Category: News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has extended the term of General Shavendra Silva as the Chief of Defence Staff.

General Shavendra Silva has been given an extension until 31st December 2024, a gazette notice stated.

The gazette notice issued by President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake said that the President, in terms of Section 3 of the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009,
has re-appointed General Lokugan Hewage Shavendra Chandana Silva, as the Chief of Defence Staff for the period of June 01, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

In spite of differences between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) over the latter’s call for early General Election, a consensus seems to be emerging on the overall political strategy with the ruling party voting for the Sri Lanka Electricity Amendment Bill, political sources say.

The SLPP has so far declined to officially endorse Ranil Wickremesinghe candidature at the forthcoming Presidential Election though several members publicly supported the UNP leader.

SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, in spite of publicly declaring his opposition to the government privatization and restructuring plan, voted for the Bill along with his elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa, MP, his son, Shashendra Rajapaksa and General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, who recently warned of the SLPP withdrawing support to the government.

However, SLPP National List MP Namal Rajapaksa skipped the vote. Namal Rajapaksa was among about 10 SLPPers absent at the time of the voting.

During the debate JJB MP Vijitha Herath declared that the Bill was enacted to pave the way for the Adanis.

The Supreme Court determined the Bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84 (2). This inconsistency shall however cease if Clause 1(2) and Clause 1(3) were amended, the SC declared.

Political sources said that the SLPP’s stand was surprising against the backdrop of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s declaration on May 12 that the privatization and restructuring programme of the government should he stopped, pending the conclusion of the Presidential Poll later this year.

The following MPs voted for the Bill: Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha, Bandula Gunawardena, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Gamini Lokuge, Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera, Major (retd.) Pradeep Undugoda, Premanath C. Dolawatte, Madura Withanage, Nalin Fernando, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, A.H.M. Fowzie (SJB), Indika Anuruddha, Sisira Jayakody, Prasanna Ranaweera, Nimal Lanza, Kokila Harshani Gunawardena, Milan Jayatilleke, Upul Mahendra Rajapaksa, Sahan Pradeep Vithana, Vudura Wickremanayake, Piyal Nishantha de Silva, Anupa Pasqual, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Sanjeewa Edirimanne, Lalith Warnakumara Manju, Dilum Amunugama, Lohan Ratwatte, Anuradha Jayarathna, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, Rohana Dissanayake, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda, Jeevan Thondaman, S.B. Dissanayake, C. B. Ratnayake, M. Rameshwaram, Ramesh Pathirana, Manusha Nanayakkara, Mohan de Silva, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Sampath Atukorale, Isuru Dodangoda, Kanchana Wijesekera, D.V. Chanaka, Ajith Rajapaksha, Chamal Rajapaksha, Douglas Devananda, Carder Masthan, Seevanesathurai Chandrakanthan, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, S.M.M. Musharaff, D. Weerasinghe, Kapila Nuwan Atukorale, Mahinda Rajapaksa, D. B. Herath, Shantha Bandara, Johnston Fernando, U.K. Sumith Udukumbura, Samanpriya Herath, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Ashoka Priyantha, Priyankara Jayaratne, Ali Sabri Raheem, Shehan Semasinghe, S.M. Chandrasena, S. C. Muthukumarana, M. G. Weerasena, Siripala Gamlath, Jagath Samarawickrema, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Thenuka Vidanagamage, A Aravinda Kumar, Janaka Tissakuttiarachchi, Major (retd) Sudarshana Denipitiya, Vijitha Berugoda, Shashendra Rajapaksha, Dr. Gayashan Nawanandana, Kumarasiri Ratnayake, Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi, Janaka Wakkumbura, Premalal Jayasekera, John Seneviratne, Akila Saliya Ellawela, Muditha Prishanthi, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Kanaka Herath, Tharaka Balasuriya, Sudath Manjula, Rajika Wickremesinghe, Ali Sabry, Tiran Alles, Dr. Seetha Armbepola, Suren Raghavan, Wajira Abeywardena, Jayantha Ketagoda, Sagara Kariyawasam, Yadamini Gunawardena, Manjula Disanayake, Ranjith Bandara, Jayantha Weerasinghe and Mohamed Faleel Marjan.

Of the 103 MPs who voted for the Bill, two represented the SJB (Manusha Nanayakkara and A.H.M. Fowzie).

Sources said that Udayakantha Gunatilleke, though being present in Parliament at the time of the voting, hadn’t voted. The JJB’s three MPs -Anurta Kuamar Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath and Dr. Harini Amarasuriya – voted against the Bill, whereas the 10-member Tamil National Alliance (TNA) abstained.

Twenty MPs who had been elected on the SLPP ticket at the last General Election voted against the Bill, along with 36 SJB MPs. The SJB won 54 seats at the last General Election.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena (SLPP/Polonnaruwa) skipped the vote, whereas other SLFP MPs voted for the Bill. They included Wijeyadasa Rajapakse and Nimal Siripala de Silva, leading two factions in the SLFP.

