Category: News

The Mahanayake of the Malwatta Chapter Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera has raised concerns regarding the security aspect of the proposed link road between Sri Lanka and India was when constructed.

The Thera raised this concern during a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha yesterday at the Malwatta temple.

Ven.Sumangala Thera pointed out that Sri Lanka did not have any produce to be exported to India through the proposed road but Sri Lanka would face the threat of large consignments of Kerala Ganja and narcotics being smuggled into the country.

However, the High Commissioner explained that the project would not be implemented in the near future and that the planning of the project and talks regarding its implementation would take at least two years.

He refuted the misconception that the project was unfavourable to Sri Lanka and that it would be beneficial to the two countries. In reply to the Ven. Thera’s query whether an agreement had been signed between the two countries to implement the project, the Indian High Commissioner pointed out that it was subject to talks.

He said the individuals engaging in contraband trades would not use the main entrance but use secret accesses.

The High Commissioner further said that Indian Prime Minister had implemted several projects to uplift Buddhist places of worship and to reduced the expenditure on power and energy.

In reply to a query from the media he said the Indian government was prepared to extend its cooperation to any President or government in power.

Asst. High Commissioner in Kandy Athira S was present at the occasion.

A Gazette notification will be issued tonight stipulating the maximum amount that a Presidential Candidate can spend on each voter during their election campaigns, the Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said.

Accordingly, the maximum amount that each candidate can spend will be gazette as Rs. 109.00 per voter, he said.

All upcoming national elections will be subject to new campaign finance laws that will limit the amount of funding that candidates, political parties and independent groups can spend on their campaigns.

Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, the Election Commission had met with various stakeholders to brief them on the legislation and obtain their views and suggestions on establishing the spending limit and how to move forward in implementing the laws.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (18) pledged to abolish the Executive Presidency if he is elected President next month.

Premadasa made this pledge during a rally at Ruwanwella.

“A number of past Presidents have pledged to abolish the Executive Presidency but never did it. I will do it and introduce a system based on the legislature,” he said.

SLPP presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa met Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith today at the Archbishop’s official residence in Borella.

During the meeting, the Archbishop reportedly emphasised the need for an independent commission to investigate those responsible for the Easter Sunday bomb attacks.

Rajapaksa agreed on the importance of establishing an independent judicial commission for this purpose.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa visited the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo, Sunday, and had talks with the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya said that Premadasa sought blessings of the church for the 2024 Presidential Election.

The Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva, His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. J D Anthony Jayakody, His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. P Anton Ranjith, Rev. Fr. Syril Gamini, abd Rev. Fr. Indika Joy attended the meeting.

The Chinese naval training ship, PLANS Po Lang, is set to visit Sri Lanka as part of its midshipmen ocean-going training mission.

This visit is scheduled to take place between mid-August and late November, according to a statement from Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense.

The mission, which includes stops in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and a technical stop in Hong Kong, aims to enhance the professional capabilities of midshipmen.

It also seeks to strengthen exchanges, cooperation, and mutual trust between the Chinese PLA Navy and the navies of the destination countries.

Senior Colonel Zhang emphasized that this initiative is part of China’s broader effort to contribute to the building of a maritime community with a shared future.

A group of election observers from the European Union and the Commonwealth have arrived in Sri Lanka to monitor the September 21 presidential election, Election Commission officials said on Sunday.

They arrived in the island at the invitation of Sri Lanka’s Election Commission.

The EU has previously done election monitoring in Sri Lanka six times with the last being at the presidential election of 2019.

“The deployment of the Election Observation Mission in Sri Lanka this year confirms our long-standing commitment to supporting credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections in the country,” the head of the observer group said in a statement on Saturday.

“The forthcoming presidential election will give a new impetus to democracy following the 2022 political and economic crisis. This election is important for Sri Lanka to continue making progress on its path of reforms and lasting recovery, in full respect of democratic values,” the head of the observer group was quoted as saying.

The EU observer mission is comprised of different groups of observers.

While the core team of a Deputy Chief Observer and nine election experts have already arrived in Colombo, 26 long-term observers will join the mission and will be deployed across the country to follow the election campaign.

Thereafter, 32 short-term observers will reinforce the mission on election week, also deployed throughout the country.

Over 17.1 million registered voters are eligible to vote at the election for a direct vote to elect an executive president for a 5-year term.

The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the front runners with over 17 million of the island’s 21 million population eligible to vote.