Category: Featured Headlines

All country passports for Sri Lankans in rehabilitation camps in Tamil Nadu

Posted on | by TELO Admin

All country passports are to be issued for Sri Lankans living in Rehabilitation Camps in Tamil Nadu, the President’s Media Division said.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has received a list of 2,678 Sri Lankans living in rehabilitation camps in South India.

Of the 2,678, those with both a Sri Lankan birth certificate and national identity
card can be issued all country passports, the President’s Media Division said.

The matter had been discussed at a meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tamil political parties held today.

“A decision has to be taken to issue all country passports to the rest of the list of Sri Lankans living in rehabilitation camps in South India,” the President’s Media Division said.

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Sajith accuses Govt of attempting to influence judiciary & Election Commission

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Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa has revealed alleged action by the government to influence the judiciary and the Election Commission.

In a special statement issued today (17), the Opposition Leader charged that the government has suddenly convened the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business today and has submitted a motion to appoint a ‘select committee’ to investigate the way the Election Commission and its members worked on the country’s election program.

Stating that the motion will be taken up in Parliament tomorrow (18), he also claimed that the government is in a hurry to take up this motion only to apply pressure on the newly appointed Election Commission and the hearings before the court in order to coerce the court and the Election Commission to implement the government’s agenda instead of implementing the democratic agenda.

The opposition leader said that a select committee will be appointed in Parliament tomorrow to investigate how the Election Commission dealt with the local government election affairs to give a hint and an indirect threat to the current Election Commission that it should work according to the government’s agenda, or else, it would have to appear before a Parliamentary Select Committee.

He also said that this also gives a hint that if the judges do not act according to the whims and fancies of the government and the court decisions are not implemented accordingly, even the judges can be brought before a select committee and put under pressure.

The opposition leader pointed out that at a time when everyone is talking about a system change in a bankrupt country, the decrepit and outdated system is being implemented through this select committee by playing this political game and political magic.

While pointing out that this government, by its activities, has already deprived the people of their sovereignty, freedom and universal franchise, MP Sajith Premadasa said that the government is going to put pressure on the judiciary and the Independent Election Commission, adding that it is not Members of Parliament of People’s Alliance whose privileges have been infringed but 22 million people in the country.

Stating that no room will be given to take away the independence of the judiciary and apply undue pressure on the independent and impartial Election Commission, MP Premadasa vowed that he will work for the upliftment of the 22 million people by strengthening the independence of the judiciary and the Election Commission and democracy by bringing together all parties of the Opposition.

MP Sajith Premadasa further emphasized that they will defeat all these insidious attempts on the part of the government to destroy democracy.

Lankan Tamil civil society seeks justice from Modi

Posted on | by TELO Admin

Members of the civil society in the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka have written to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intercession with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe for finding solution to their long-pending problems.

The letter was handed over to Ram Mahesh an official of the Indian Consulate General in Jaffna by a delegation headed by Dr.Balasundaram Pillai, Emeritus Professor at Jaffna Univedrsity on July 12.

Here is the full text of the letter:

“We the undersigned members of Civil Society living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka wants to bring our following concerns to your kind attention.

Firstly, we thank the Government of India for their immense support and cooperation for the Government of Sri Lanka, particularly during the last sixteen months in providing the much needed financial and other necessities to ease the hardships the people of Sri Lanka faced.

We are also grateful for the generous support your government gave in rebuilding the infrastructure in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and other connectivity projects such as Jaffna- Colombo Railway, Palaly – Chennai flights and proposed Tamil Nadu- Jaffna ferry services. These projects along with the many intended investment programs will certainly help to regenerate the stagnant economy of Tamil Provinces along with the other Provinces and generate desperately needed employment opportunities.

It is fourteen years since the war ended but the social and economic conditions of our people have not progressed as expected. In addition to the hardships all Sri Lankan people are facing due to the bad management of the economy, Tamil people are facing additional difficulties. For example, education standards are rapidly going down in Tamil Provinces.