Sources said that the SLPP’s backing for the Bill meant that the May 12 statement regarding their opposition to privatization and restructuring was not relevant.

They said that the SLPP was most likely to support the Economic Transformation Bill (ETB) that had been challenged by the SJB in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court summarized the Constitutionality of Sri Lanka Electricity Bill as follows:

The Bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by a special majority of Parliament required under Article 84 (2). This inconsistency shall however cease if Clause 1(2) and Clause 1(3) are amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clauses 3(6) (a) and 10(1) (c) are inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority required under Article 84(2). However, the inconsistency shall cease if those Clauses are amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

The first proviso to Clause 11(1) of the Bill is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84 (2). However, the said inconsistency shall cease if the Clause is amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 17 is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). The said inconsistency shall however cease and Clause 17 may be passed by a simple majority if the Clause is amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 18(3) (e) (ii) of the Bill is inconsistent with the provisions of Article 12(1) and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). The said inconsistency shall however cease if Clause 18(3) is amended as set out in the Summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 18(3) (f) of the Bill is inconsistent with Article 12(1) and Article 14(1) (g) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). However, the said inconsistency shall cease if the Clause 18(3) (f) is amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 18(5) (b) (ii) is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). The said inconsistency shall however cease if Clause 18(5) (b) (ii) is amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 21 and Clause 23 are inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). The said inconsistency shall however cease if those Clauses are amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 38 (2) of the Bill is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall only be passed by the special majority required under Article 84(2). The said inconsistency shall cease if Clause 38(2) is amended as per the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 48 is violative of Article 4(a) read together with Article 3 and 76 and hence needs to be passed by the special majority of Parliament and approved by the People at a Referendum.

The definition of ‘national grid’ in Clause 53 of the Bill is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and shall be passed by the special majority of Parliament required under Article 84(2). However, the said inconsistency shall cease if the said definition is amended as set out in the summary of the Determination of the Supreme Court.

Sri Lanka government has decided to allocate a quota of foreign employments for retired military personnel after reports of over 15 deaths of former servicemen who had gone to Ukraine and Russia to take part in the ongoing war for money.

At least 16 Sri Lankans are reported to have been killed and over 600 likely to have joined as combatants mainly to Russian side, taking risk for higher salary, official sources say.

However, an escapee has said over 200 Sri Lanka ex-soldiers have died in the Russia-Ukraine frontline amid drone attacks.

The Foreign Employment Ministry has expressed willingness to provide a quota from foreign employment opportunities received by the government to retired military personnel and their family members, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement after a discussion on Tuesday (04).

It said Foreign Employment Ministry had already said that “a certain amount of construction sector job opportunities will be provided in Israel”.

“Arrangements are being made to provide loan facilities to expatriates at concessional interest rates through state banks and 67 personnel from the Army have been identified to be sent for these jobs,” the Defence Ministry said.

“Further, instructions have been given to Navy and Air Force authorities to call for nominations from prospective personnel.”

“Furthermore, it was informed that retired three armed forces members under the age of 44 years will be selected and they will have to undergo a brief training through the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment and also face an examination conducted by them.”

The new job opportunities to retired military comes as a Sri Lankan delegation is expected to leave to Moscow to have discussions over concerns over hundreds of the island nation’s ex-soldiers now joined Russia-Ukraine war.

Returnees from Russia have said hundreds of Sri Lankan ex-soldiers and other are serving in Ukraine-Russia frontlines with most being duped that they were sent for support work as camp helpers.

Sri Lankan ex-soldiers have been recruited by several teams of people on the promise of high salaries for working as camp helpers. Sri Lanka has already arrested two military officers who were involved in one recruitment team.

The Defence Ministry has already made it mandatory to get its clearance fpr ex-servicemen applying for Russian visit visas.

Tens of thousands of retired Sri Lankan soldiers have been facing difficulties in managing with monthly pensions after an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe began preparations for the upcoming Presidential elections by opening his new political office in Colombo.

The office, located on Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha, will serve as the center for future political operations.

The ceremony included religious rites and blessings performed by prominent religious leaders, including the Chief Sanghanayake of the Western Province, Venerable Dr. Murutthettuwe Ananda Nayaka Thero, the Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Chief Sanghanayake of the Uva Province with Colombo District, Venerable Maharagama Nanda Nayaka Thero, and the head of five major temples including the Kollupitiya Valukarama Maha Viharaya.

The establishment of the office was initiated by United National Party Chairman and Member of Parliament, Wajira Abeywardena.

The event was attended by Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, other Government ministers, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka and numerous UNP activists.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is poised for significant structural changes as the party’s Executive Council and Politburo convene this morning at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence in Wijerama, Colombo.

