levels,” the review report said.

Lack of answers from the Sinhopharm companies led the expert panel to halt the use of the vaccine.

One of the terminated members said, “I was removed because State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana thought I am an obstacle to get the Sinopharm approved in a hurry. It is his initiative. Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi just had to send me the letter as she only has the power to do it. She was asked to do so by Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera on the request by of State Minister Jayasumana.

In the meantime the Chinese diplomatic circle has questioned the NMRA for delaying the Sinopharm jab that is only administered to the Chinese workers living in Sri Lanka currently.

They said Sinopharm made a special arrangement and provided most detailed documents about its BBIBP-CorV COVID-19 vaccine to the medicine regulator, including seven pages of Vaccine Introduction and 54 pages of International Summary Report of the Phase 3 Clinical Trial.

They also told Ceylon Today until Thursday (15), the population vaccinated in Chinese Mainland has passed 175.6 million.

They also claimed that on 31 March, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) of the WHO said that Sinopharm and Sinovac have presented data on their COVID-19 vaccines indicating levels of efficacy and safety compatible with those required by the World Health Organization.

But the WHO in Colombo said that the dossiers are being reviewed for the Moderna, Gamaleya, Sinopharm, Sinovac, and others are in discussions with the WHO prequalification team for data submission to the WHO.

Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda thera has reportedly informed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that president Gotabaya Rajapaksa had blamed the thera during a telephone conversation.

Sources say Ven, Ananda Thera has explained the incident to Premier Rajapaksa in a telephone call yesterday.

At the time, the premier was staying at his Carlton Residence in Tangalle.

When told about the incident, Premier Rajapaksa has requested the thera not to be panicked about it and that he would come to Colombo on Saturday and would come to the Abhayaramaya Temple to meet the thera.Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda thera told a press briefing on Friday he the Buddhist monks do not hesitate to stand against if anyone tries to misuse the power against democracy.

The thera also said the Buddhist monks would raise their voice against anyone who attempts deliberately to amend the country’s laws.”Attempts are made to silence us., But, these monks who hails from the Kudapola, Wariyapola and Gunananda thero generations will not bow down to any threats,”