Agricultural sector made hardly any progress mainly due to the occupation of fertile lands in Tamil provinces under various pretexts.

The vast majority of the people and many leading members of various civil society organizations feel there is a need for an approachable Tamil administration at Provincial level to plan and manage all sectors efficiently. At present this is only feasible by having an elected Provincial Governments in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

It is unfortunate that our Tamil political leaders are disunited merely for political reasons and this continues without having any meaningful working program to attain the aspiration of Tamil People. However, majority of the people desperately need a Tamil administration at provincial level. This was amply demonstrated by the fact that since the end of the war, the largest number of people voted in any elections, was only in the 2013 Provincial elections.

We are fully aware that the Government of India has been consistently calling for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment and to have a functioning Provincial Councils in the Tamil Provinces.

We earnestly appeal to you to reiterate that position and use this opportunity to persuade the visiting President Hon Ranil Wickremasinghe to call for an early Provincial Council election Sri Lanka.”

Thank You.

Signed:

Srila Sri Gnanasampantha Paramachariya Swamigal, Nallur Atheenam. Srila Sri Vasutheva Kurukkal, Veenagana Kurupeedam.

Bishop Kingsley Swampillai, Retired Bishop Trincomalee. Bishop Joseph Rassiah, Bishop of Batticaloa.

Rev. P. J. Jebaratnam, Vicar General, Bishop House, Jaffna.

Bishop Dr. V. Gnanathayalan, Bishop, Church of South India- Jaffna. Prof. S. Pathamanathan, Chancellor of Jaffna University.

Dr. V. Vivekanandarajah, Former Chancellor of Eastern University. Dr.K.Premakumar, Former V.C, Eastern University.

Prof. Pon Balasundarampillai, Former V.C., Jaffna University. Prof. C.Arulmoli, Eastern University.

Prof. T. Krishnamogan, Eastern University.

Prof. S.Mounaguru, Former Dean, Faculty of fine arts, Eastern University Prof. S.Padmanaban, Dean, Faculty of Hindu studies, University of Jaffna. Kosalai Mathan, Deen Facultry of Law, Jaffna University.

Rev. S.V.B. Mangalarajah, Justice & Peace Commission of Jaffna.

Rev. J.C.Paul Rohan, Dept. of Christian Civilization, University of Jaffna. S.Ethirmanasingam, Former Cultural Director, Eastern Province.

S.Samithamby, Retired SLAS officer – Batticaloa.

A.S.Yogarajah, Retired Principal of Teachers Training College, Batticaloa. Dr. K.Parathan Kanthasamy, Retired Assist. Director of Education, Kalmunai.

A.Jathindra, Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Studies – Trincomalee (CSST) T.Thavasilingam, Chairman, Consortium of NGO, Trincomalee.

K.Yoganathan, Retired Principal, Trincomalee.

O.Kulenthiran, Retired Additional Director of Education, Trincolee. K.Sivanathan, Retired Senior Superintend of Surveyor, Trincomalee. Dr. C.S.Jamunanantha, Teaching Hospital, Jaffna.

R.Jeyasegaram, President, Jaffna Chamber of Commerce. E.S.P.Nagaratnam, Chairman, ESP Nagaratnam Group, Jaffna. R.Perinpanayagam, Trastee, Chelvanayagam Memorial Foundation. S.Laleesan, Principal, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna.

Malini Ajanthan, Jounalist, Woman Activist, Jaffna,

S.Mahalingasivam, Director, Eelanadu Daily. E.Chelvachandran, COO, Ask Group of Companies, Jaffna.

K.Senthilkumaran, Deputy Principal, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. K.Balashanmuhan, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna.

R.Rajabalan, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. S.Manoharan, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. T.Thavasegar, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. Mrs B.Sharminila, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. Ms S.Rajeetha, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna.

