Category: News

Final Day to Cast Postal Votes, Today

Posted on | by TELO Admin

Today is the final day for eligible voters to cast their postal ballots for the 2024 general election.

Saman Sri Ratnayake, the Commissioner General of Elections, confirmed that state sector employees who missed the earlier postal voting dates—October 30, and November 1 and 4—may vote today. These days have been designated as additional voting opportunities for those unable to participate on the primary voting days.

Voters casting their ballots today must do so at the district secretariat of the area where their workplace is located.

More than 736,000 individuals are eligible to vote by postal ballot in this election.

Sri Lanka’s BRICS membership application rejected, NDB membership offered

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Sri Lanka’s application to become a member in the BRICS has been rejected by the group’s current membership, but its request to become a member of BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) has been accepted, the cabinet spokesman said.

Established in 2015 by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), the NDB is a multilateral development bank aimed at mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs).

Sri Lanka applied for the membership of BRICS when its delegation led by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardena took part in the BRICS summit last month held in Russia.

BRICS, an economic and political group has been gaining increasing relevance in recent years.

It poses several potential challenges to the global dominance of the United States and the central role of the U.S. dollar in international trade and finance.

“There are nine countries which are holding membership in BRICS. Sri Lanka applied for membership at the BRICS summit. But the nine member countries have decided not to entertain any new membership this time,” Herath told reporters at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing held on Wednesday (06) in Colombo.

“We applied for membership only close to October summit. We also spoke to foreign ministers of many countries to back us. Those countries also backed us. But when the summit decided not to expand membership, we won’t get that opportunity,” he said.

“But we applied to get the membership of the NDB Bank which comes under BRICS. We have got an opportunity to implement that. It should be decided by Sri Lanka government. We will be deciding at the Cabinet in the future,” Herath said.

“We have sent this (approval) to the Finance Ministry. We will decide this based on the Finance Ministry assessment.”

“There are countries like that. For instance, if you take Bangladesh, it is not a member of BRICS. But it is a member of the NDB Bank. Similarly we also, as a country, are trying to get the membership. We will discuss this to get the approval through Finance Ministry.”

One of the primary goals of BRICS has been to reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar in international trade. Member nations have been exploring the use of local currencies in trade settlements, reducing exposure to dollar volatility and U.S.-imposed sanctions.

The BRICS nations established the NDB to offer an alternative source of funding for infrastructure and development projects, which were traditionally dominated by Western-led institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

By providing such alternatives, BRICS countries challenge the influence of the U.S. and the West in global finance

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LG Polls in early Jan.?

Posted on | by TELO Admin

The Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the Local Government (LG) Elections within this year and aims to hold it in January 2025, it is learnt.

Originally scheduled to be held early last year (2023), the LG Elections had to be postponed due to the lack of funds or the non-provision of funds.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (7), EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that the plan is to hold the LG Elections soon after the Parliamentary (General) Election, though a brief period will be required for preparations. “There is some work to be done and the officers are exhausted. So, a brief period will be needed. However, our plan is to declare the LG Elections this year and to hold it in early January 2025.”

The LG Elections were initially scheduled to be held on 9 March 2023, but the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry and the general Treasury had not released the required funds to the EC, which then rescheduled the Elections to 25 April 2023. Since the funds were not released by that time too, the EC once again postponed the Elections, this time, indefinitely.

Calling the non-holding of the LG Elections ‘a continuing violation’ of the citizens’ fundamental rights (FR), the Supreme Court (SC) directed the EC to schedule the LG Elections 2023 at the earliest possible. The SC held that it was the duty of the EC to seek the cooperation of all the relevant Government institutions to conduct the Elections in terms of the constitutional and statutory provisions, and to consult the relevant Government institutions in a timely manner. The SC made a finding in this context that “the impugned acts and omissions” of the EC that were in effect at the time when the Election process was put on hold, “had resulted in the infringement of the FRs guaranteed under the Constitution.”

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Special Days Designated for Postal Voting Begin Today

Posted on | by TELO Admin

The two special days for postal voting in the 2024 General Election officially commence today.

According to Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake, state sector employees who were unable to cast their postal votes on the previously designated dates—October 30, November 1, and November 4—can now do so on November 7 and 8.

Voting arrangements have been made for these employees at the District Secretariat corresponding to their workplace locations.