The key agenda for the meeting is the amendment of the party constitution to introduce a new main position within the SLPP.

The UK Metropolitan Police confirmed they have arrested a man in connection to war crimes committed in Sri Lanka, the second such arrest to have taken place in the United Kingdom.

The 60-year-old suspect was arrested on 21 November 2023, under suspicion of an offence under Section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act, 2001. The arrest specifically relates to the killing of two individuals during a political rally in Jaffna in late 2001.

It is suspected that the attack referred to by the police is the one in November 2001 in Velanaitivu, Jaffna. The attack was reportedly committed by the government-aligned paramilitary group the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) against members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) whilst they were campaigning. Two TNA activists were killed during the attack and several others were injured.

This arrest is the second of its kind, with Metropolitan Police arresting another individual, under the same offence, in connection with the murder of journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan who was killed in 2000. That arrest took place in 2022 and that person was released under investigation, with enquiries still ongoing. The EPDP is also suspected of carrying out the killing.

Following this second arrest, the UK police have issued a statement calling on individuals who can provide first-hand information of war crimes committed in the early 2000s in Sri Lanka to speak with them.

“We know that these crimes have a lasting and significant impact on victims and witnesses and we’ve now made two arrests as part of this investigation,” said Commander Dominic Murphy. “This is a sign of the progress made by officers looking into these extremely serious crimes.”

“As in all serious cases, we need as much eye-witness testimony as possible to continue to build the case. We know that there are people with information about these incidents during the civil war in Sri Lanka who have not yet come forward. We urge those people to contact police – we will support you, and your information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

These arrests follow increasing calls on members of the international community to conduct arrests of those accused of human rights violations in Sri Lanka under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Both incidents were part of a referral made in 2017 to the Counter Terrorism Policing War Crimes team, which is hosted by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and the investigation remains ongoing.

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP-led NDA’s “historic” achievement of securing three consecutive victories in the Lok Sabha elections, Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa on Wednesday reaffirmed support for India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Making a special speech in the Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday, Premadasa emphasised that India, with its status as the world’s most populous country and a significant global economic and military power, deserves this recognition.

“This is of utmost importance as India has the largest population in the whole world. Also, when you examine the world’s economic, security power configuration, I feel that this representation of India in the UNSC must be achieved and must be promoted,” said Premadasa.

“We as parliamentarians, all 225, in this august assembly would like to propose that India be made a permanent member of the UN Security Council. I think it is long overdue and it should be implemented as quickly as possible,” the Opposition leader said, expressing his confidence that the current permanent members of the UNSC would acknowledge India’s rightful place in the global power structure.

“I am pretty sure that the five members who are there right now would have no objection to establishing this world power reality in the UN structure,” he stated. Premadasa also acknowledged the strong bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and India and expressed gratitude for India’s significant financial support including grants, loans, and other financial aid totaling approximately six billion USD.

“We have seen the brotherly neighborhood relationship between the two countries as India is the largest single donor to Sri Lanka with around $6 billion in grants, loans and financial support.

We appreciate the support that India has provided to us when Sri Lanka has been suffering from a variety of challenges including economic bankruptcy,” said Premadasa.

Hailing his visionary leadership, practical policies, and effective governance, the SJB leader highlighted that Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to accomplish the feat of leading the country for the third time.

“Prime Minister Modi has been a remarkable person who commenced his work from humble beginnings. He came from a small family and didn’t have a huge family background. He did not have a power base to commence work. But during his stint as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and later as the Indian PM, he has exhibited stupendous energy, charisma, hard work and the singular determination to make India number one in the world. This is at a time when most of the countries in the region are going through sluggish economic growth,” said Premadasa while praising PM Modi’s achievement.

“We see India as a unique country that also extricated itself from the Covid-19 catastrophe.

India has been a shining example of how you get out of desperate situations, despair and economic catastrophe and how you transform and translate a bad situation into a better one. I would like to congratulate honourable PM Modi on his remarkable achievement in almost all states. Of course, there have been states where he has done very well and there are certain states where the BJP-NDA is yet to make its imprint,” he said in his speech.

The Sri Lankan Opposition leader also reiterated his commitment to maintain cooperation between the two nations to ensure mutual prosperity and benefits.

“We would like to continuously have a very close relationship with India, our great and brotherly neighbour. We would like to have a strong productive and constructive relationship with them,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe also congratulated PM Modi on NDA’s victory and re-election for the third term.

“I extend my warmest felicitations to the BJP-led NDA on its victory, demonstrating the confidence of the Indian people in the progress and prosperity under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. As the closest neighbour, Sri Lanka looks forward to further strengthening the partnership with India,” President Wickremesinghe posted on X.

Modi tweeted in response: “Thank you President Ranil Wickremesinghe. I look forward to our continued cooperation on the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership.”

Source: IANS