Category: News

Sri Lankan born Tamil MP Gary Anandasangaree has been appointed as a Cabinet Minister in the Canadian Government.

The MP has been appointed as the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Rouge Park in 2015. He has previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism (Multiculturalism).

Minister Anandasangaree is an internationally recognized human rights lawyer and community activist who has advocated tirelessly for education and justice.

He has served as Chair of the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre, President of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce, and counsel to the Canadian Tamil Congress. He was also a board member of the Youth Challenge Fund, a member of the Toronto Police Chief’s Advisory Board, and a member of the United Way Newcomers Grant Program.

Minister Anandasangaree managed his own law firm in Scarborough, Ontario, specializing in business, real estate, and international human rights law. As a passionate advocate for human rights, he regularly represented Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada at the United Nations. He also served as a strong advocate for local youth, intervening in cases of wrongful student expulsion and suspension.

In honour of his devotion to community service and local advocacy, Minister Anandasangaree has received both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He also received the Osgoode Hall Law School “One to Watch” Gold Key Award and the South Asian Bar Association’s Young Practitioner Award.

Minister Anandasangaree holds degrees from Carleton University and Osgoode Hall Law School. He is married and has two children, Bairvai and Sahanah.

President Ranil Wickreme-singhe yesterday called for inclusive discussions on the 13th amendment to the constitution

He made this appeal while addressing the all-party meeting chaired by him to discuss the National Reconciliation Program together with the North-East Development Plan.

The meeting, which took place last evening at the President’s Secretariat, saw the participation of leaders and representatives from both Government and opposition parties in parliament.

Addressing those gathered the President stressed that confining discussions on the 13th Amendment solely to Tamil parties is inadequate. He emphasised that this matter has far-reaching implications and impacts the entire nation, making it essential to engage all stakeholders in the dialogue.

During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe reflected on the limitations of his authority as well as that of the previous seven Executive Presidents. He emphasised that the power to pass new laws to address existing problems solely rested with the Parliament.

While he expressed his commitment to bringing forth relevant proposals for the betterment of the country, he asserted that the responsibility of implementing these proposals lies with all the representatives in the Parliament. He acknowledged that he alone couldn’t achieve the necessary changes with his single vote, emphasising the importance of collective effort and cooperation among all parliamentary members.

The President also drew attention to the geographical distribution of provincial councils, with seven out of the nine being situated in areas predominantly inhabited by the Sinhalese community. Acknowledging the importance of maintaining the provincial council system, he highlighted the significance of addressing the shortcomings that have been encountered thus far.

To improve the system, he put forth a suggestion that involved granting provincial councils more authority over certain subjects currently under the central government’s jurisdiction. This would include empowering them to oversee grassroots activities such as agriculture and tourism.

Wickremesinghe urged all parties to engage in collective discussions regarding the provision of police powers to the Provincial Councils, as specified in the 13th Amendment of the Constitution.

Additionally, President Wickremesinghe proposed a novel arrangement that would enable members of the Provincial Councils to hold concurrent positions and be appointed as Members of Parliament. Similarly, members of Parliament would have the opportunity to serve as members of the Provincial Councils.

Prior to the meeting with Wickremesinghe, the ruling party held a crucial meeting with its leader Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official residence in Colombo. Addressing the media following the party meeting, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said the mandate received by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was to introduce a new constitution and protect the country’s unitary status.

“At this juncture, the economy must be prioritised,” he said firmly. “We hope to express our view that bringing in unwanted issues now is unsuitable,” he added.

The all-party meeting was attended by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Former President Maithripala Sirisena, ITAK Leader and Member of Parliament R. Sampanthan,ITAK spokesman M. A. Sumanthiran,TELO Leader Selvam Adikalanathan,PLOTE Leader Sitharthan, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and Member of Parliament Sagara Kariyawasam and Members of Parliament including Dallas Alahapperuma, Wimal Weerawansa, Gevidu Kumaratunga, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Udaya Gammanpila, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, C.V. Vigneswaran, and Lakshman Kiriella among others. The National People’s Power and several other parties however chose to not attend the meeting.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has announced its decision not to participate in the all-party conference summoned by President Ranil Wickremesighe to address the problem for Tamils. The conference, slated to discuss crucial issues such as devolution of power and the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, will convene today (26) with President Wickremesighe presiding over the proceedings.

Former Member of Parliament Sunil Handunnetthi, representing the JVP, made the announcement, expressing the party’s decision to abstain from participating in the conference. The JVP’s stance adds a significant dimension to the upcoming discussion, as the party has been known for its strong positions on governance and constitutional matters.

The all-party conference assumes particular importance as it aims to address pressing concerns in the Northern and Eastern region of Sri Lanka, especially those pertaining to devolution of power and the constitutional arrangements. The full implementation of the 13th Amendment has been a topic of contention in the country, and this conference is seen as an opportunity for diverse political parties to engage in dialogue and seek common ground on these critical issues.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will attend the All Party Conference called for by President Ranil Wickremesinghe today, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said.

“We have decided to attend the All Party Conference for the sake of the nation,” Mr. Premadasa said at a gathering in Bibile.

“However will leave the dicussions if we feel that the conference is merely a political exercise,” he said.

“We have been told that there will be an All Party Conference but the agenda is yet to be notified. Also, we would like to say that the ruling party members should come to an agreement with all relevant matters before the proposed meeting takes place,” he also said.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told News 1st on Tuesday (25) that incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the next Presidential Candidate from the ruling faction.

“Yes, there are those within the party (SLPP) who share a different opinion,” said the Minister adding that given the present state of affairs, focus should not be on an individual but on the ability to carry forward the reforms program.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna General Secretary recently said that the party has not reached any decision with regard to the Presidential Candidate.

On the 20th of July 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka.

According to the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act (No. 2 of 1981), Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected by majority vote of the Members of Parliament.