Category: News

Representatives of the National People’s Power (NPP) met Australian High Commissioner Paul Stephens where several matters including the postponement of elections, the Online Safety Bill and the Anti-Terrorism Bill were discussed.

NPP members Vijitha Herath and Harini Amarasuriya met the High Commissioner at his official residence this morning.

They discussed at length the political and economic situation in the country. The NPP members brought to the attention of the HC the moves to bring in the Online Safety Bill and Anti-Terrorism Bill to suppress protests of the people.

They also discussed the non-conduct, delay and moves to avoid holding elections.

SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has voiced his displeasure over the recent Cabinet reshuffle that took place, deeming it a mere ‘change of posts’, as opposed to an effective solution the issues Sri Lanka is currently facing.

Responding to questions from the media, Rajapaksa emphasised that when running a coalition government such as the incumbent administration, it is the state’s responsibility to ensure that a mechanism in place which would allow for discussions to be held with all political parties involved in the decision-making process.

Commenting further on the matter, MP Rajapaksa revealed that since of late, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) stance was not considered when making certain decisions.

He assured, however, that despite this, there is no feud between the SLPP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), albeit recent speculation in this regard, adding that, “Ultimately, we all believe that a system that would give the people of this country a certain extent of relief is what needs to be implemented”.

The SLPP MP thus opined that the “changing of portfolios and positions” does not allow for such a system to be implemented, nor does it resolve any of the country’s issues.

While acknowledging the Head of State’s right to make decisions such as the recent Cabinet reshuffle, the SLPP MP emphasised the President’s responsibility is to create a system beneficial to the country’s citizens, and thereby highlighted the due responsibility to consult all political parties affiliated with the coalition government when making such decisions.

“Electricity bills have increased, water bills too, are expected to increase and there is also talk of new taxes being introduced. The President openly admitted to increasing electricity tariffs following discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). If they are going to take political decisions based on discussions with the IMF, instead of with the related political parties, then that it is their way of governance. But the end result is the fact that people of this country are the ones who are left affected. If they think that such discussions and measures would resolve the country’s health crisis, or help drag Sri Lanka and its citizens out of this economic crisis that they have been forced to face; they are wrong”, the SLPP MP stated, highlighting that no proper measures are being taken to maintaining living expenses at affordable rates.

Commenting on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision-making, the SLPP MP stated that while the political party is grateful for the fact that he accepted the presidency when invited to do so at a time where the country was in turmoil, and other potential candidates backed out, it is imperative that the President, in his capacity as a seasoned politician, understands coalition politics and the need for discussions with all political parties, or at least the patty leaders, prior to making certain decisions.

Thus, Rajapaksa stated that with the upcoming discussions for the Appropriation Bill (The Budget) for the fiscal year 2024, he hoped that the President will implement a mechanism that would bring relief to the people.

(The Hindu) – China is trying to expand global military footprints, with a latest Pentagon report naming 18 countries, besides Djibouti and Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, to insist that Beijing has “probably” “considered” them as “locations for PLA (People’s Liberation Army) military logistics facilities”.

Of these considered defence facilities outside the China which would provide PLA military access in case of any operational requirements, four are India’s immediate neighbours — Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Burma (Myanmar) and another three of them — Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia — are in the South East Asia, as per the US Department of Defence’s annual report to Congress on “Military and Security Developments Involving the People Republic of China 2023”.

“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) probably also has considered other countries as locations for PLA military logistics facilities, including Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tajikistan,” the annual report released by the US Department of Defence this month stated.

The PLA’s Strategic Support Force (SSF), revealed the US report, operates tracking, telemetry, and command stations in Namibia, Pakistan, Argentina, and Kenya.

The Beijing is doing it to expand its overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, the Pentagon report observed but cautioned that its global network “could disrupt US military operations”.

The Pentagon findings also narrated that China has scaled up deployment of forces and infrastructure build-up along the Line of Actual Control since the 2020 Galwan stand off with India in eastern Ladakh. These improvements include underground storage facilities near Doklam, new roads in all three sectors of the LAC, new villages in disputed areas in Bhutan, a second bridge over Pangong Lake, a dual airport and multiple helipads.

The report, at the same time, stated negotiations between India and China “made minimal progress as both sides resisted losing perceived advantages on the border”.

