Category: Breaking News

The Working Committee of the United National Party (UNP) has reportedly approved initiating discussions with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) on the possibility of the two parties collaborating in the upcoming elections.

The Working Committee of the UNP convened this afternoon (20) at the party headquarters to deliberate on the matter.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Ranjith Madduma Bandara, confirmed that the first discussion regarding the potential unification of the UNP and the SJB for the upcoming elections will take place in Colombo tonight (20).

Additionally, former Parliamentarian Rajitha Senaratne revealed that the UNP has sent two representatives to participate in the meeting.

Recently, the SJB Working Committee approved a proposal to initiate discussions about uniting the two parties for the elections.

Amidst these developments, a special meeting of the SJB parliamentary group was held this afternoon at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo.

The son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian, Namal Rajapaksa says his father is prepared to vacate the official residence in Colombo, if required.

Speaking to the media today, the MP said, “That house was granted to former presidents under the Constitution. It’s primarily a matter of security. However, if the current President wishes to sell the house and requires former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to vacate, we are ready to comply. This is not a house we requested. It is something provided to a former president according to the law.”

When asked about his response to a possible sudden eviction, Namal Rajapaksa replied, “He will leave at any time. These are government properties, not ours. If the President wants to sell this house to someone, we will vacate without any issue.”

Addressing Mahinda Rajapaksa’s stance on the matter, Namal stated, “He shares the same opinion. Many seem to have forgotten that he is Mahinda Rajapaksa.”

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed yesterday (19) that the official residence of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been valued at a monthly rent of Rs. 4.6 million, emphasizing the need to either regularize its use or vacate it to prioritize national development.

The government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which took office on September 23, 2024, has promised to address longstanding human rights issues that have plunged Sri Lanka into repeated crises, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its World Report 2025.

Dissanayake has pledged to introduce more equitable economic policies and to repeal the notoriously abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act, but he has not backed accountability for widespread rights violations during Sri Lanka’s 1983-2009 civil war between the government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the report said.

For the 546-page world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries. In much of the world, Executive Director Tirana Hassan writes in her introductory essay, governments cracked down and wrongfully arrested and imprisoned political opponents, activists, and journalists.

Armed groups and government forces unlawfully killed civilians, drove many from their homes, and blocked access to humanitarian aid. In many of the more than 70 national elections in 2024, authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.

“Sri Lanka’s multiple crises are connected by entrenched impunity for rights violations, discrimination against minority communities, and laws and institutions that seek to silence critics,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“President Dissanayake has an opportunity to make real progress on rights if he carries out his campaign pledges, but he also needs to address the legacy of past conflicts and continuing abuses against Tamils, Muslims, and others on which he has been troublingly silent.”

• While an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout helped stem the immediate crisis after the Sri Lankan government defaulted on its foreign debt in 2022, the United Nations estimated that a quarter of households were suffering food insecurity in 2024.

• Policies pursued by the outgoing administration of President Ramil Wickremesinghe under the IMF program shifted the burden of recovery largely onto people with low incomes. The Dissanayake government has pledged to combat corruption and create more equitable economic policies.

• Police and other security agencies harassed and threatened activists and human rights defenders with impunity during 2024, particularly in predominantly Tamil areas in the north and east, including undue restrictions and interference in the financing of civil society organizations.

• In May, the UN human rights office issued a report calling for the international community to undertake prosecutions and other accountability measures to address thousands of unresolved cases of enforced disappearance that occurred over decades during the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) uprisings, and the LTTE armed conflict. The UN Human Rights Council has extended a mandate to monitor human rights violations and collect evidence of crimes during the civil war.

President Dissanayake should begin to address Sri Lanka’s many human rights problems by fulfilling and building upon the pledges he made during his party’s election campaigns.

Thiruvalluvar Kudiyieruppu model village, one of the model village housing projects being implemented islandwide covering the 25 districts, was handed over to 24 beneficiary families in Kilinochchi on 17 January.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing Anura Karunathilaka attended the inauguration.

This islandwide model village housing project is funded by grant support from the government of India and was initiated with the MoU signing between the two governments in October 2017.

The project encompasses housing facilities for 600 low-income families in Sri Lanka, with a model village consisting of 24 houses per district for families selected by the district housing committees.

Model villages in 12 districts have already been completed and handed over, with the overall project nearing 96% completion. The remaining villages are expected to be handed over shortly.

China has expressed its interest to help in capacity building in Sri Lanka’s judicial, law enforcement and security sectors amid rising online frauds and arrest of a higher number of Chinese for alleged online financial scams.

The Chinese statement came during President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s official visit to China.

“The two sides recognize judicial, law enforcement and security cooperation as an important component of bilateral cooperation, and stand ready to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud and online gambling,” both countries said in a joint statement following the meeting with Disanayake and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“China is ready to do its best to support capacity building in Sri Lanka’s judicial, law enforcement and security areas and provide assistance of police supplies.”

However, the joint statement did not elaborate on the details of the specific capacity building the both countries discussed.

Sri Lanka government officials said China sent a police team recently when more than 200 Chinese were arrested across the country for alleged online financial scams.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Sri Lanka today published its Final Report on the 2024 presidential election, held on 21 September.

The report is based on a two-month-long, country-wide observation and presents a detailed analysis and assessment of the entire electoral process.

As part of this report, the mission offers 16 recommendations aimed at strengthening and refining future electoral processes, in line with Sri Lanka’s international commitments to democratic elections.

Chief Observer Nacho Sánchez Amor, Member of the European Parliament, stated: “The 2024 presidential election marked a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s democratic journey and a renewal of political normalcy after a period of unprecedented turmoil. Citizens demonstrated their commitment to the democratic process, while the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) worked independently and with resolve, ensuring transparency at all key electoral stages. A peaceful election day and the swift acceptance of results by candidates underscored the strength of Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions.”

The mission noted several positive developments, including significant reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in campaign finance, and greater inclusion of youth in the voter lists.

Overall, the mission concluded that the electoral legal framework is well developed and the collaborative engagement of the ECSL and civil society made a positive contribution to the election.

Fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the campaign and voters had genuine political alternatives to choose from.

Chief Observer Nacho Sánchez Amor added: “The presidential election attested to the resilience of Sri Lanka’s democracy. Now, after the parliamentary elections, we hope that the President and the new government will implement further reforms aiming at strengthening transparency, inclusiveness and rule of law. The European Union stands ready to support Sri Lanka on this path, in accordance with existing cooperation.”

The EU EOM Final Report recommends meaningful advancement of the participation of women in politics, and strengthening of enforcement mechanisms against the misuse of state resources.

The mission notes that the progressive reform of campaign finance would benefit from further fine-tuning.

The EU EOM Final report also calls for the protection of freedom of expression by repealing restrictive legislation, including the Online Safety Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, as well as further emphasising the need to improve accessibility for voters with disabilities.

“Democracy thrives through transparency, inclusiveness and free expression,” concluded the Chief Observer.

The EU EOM was deployed at the invitation of Sri Lanka’s Election Commission and the Government of Sri Lanka and was present in in the country from 14 August to 10 October 2024. It deployed over 70 international observers across all nine provinces.