General Election campaigning ends on Monday

Posted on | by TELO Admin

The election campaigning activities for the 2024 General Election are scheduled to end at midnight on Monday (Nov. 11).

Accordingly, the silence period will be in effect from midnight on Monday until Thursday (Nov. 14), when the election will be held.

During this period, any form of election campaign activities are prohibited, and the police are authorized to arrest any parties that violate election rules and to enforce the law, according to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, postal voters who were unable to cast their votes on the designated days are permitted to vote at the District Secretariat corresponding to their workplace location today (07) and tomorrow (08).

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Lohan Ratwatte and wife further remanded

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Former Minister Lohan Ratwatte and his wife have been ordered to be remanded further until November 18 by the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court.

The former Minister of State Lohan Ratwatte and his wife, who were arrested and remanded over the charges of using a luxury car illegally imported and assembled in Sri Lanka, were produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court this morning (07).

Ratwatte, who was arrested by Mirihana Police in Kandy on October 31, was ordered to be remanded by the Nugegoda Additional Magistrate until today.

However, on November 02, the former Minister was admitted to the prison hospital owing to an illness, where he was subsequently transferred to Colombo National Hospital.

Meanwhile, on November 04, Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of the former State Minister, was also arrested after appearing before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court in relation to the incident, as per a court order, where she was ordered to be remanded in custody until today.

Police had found the luxury car in question during an inspection carried out based on information received by the police headquarters regarding a luxury car without number plates at a three-storied house in the Embuldeniya area in Mirihana, belonging to Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.

During the investigation, both Ratwatte and his wife had explained to the police that his mother-in-law resides in the said house. They had claimed that the car had been brought there three weeks ago by Ratwatte’s private secretary, who was recently found dead with gunshot injuries in the Katugastota area of Kandy.

However, Ratwatte, who was admitted to the Prison Hospital for treatment on November 02, was later transferred to the Colombo General Hospital, owing to a sudden illness while in custody.

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Trump claims victory over Harris in US presidential election

Posted on | by TELO Admin

AFP- Donald Trump claimed victory and pledged to “heal” the country Wednesday as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.

His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far.

As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted “USA”, Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his children.

“We are going to help our country heal,” the Republican former president said.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

US networks have called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others although they have not been called yet.

Gloom swiftly descended on Harris’s camp.

“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, told a watch party in Washington as supporters left.

In a further blow to Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also seized control of the Senate, flipping two seats to overturn a narrow Democratic majority.

A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.

– Mood shift –

Polls for weeks had shown a knife-edge race between Harris and Trump, who would be the oldest ever president at the time of inauguration, the first felon president and only the second in history to serve non-consecutive terms.

Trump also faces sentencing in a criminal case over hush money payments on November 26, while the controversy over his denial of his 2020 election defeat by Joe Biden still persists.

But in the end victory came surprisingly quickly.

The mood shifted sharply at Harris’s watch party in Howard University — her former college and a historically Black university in Washington — as the results came in.

“I am scared,” said Charlyn Anderson. “I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move.”

In contrast, the celebrations intensified at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and the watch party nearby.

Tech tycoon Elon Musk, who has backed Trump and stands to lead a government efficiency commission under him, posted a picture of himself with the Republican.

“Game, set and match,” Musk said on X, the social media network he owns along with the Tesla electric vehicle firm and the Space X company.

Millions of Americans had lined up throughout Election Day — and millions more voted early — in a race with momentous consequences for the United States and the world.

They were deciding whether to either hand a historic comeback to Trump or make Harris the first woman in the world’s most powerful job.

In a stark reminder of the tension — and fears of outright violence — dozens of bomb threats were made against polling stations in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

The FBI said the threats appeared to originate in Russia, which is accused by Washington of trying to meddle in the election. The threats were all hoaxes but succeeded in disrupting proceedings.

– Dark rhetoric –

Harris, 60, had aiming to be only the second Black and first person of South Asian descent to be president.

She made a dramatic entrance into the race when Biden dropped out in July, while Trump — twice impeached while president — has since ridden out two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction.

She hammered home her message that Trump was a threat to democracy and her opposition to Trump-backed abortion bans.

Trump has vowed an unprecedented deportation campaign of millions of undocumented immigrants, in a campaign full of dark rhetoric.

The election is being watched closely around the world including in the war zones of Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump has indicated he will cut aid to Kyiv’s battle against the Russian invasion.