Ms Dharshini, Lecturer, Kopay Teachers College, Jaffna. S.Pramanathan, Jaffna National College of Education.

T.Elankumaran, Jaffna National College of Education. T.Tharmasivan, Jaffna National College of Education. V.Narenthiran, Jaffna National College of Education. S.Mavirathan, Jaffna National College of Education. J.Uthayakumar, Jaffna National College of Education. R.Sharmija, Jaffna National College of Education.

M.Gayathiri, Jaffna National College of Education. V.Sutharshini, Jaffna National College of Education. C.Vijayan, Jaffna National College of Education.

K.Jothirajah, Jaffna National College of Education. S.R.Sathiyanatha Pillai, Jaffna National College of Education. S.Mugunthan, Jaffna National College of Education.

S.Pathmarajah, Jaffna National College of Education. P.Viyavasuman, Jaffna National College of Education. T.Vageswaran, Jaffna National College of Education. S.Kugan, Jaffna National College of Education.

G.Cinthuja, Jaffna National College of Education. M.Anantharajha, Jaffna National College of Education.

Dr (Mrs) C.Nagendra, Jaffna National College of Education. S.Vaasavan, Jaffna National College of Education.

G.Sutharsan, Jaffna National College of Education.

A.Loganathan, Jaffna National College of Education. A.James Mary Shan, Jaffna National College of Education. M.J.T.Sheltan Jude, Jaffna National College of Education. K.Uthayasanther, Jaffna National College of Education.

T.Sivageesan, Jaffna National College of Education. G.Gajooran, Jaffna National College of Education.

P.Velnith, Jaffna National College of Education.

Mrs S.Subathirai, Jaffna National College of Education. N.Ambigan, Jaffna National College of Education.

N.Nanthakumar, Jaffna National College of Education. M.Bagetharan, Jaffna National College of Education. T.Mohan, Jaffna National College of Education.

P. Nagendran, Social Activist, Mankulam

Pon. Thanabalasingam, Princilal- Jaffna Hindu College Primary.

S.S.KUHANATHAN (Chairman, Ask Group of Companies) Coordinator of the People’s Petition.

40 Racca Lane, Jaffna. Tel: +94 773343320

Email: sskuhanathan@gmail.com

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Pakistan PM appreciates President Wickremesinghe’s support to secure IMF deal

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Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has appreciated President Ranil Wickremesinghe for the support extended to Pakistan pertaining to the country’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Pakistan Premier acknowledged President Wickremesinghe’s support during key discussion with the IMF.

The Pakistan High Commission in Colombo said, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also discussed the current economic situation in Sri Lanka and Pakistan during a phone conversation with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

“You have played role of a true friend and a well wisher of Pakistan, and I thank you on behalf of the people of my country,” the Pakistani Prime Minister had told President Wickremesinghe.

The High Commission said the Prime Minister paid tributes to Sri Lanka for its role in promoting regional peace and development.

He also hoped that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka would come out of the economic crisis very soon

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SLPP motion on LG Election to Parliament

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Parliamentarians representing the government have proposed to appoint a Select Committee to investigate if the Election Commission had violated its privileges when announcing the local government election.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna made this proposal although the Opposition had opposed it.

The proposal will be tabled in Paliament on Tuesday (18).

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Sri Lanka now implementing 2020 UNP mandate, not SLPP’s 6.9 mn: UNP chairman

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) has claimed its 250,000-vote mandate has effectively superseded the 6.9 million-vote mandate received by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid speculation that sections of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) are not as enamoured by Wickremesinghe as others in the ruling party.

UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena speaking at an event on Monday July 17 said what is being implemented at present is the “250,000 agreement” rather than the “6.9-million agreement”.

Abeywardena was ostensibly referring to the 6.9 million votes received by Rajapaksa at the 2019 presidential election and the paltry 249,435 votes received by the UNP at the 2020 parliamentary election, in which Sri Lanka’s ‘grand old party’ suffered its worst ever defeat. The once-mighty UNP managed to secure only one national list seat in parliament, now occupied by Abeywardena after party leader Wickremesinghe was elected president by parliament in July 2022 with overwhelming SLPP support.

