Category: News

A special discussion will be held on Wednesday (18) with party leaders to create a mixed electoral system.

Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, said their opinions will be obtained regarding the matters that have been proposed so far.

He said he presented a request to the Cabinet to introduce a mixed electoral system, instead of the proportional representation system.

The Justice Minister said this aims to identify 160 electorates and appoint 160 MPs through the first-past-the-post system.

He added that the remaining 65 should be elected at the national and provincial or district level, through the proportional representation system.

Minister Rajapakshe said a final decision has not been reached in this regard, and the relevant bill is yet to be formulated and gazetted, as it needs to be discussed with party leaders and social activists.

He said accordingly discussions have commenced and a discussion will be held in Parliament on Wednesday (18), chaired by the Prime Minister.

The Justice Minister said they hope to pass the bill by creating a fair system, with the agreement of party leaders.

Sri Lanka is planning to waive visa fees to tourists coming from India, China, Russia, Thailand and Indonesia, according to the tourism ministry.

“Everything is ready for free visa approval for five countries namely China, India, Russia, Thailand and Indonesia,” Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said in a twitter.com message.

“Through this, the doors will be opened for a new leap in the tourism sector.”

A statement from the Ministry of Tourism said a cabinet paper had been submitted jointly by Prime Minister, Tourism and Public Security Ministers.

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

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 Indian Navy ship Airavat, Shardul-class Landing Ship Tank (LST) arrived in Colombo today, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

Commanding Officer of the vessel, Commander Rindu Babu, called on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral TSK Perera during the visit.

In line with Government of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff – Foreign Cooperation, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna handed over valuable Machinery test and trial equipment including machinery items for the Sri Lanka Navy on a grant by the Indian Government to the Director General of Engineering, Sri Lanka Navy Rear Admiral (E) KWARI Ranasinghe, in a ceremony onboard the ship.

The timely availability of spares would ensure optimal operational availability of the SLN platforms.

The efforts of the Indian Navy are in keeping with its core ideology of ‘Bridges of Friendship’, towards strengthening it’s relations with friendly neighbours.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Wednesday (18 Oct.) informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that further action will not be taken in relation to the Rs. 17.85 million in cash found at former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official room at the President’s House in Colombo.

The CIABOC attributed the decision due to the lack of evidence, and therefore stated that no measures will be taken in this regard.

The money was found by protesters on the 09 July 2022, when they stormed the official presidential residence during mass anti-government protests.

The cash was handed over to the Fort Police by the protesters who were at the presidential residence on that day, which was subsequently handed over to the Fort Magistrate’s Court three weeks later.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, however, ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation into the delay by the police in handing over the money, stating that there was reasonable doubt as to why the Fort Police OIC delayed the matter.

A monk and officials have been accused of disregarding President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s orders to keep encroachers out of land used by farmers in Batticaloa

Illangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK0 MP Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam tweeted saying the President’s orders are not being followed by any of the departments involved in the pasture land issue.

He said that the authorities were told by the President at a recent meeting to keep monks and new encroachers out from the Mahaweli land, stop allowing tractors onto the land and to take action against encroachers.

However, the MP posted a video of a tractor on the land and a monk leading a group of people onto the land soon after the meeting headed by the President.

The President had recently called for an urgent meeting before he left for China to resolve the issues faced by the livestock farmers.

Rasamanickam said the President instructed the Police to obtain a court order to remove encroachers from the pasture land.