“Since early May 2020, sustained tensions along the India-China border have dominated the Western Theater Command’s attention.” “Differing perceptions between India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regarding border demarcations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) combined with recent infrastructure construction on both sides, led to multiple clashes, an ongoing standoff, and military buildups along the shared border,” the report said.

In 2022, China deployed one border regiment, supported by two divisions of Xinjiang and Tibet Military Districts with four combined arms brigades (CAB) in reserve in the western sector of the LAC. “China also deployed as many as three light-to-medium CABs in the eastern sector from other theater commands and an additional three CABs in the central sector of the LAC. Although some elements of a light CAB eventually withdrew, a majority of the deployed forces remain in place along the LAC,” it pointed out on enhanced deployment at the border.

The Galwan face off which, it said, lead to death of 20 Indian Army personnel and four of PLA’s, significantly strained the bilateral ties. The deployment of the PLA’s Western Theater Command, oriented toward India and counterterrorism missions along China’s Central Asia borders, along the LAC will likely continue through 2023, it said.

Support for leftist National People’s Power (NPP) among voters has increased by 42 percent, putting them “well ahead” of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the president’s United National Party (UNP) and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), survey data showed.

“In Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) polling for September 2023, support amongst likely voters for the NPP/JVP increased to 42 percent (+9). This put them well ahead of the SJB on 22 percent, the UNP on 13 percent, and the SLPP on 8 percent,” the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) said in a statement Monday October 23 morning.

In the three months since June 2023, the most notable trends in the SLOTS MRP polling are a significant increase in support for the NPP/JVP, a fall in respondents saying they will vote for other minor or unnamed parties, and a modest upward trend in support for the UNP, the IHP said.

IHP and SLOTS director Ravi Rannan-Eliya was quoted as saying that this suggests that the current surge in support for the NPP/JVP is driven largely by undecided or floating voters opting for the NPP/JVP, instead of a swing away from the UNP which was the case earlier in the year.

SLOTS combines interviews from a national sample of adults (ages 18 and over) reached by random digit dialling of mobile numbers, and others coming from a national panel of respondents who were previously recruited through random selection. IHP estimates voting intent using an adaptation of Multilevel Regression and Post-Stratification (MRP), with multiple imputation to account for uncertainties in its modelling, exploiting data from all SLOTS interviews to estimate voting in a particular month.

The September 2023 MRP estimates are based on 599 interviews conducted in September 2023, and 13,431 interviews conducted overall from 1 October 2021–11 October 2023, with a margin of error assessed as 1–3 percent for the SJB, NPP/JVP, UNP, SLPP, SLFP, ITAK, TMVP and the other parties. As the September update uses a more recent data set than the previous update, the IHP said, there are small changes in estimates of voting shares for previous months. A total of 62 stochastic simulations were used in the modelling to estimate margins of error.

MRP is a method that is increasingly used by polling firms in other countries to leverage small samples, most notably by YouGov which used it to forecast results of the UK Brexit Referendum and recent UK general elections. The IHP said all estimates are adjusted to ensure the sample matches the national population with respect to age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, geographical location, and voting in the 2019 Presidential and 2020 General Elections.

Sri Lanka has approved the issuing of free visas to tourists from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand, the tourism minister said.

The cabinet approved this as a pilot project till 31 March with immediate effect.

“Cabinet approved visa free to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand as a pilot project,” Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.

Sri Lanka has free visas now to tourists from Singapore and Maldives who also do not charge a fee from Sri Lankans.

Others have to pay about 30 US dollars to get electronic travel authorization online, with a lower fee for South Asia.

The ETA comes fast and can be quickly filled.

“Sri Lanka may be known as the teardrop isle (due to its distinctive shape), but the country’s refreshingly straightforward visa system shouldn’t be a source of much anguish for travelers,” a story on Lonely Planet says.

“The process is very simple and quick,” according to Tripadvisor.com. “A visa can still be obtained at BIA Colombo for $5 extra, but having an ETA visa means quicker exit from the immigration process.”

The ETA made it much easier for travelers especially from non-Western countries to get prior authorization to visit Sri Lanka as they did not have to send documents to missions in the capital city.

However other observers say for Western visitors in particular, who are used do hopping on to planes or trains and travelling to other countries, visas and prepayments can be a barrier and Sri Lanka may lose out to competition.