One major reason for the UNP being routed at the 2020 poll was the mass exodus of UNP members at all levels to the newly formed Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by former UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa who is now opposition leader.

“Raise your hands if you were in a petrol or cooking gas queue. Those of you who raised your hands are no longer in a queue, so give a round of applause to President Ranil Wickremesinghe with both your hands,” Abeywardena told his audience of UNP members, recalling the seemingly endless queues for essentials in 2022 during the country’s worst currency crisis in decades.

“What are we doing these days? Is it what the people approved? No. 6.9 million people approved one. Is that what’s being implemented now? No. We’re implementing the 250,000-vote agreement. That agreement is under way. That is the truth. You can’t continue to function on a lie.”

Rajapaksa in 2019 and the SLPP in 2020 both ran on a decidedly nationalist platform that had positioned itself as a counter to what their camp had deemed the UNP’s “neoliberal” agenda. The UNP’s pro-Western, pro-privatisation and generally small-government outlook provided ample fodder to the SLPP and its allies that were riding a wave of patriotism that had come in the wake of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

However, following the financial crisis of 2022 which triggered massive protests resulting in the ouster of Rajapaksa and a change of government into a more fiscally-conservative and arguably “liberal” avatar of Rajapaksa’s SLPP government, the UNP’s “agenda” does seem to be at play, in complete contrast to the mandate secured by Rajapaksa in 2019. Consequent to Sri Lanka’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and a host of other reforms are now being implemented by an impossible and somewhat shaky but politically expedient alliance between Wickremesinghe and the SLPP.

Meanwhile, Premadasa’s SJB, which is now the main opposition, has been accused by its critics of embracing populism in the face of a slow rise in the president’s popularity, at least among the urban middle classes.

SJBMP Harsha de Silva himself has acknowledged this popularity.

“President Wickremesinghe may have gained some popularity in the last few months. I’m not going to take that away from him. But that doesn’t mean that the UNP has gained anything significant,” said de Silva, speaking to EconomyNext on June 28.

The SJB on July 04 rebuffed another invitation from President Wickremesinghe to work together with his administration, demanding instead that he dissolve parliament soon.

SLPP stalwart Mahindananda Aluthgamage meanwhile told reporters on July 09 that Wickremesinghe has not indicated any intention to dissolve parliament yet. The SLPP has also decided to support President Wickremesinghe over the next two years, he said, amid speculation that there is division within the party over continued support for the president.

“As a party, we have decided to support the president in the next two years to rebuild this country,” said Aluthgamage.

The MP, who was Agriculture Minister in ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s cabinet, said the party made the best decision available to them at the time when it decided to back Wickremesinghe’s bid for the presidency in 2022.

Aluthgamage’s comment comes amid reports that a number of SLPP seniors are disappointed that cabinet positions continue to evade them. This is in addition to at least two prominent members of the party being absent from a crucial parliamentary vote on Sri Lanka’s domestic debt restructuring (DDR) programme.

Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe’s UNP seems quietly confident of a return to form after being nearly annihilated at the last parliamentary election in 2020.

UNP assistant leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told a gathering on July 09 that political parties will rally behind Wickremsinghe as part of a UNP-led coalition.

“The dark curse that had fallen on the country is gradually being lifted. Political parties are not coming as one party anymore. They’ll be a UNP-led party,” he said.

Kariyawasam had previously said that Sri Lanka’s next election will likely be a presidential poll, which is due in November 2024, though an early presidential poll has not been ruled out.

Main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa has already welcomed an early presidential election. Premadasa told the SJB Working Committee on May 16 that he intends to form an SJB-led alliance of opposition parties in the event of an early presidential poll, which will require a constitutional amendment.

