Category: Breaking News

In anticipation of the upcoming Presidential Elections scheduled towards the end of the year, the political arena is witnessing a flurry of activities as various parties and groups strategically position themselves for the impending electoral contest.

The National People’s Power (NPP), led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), has taken an early plunge into the electoral fray by announcing Anura Kumara Dissanayake as its presidential candidate and conducting countrywide rallies. Sajith Premadasa, the Opposition Leader, is widely expected to lead the charge for his Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The United National Party (UNP) has thrown its hat into the ring by nominating its leader, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the presidential candidate. With this development, the political landscape is shaping up for a three-pronged contest.

It is not yet clear whether the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will field its own candidate or back President Wickremesinghe who is in alliance with the party in the government.

The NPP is going around the country with major election rallies. They have started the campaign earlier than others and even created a kind of a momentum triggering doubts whether they will be able to sustain it in the long run. The proclamation announcing the presidential election has to be issued only in the middle of September 2024 in accordance with the constitutional provisions.

It means there are eight more months for the election. As such, the political parties have swiftly launched into action. The SLPP, as a party, slipped out of the public eye in politics in the face of severe economic woos that even led to the untimely of resignation Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office. Recently, the party conducted a workshop for its activists primarily to educate them on how to counter allegations against it over the present economic predicament of the country. The workshop was organized with the involvement of MP Namal Rajapaksa. It is a strategy to position the party well ahead of the elections and strengthen the rank and file ideologically – albeit challenging it be.

Next, the party is planning to educate its leaders at the local level. The party is not prepared to initiate a fully-fledged election campaign at the moment, since it is impractical to sustain such a movement for eight months. It has not yet declared its presidential candidate, though. However, political indications lead to the conclusion that it will back President Wickremesinghe.

Besides, the political group led by MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa will launch its electoral addresses on January 27 in Ja-Ela, Gampaha. That is to galvanize the electoral support of people for the possible candidacy of President Wickremesinghe. The group is also planning to form an alliance ahead of the elections. As the political chessboard continues to evolve, these early moves and strategic alignments set the stage for a gripping presidential contest in the months to come.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has pardoned two prisoners who had been serving life sentences for LTTE activities after being convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations.

The prisoners, Nagalingam Madansekar and Selvathurai Kirubakaran, have been pardoned following Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s recommendation, backed by a Prison Department report that said the duo had displayed good behaviour.

The prisoners have been pardoned by the President under powers vested with him under Article 34(1) of the Constitution.

Both men had been convicted after being indicted in the Colombo High Court. Mr. Madansekar had been convicted of charges filed under the Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulations on March 29, 2023 and sentenced to life in prison.

Mr. Kirubakaran had been found guilty of charges filed under the PTA. He had filed an appeal against his conviction, but on July 20, 2022, the Court of Appeal affirmed the ruling and sentence given by the Colombo High Court.

Minister Prasanna Ranatunga ruled out any agreement between Parliamentarian Dhammika Perera and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on the Presidential candidacy.

He told reporters after the Matara District Coordination Committee meeting that they cannot put the country in trouble again by appointing an inexperienced President.

“I am an active member of the party. As far as I know, the SLPP has not entered into any agreements with Dhammika Perera on the Presidential candidacy,” he said responding to a question.

He said the SLPP has not taken a decision to field a candidate for the Presidency as yet and added that the SLPP should give President Ranil Wickremesinghe another chance if he is contesting.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has made five key recommendations pertaining to the Bill on the Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka, which was published by way of gazette notification on 29 December 2023.

In a letter addressed to the President, the HRCSL recognized the well-established human right to truth under international law, emphasizing its crucial role in transitional justice.

However, it asserted that the promotion of this right should be aligned with the advancement of other transitional justice pillars, including accountability, reparations, and preventing the recurrence of past injustices.

Accordingly, the HRCSL made the following five key recommendations:

1) Without delay, a high-level committee should be set up under the Presidential Secretariat, comprising pertinent experts and representatives from victim groups and civil society. The primary responsibility of this committee is to oversee the implementation of all positive recommendations from prior truth-seeking mechanisms, including the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

2) Programmes that inform the country as a whole about the findings of previous truth-seeking mechanisms should be carried out.

3) Establish a strong, impartial entity for investigating and prosecuting serious human rights violations and crimes, promptly providing it with essential resources and access to expertise, including international perspectives as needed.

4) Transitional justice in Sri Lanka should address both armed conflicts and civil disturbances, including insurrections, delving into their political and socioeconomic roots for a holistic national reckoning.

5) The Presidential Secretariat should serve as the host for any transitional justice mechanism in Sri Lanka, providing it with the utmost status and significance.

Despite forecasts predicting a decrease in vegetable prices after the festive season, the actual prices have remained high. Most vegetable varieties are now priced at over Rs. 1,000 per kilo, with carrots and beans reaching the highest levels, surpassing Rs. 1,200 per kilo.

Yesterday, the country witnessed its highest recorded vegetable price, with a kilo of carrots reaching Rs. 1,400 at the New Manning Market in Peliyagoda.

The escalating prices have led to a decline in vegetable consumption, as many consumers express their inability to afford them at these prices.

People report that the prices of nearly all vegetable varieties have increased, creating significant financial challenges for consumers.

The current market prices reveal that beans are priced at Rs. 1,000 per kilo. However, there have been fluctuations in the prices of other vegetables, with green chillies and tomatoes decreasing to Rs. 800 and Rs. 350 per kilo respectively. On the other hand, the cost of lime has seen an increase, reaching Rs. 500 per kilo.

Meanwhile, the business community running tourist hotels and guest houses across the country expressed concern about the high prices of vegetables that has affected the industry.

Traders in Nuwara Eliya’s Dedicated Economic Centre said the prices of vegetables had sky rocketed and that it resulted in a sharp drop in purchases. They pointed out that the price of carrot was Rs.2000 a kilo, cabbage Rs.680, leeks Rs. 500, capsicum Rs.650, tomatoes Rs. 800, beetroot, Rs.500, broccoli, a variety in demand among foreign tourists, Rs.3600, basil Rs. 2600, cauliflower Rs.,1300.

Meanwhile many customers said it is with great difficulty that they manage to have one vegetable curry for a meal. They pointed out that the price hike in the retail market was unprecedented and that the vegetables available were of poor quality.