There have been concerns raised of late that price floors on hotel rooms may put the country at a disadvantage.

In the ASEAN region also intra-region tourism is booming due to lack of visas.

The People’s Republic of China and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka have issued a 19 point-joint statement following a high-level meeting between the two countries’ leaders during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The meetinghas resulted in extensive common understandings and agreements on deepening their traditional friendship and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe held separate meetings during the forum, discussing a wide range of issues, from economic cooperation to regional and international concerns. The joint statement underscores several key points:

Historic Friendship: The leaders of both nations expressed satisfaction over the development of China-Sri Lanka relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1957. Their strong, enduring partnership, based on principles of independence, self-reliance, solidarity, and mutual assistance, has enabled them to overcome various challenges, including natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic difficulties.

Mutual Support: Both countries reiterated their support for each other’s core interests and major concerns. Sri Lanka reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China principle and opposed any form of “Taiwan independence.” China, in turn, affirmed its support for Sri Lanka’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Economic Cooperation: China has provided vital support to Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in 2022. They reached agreements on debt treatment and agreed to continue cooperating to help Sri Lanka address its financial difficulties and achieve sustainable development.

Belt and Road Initiative: Sri Lanka pledged continued active participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, signing several agreements to accelerate cooperation in this regard. The two countries are committed to sharing development experiences and creating new opportunities for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Trade and Investment: The leaders expressed their intention to conclude a comprehensive free trade agreement to enhance economic cooperation further. China will continue to support Sri Lankan industries in establishing ties with relevant Chinese associations and encourage more investment from Chinese enterprises.

Education and Culture: Both nations recognized the importance of education exchanges and cultural cooperation, intending to enhance exchanges of teachers, students, and researchers.

Environmental and Technological Cooperation: They agreed to cooperate on climate change adaptation, sustainable development, disaster prevention, and maritime issues. This includes strengthening joint efforts in disaster prevention and mitigation, research, and the blue economy.

Multilateral Cooperation: China and Sri Lanka pledged to uphold true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, and support the multilateral trading system. They also expressed their commitment to making economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.

Global Initiatives: Sri Lanka affirmed its support for and active participation in China’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative. Both nations will work together for global and regional peace, security, development, and prosperity.

The SJB yesterday (22) said President Ranil Wickremesinghe had made known his intention not to conduct the Local Government (LG) polls.

Top SJB spokesperson Mujibur Rahman said that addressing the Special General Convention of the UNP at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, President Wickremesinghe had declared that the presidential polls would be held in 2024, followed by a general election, and the LG polls would be conducted in early 2025.

Rahman said President Wickremesinghe had made no reference to LG polls which were scheduled to be held in March this year, and accused the latter of exerting pressure on the Supreme Court hearing case pertaining to postponed LG polls.

The former MP said that he had moved the SC after government ignored a Court of Appeal directive in March this year that funds be released for conducting the LG polls. Rahman alleged that President Wickremesinghe had deliberately left out LG polls in his statement.

Commenting on President Wickremesinghe’s declaration regarding presidential and parliamentary polls, Rahman said that those national level elections were conducted in terms of the Constitution. “Actually, there is no need for the President to give an assurance regarding presidential and parliamentary polls. The issue at hand is LG polls,” he added.

Responding to another query, Rahman said that the Opposition would take up the issue in and outside parliament. He dismissed as mere rhetoric UNP National List MP and its Chairman Wajira Abeywardena’s claime at the UNP’s Special General Convention that Wickremesinghe could win the next presidential poll with a staggering 10 mn votes. “The truth is the UNP down to just one MP in Parliament is scared of facing the electorate. Therefore, the President has decided not to hold LG polls,” Rahman said, adding that the President’s assurance in respect of the presidential and parliamentary polls could be a ruse to divert public attention.

Rahman urged the SLPP to explain its stand on the LG polls. Having elected Wickremesinghe the President in July last year the SLPP couldn’t remain silent on the issue at hand, the ex-MP said.

The former MP said that the Bar Association had condemned threats to the judiciary and attempts to influence the judges hearing cases pertaining to the postponed LG polls. Rahman said that civil society, Election Commission and political parties should respond to threats President Wickremesinghe posed to democracy.