No double standard on PTA: Government clarifies

Posted on | by TELO Admin

In the wake of concerns raised by some parties over the government’s stance on the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Minister Vijitha Herath said today the government had not changed its stance on the need to amend or abolish PTA while stating that the PTA will be taken up for discussion in the new parliament.

He told the Cabinet briefing that he was misquoted by some media on an earlier occasion where he explained the matter and said the government had not adopted a double standard on the matter as claimed by some politicians in the north.

The Minister stressed that the PTA will not be amended or abolished at this juncture but, it will be taken up for discussion on the new parliament is convened.

Batticaloa Teaching Hospital surgical unit built under Indian grant assistance inaugurated

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High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Secretary, Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, Dr. Palitha Mahipala jointly inaugurated the newly constructed surgical unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital on 04 November 2024.

Government Agent Batticaloa, Muralidharan; Eastern Provincial Health Secretary and Municipal Commissioner Batticaloa, Sivalingam; Director, Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, Dr. Kalaranchane Ganeshalingam; senior officials from the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, Eastern Provincial Council and Batticaloa District Administration; and staff of the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, among others, attended the event.

The need for a new surgical ward was identified at the hospital around 2015 due to the escalating number of patients admitted to wards, and the growing number of surgeries performed.

At the time of the proposal, approximately 1280 patients were on waiting lists for surgeries.

Due to the hospital’s limited facilities, patients had to face excessive waiting times.

At the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of India agreed to extend assistance for construction of the new surgical unit.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in February 2016, for grant assistance from India of SLR 275 million towards the project.

Subsequently, the Government of India infused additional funds, taking the total Indian commitment to SLR 302 million for the project.

The scope of the project encompassed construction of a two-story building with an approximate total floor area of 1464 square meters, with four state-of-the-art operation theatres and ten ICU beds, along with essential infrastructure such as IT works, mechanical works, electrical work, water supply and drainage systems.

Though the Covid-19 pandemic and economic difficulties in the country posed some challenges over the course of the project, the original scope of work was recently completed, which was followed by testing and commissioning of the facility.

In addition, based on requests from the hospital authorities, Government of India approved and executed several additional elements such as integrating components including generators, medical gas, and electrical systems from the neighbouring renal care unit into the new surgical unit.

At the inauguration ceremony, Secretary, Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, Dr. Mahipala conveyed the gratitude of the Government of Sri Lanka to the Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for the project, which fulfills a significant requirement in unimpeded provision of critical medical services by the hospital.

In this regard, Director, Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, Dr. Kalaranchane Ganeshalingam highlighted that the newly built surgical unit is expected to reduce 50% of the waiting lists for surgeries, and benefit 3,000 to 5,000 new patients each year, thus considerably improving access to quality healthcare services in the region.

High Commissioner Jha highlighted various proposed, planned and ongoing bilateral projects—both, investment-led and grant assistance-based—in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Eastern Province.

On the investment front, he cited the development of tank farms, solar power plant in Sampur and the multiproduct pipeline.

On the development assistance front, he recalled the construction and renovation of 4000 houses in the Eastern Province under the first two phases of the Indian Housing Project, which encompassed a total of 46,000 houses; treatment at Indian emergency medical units to thousands of patients in 2009-10 in the aftermath of the armed conflict; livelihood sustenance assistance extended from time to time to the fishing community of the Province; rail-bus service set up between Trincomalee and Batticaloa; projects for infrastructure upgradation and equipment supply carried out at over 500 educational centres, including the Eastern University and vocational training centres at Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam; support provided to empowerment of women through livelihood activities; financial assistance being extended to students at Eastern University from economically weaker sections of society; among other salient initiatives.

The High Commissioner also underscored that last year, India has committed to a new package of multi-sectoral grant assistance of around 2.35 billion Sri Lankan Rupees for the Eastern Province.

A framework for cooperation on 33 livelihood sustenance projects is close to being finalized under the package.

The newly inaugurated surgical unit at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital adds to a long list of development cooperation initiatives of India in Sri Lanka in the health sector, a few salient examples of which include the island-wide 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service; medical assistance rendered in the wake of the armed conflict as well as, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic; construction of 150-bed multi-specialty hospital at Dickoya; and infrastructure creation and upgradation, as well as equipment supply at, Jaffna Teaching Hospital and District Hospitals at Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, among others.