The SLPP, meanwhile, has seen some fragmentation since the ouster of former president Rajapaksa, with these splinter groups largely ready to throw its weight behind opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

Dilan Perera, a member of one of the SLPP’s breakaway factions said in June that Sri Lanka’s opposition parties must rally behind a leader they can all agree to support at a future presidential election with the next favourite agreeing to be prime minister in a common workable arrangement.

Ban on five Islamic organisations among 11 lifted under strict conditions

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The Government has decided to conditionally lift the ban on five Islamic organisations out of 11 organisations which were banned following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a gazette notification in April 2021 banning these five organisations along with six others under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The ban on the five organisations is being lifted in line with recommendations by a committee comprising experts from investigative and intelligence agencies after a probe lasting more than a year, and following talks between representatives of these groups and government authorities.

The ban on five groups was lifted considering the current peaceful situation in the country, subjected to conditions with the aim of religious reconciliation.

Accordingly, the ban on the following Islamic organisations will be lifted subject to strict conditions: Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JASM), Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamma’ath (SLTJ), All Ceylon Thawheed Jamma’ath (ACTJ), Ceylon Thawheed Jamma’ath (CTJ) and United Thawheed Jamma’ath (UTJ).

Nevertheless, the expert committee has recommended that even after the ban is lifted, authorities should keep a close watch on the activities of these organisations, their funding and education programmes.

If there is any kind of threat to the national security from these organizations in the future,the committee has recommended to strictly implement the law and reimpose the ban.

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Party Leaders approve appointing a select committee to probe ex-election EC members

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Party Leaders today approved a motion to appoint a select committee to ascertain whether the privileges of MPs have been violated by the actions of former members of the Election Commission and to make suitable recommendations.

The Parliament media unit, which quoted Secretary General Kushani Rohanadeera said party leaders approved the motion when they met Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene at the chair.

It has also been decided to have a debate on the matter later in the day.

The motion was initially handed over to the speaker by 14 members of Parliament on the pretext that the former members of the Elections Commission, N. G. Punchihewa, S. B. Divaratne, N. M. Mohammed, K. K. P Pathirana and P. S. M. Charles are accountable to the House as per provisions of article 104 B (3) of the constitution and that they have exercised their duties as interim members as per article 30 (4) of the 21st amendment to the constitution.

It was reported that the main opposition party, the SJB has objected to the setting up of the committee, arguing that no one can interfere with the independent commissions. Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said his party opposed the move.

No investor yet for debt-ridden SriLankan Airlines

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No investor has so far come forward in response to government plans to privatize the debt-ridden SriLankan Airlines.

Government sources said this has prompted a new plan by the finance ministry for the national carrier to go public with assistance from the World Bank.

SriLankan owes Rs. 316,570 million to state banks, the CPC and other service providers.

It has a 5,600-strong permanent staff, in addition to 500 contract and casual workers.

Some of its departments have a surplus of employees, including 300 managers, while there is a shortage of manpower in certain categories.

In the past three years, 50 pilots had left service with 22 in arrears to meet a requirement of 290.

All of its fleet of 24 aircraft has been obtained on lease, and six of them have been taken out of service due to a non-availability of engines and other spare-parts.

Srilankan has to pay around 700,000 US dollars a month per leased aircraft.

Two aircraft in use for 23 years had been returned.

A voluntary retirement scheme introduced during the coronavirus pandemic has not addressed the surplus segment of employees.

Meanwhile, aviation minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the carrier will continue with foreign pilots even if all the local pilots leave service.

Speaking to the media, he also said the chosen investor will have the freedom to take administrative decisions during the restructuring.

SJB to submit no-confidence motion against Health Minister

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The Samagi Jana Balawegaya has announced its intention to submit a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, which will be handed over to the Speaker of Parliament this week.

Kavinda Jayawardena, Assistant Secretary of the party, stated that he will initiate discussions to garner support from all parliamentary parties in this matter. Efforts are underway to engage all parties represented in Parliament to gather collective support for the motion.