Category: News

The National Election Commission is scheduled to convene today.

This is the first meeting of the commission since the 2024 Parliamentary election.

The discussions today are set to focus on the upcoming local government elections among other topics.

The Cabinet of Ministers announced that while all Parliamentarians will be provided with a vehicle, they will however not be given duty-free car permits.

“Having a vehicle is essential to fulfilling a role,” Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told the media yesterday (26). “However, we will not be awarding any car permits to anyone.”

These comments come following the National People’s Power (NPP) party pledge that if elected, their Government will not obtain vehicle permits. During his Presidential campaign, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the NPP would request the list of names of MPs who have requested vehicle permits.

Further, the Cabinet announced that security to MPs will be limited to those that are deemed necessary through a threat assessment. “If these MPs need security, they need to have a threat assessment done,” Dr. Jayatissa said. “Even Cabinet Ministers cannot have unnecessary security details and we will not provide any additional security that is not essential.”

This follows the recalling of all Police personnel assigned to provide security for former MPs except for those who were serving the former Speaker of the Parliament, the former Deputy Speaker and the former Opposition Leader, in September.

Sri Lanka’s new cabinet of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has yet to discuss removing a temporary one-year ban on Chinese vessels coming to Sri Lanka waters, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said.

The ban was imposed by former leader Ranil Wickremesimghe’s government in December last year. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the ban was for 2024 and will end on December 21 this year.

The decision to ban research ships was taken following strong security concerns raised by India citing possible spying by foreign research vessels in the Indian Ocean, government officials have said.

When asked if the new government would lift the ban, the Cabinet Spokesman said: “We didn’t discuss it in the last cabinet. I will answer this next time.”

Previous Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath before the Parliamentary polls said the matter would be discussed after the general elections in which Dissanayake’s Marxists-leaned National People’s Power (NPP) won a strong mandate with more than two-thirds.

Former Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in mid this year said Sri Lanka will resume permitting calls from foreign research vessels at its ports from next year, as the government “cannot only block China”.

Sri Lanka temporarily banned foreign research ships citing it wants to establish a SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) for such vessels and all other vessels before removing the ban.

Two Chinese research ships were allowed to dock in Sri Lanka ports within 14 months with one called for replenishment and the other for research.

In August 2022, Chinese navy vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked at Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka for replenishment.

Chinese research ship Shi Yan 6 arrived in Sri Lanka in October 2023 and docked in Colombo port, for what Beijing citing was for “geophysical scientific research” in collaboration with the island nation’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).

Both drew strong Indian protests citing security concerns in the Indian Ocean.

India uses the Colombo port as its main transshipment hub and accounts for around 70 percent of the total transshipment volume of the port.

Heavy rainfall across the country has caused flooding on the A9 main road to Jaffna at Omanthai, prompting police to advise motorists to use alternate routes, the Police said.

The Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), Ms. Sun Haiyan, paid a courtesy call on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (25), the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.

During the meeting, the IDCPC Vice Minister extended her congratulations to President Dissanayake on his victory in the Presidential Election and his party’s resounding success in the General Election.

She commended the transformative changes in Sri Lanka following these wins, highlighting the emergence of a new and progressive political culture.

Ms. Sun Haiyan, along with the Chinese delegation, expressed China’s readiness to collaborate with Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Dissanayake.

They emphasized the alignment of the goals of both nations and discussed the potential for long-term cooperation on mutually beneficial grounds, the PMD said.

The delegation reaffirmed China’s willingness to assist Sri Lanka in various developmental initiatives, including investments, technological exchanges, digitalization, and uplifting the rural economy.

Additionally, China pledged support for enhancing Sri Lanka’s Human Resource Development, particularly by providing training for officials in the education sector.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Government for its steadfast support and assured his commitment to fostering continued cooperation between the two nations, the statement added.

The Chinese delegation also included Mr. Lin Tao, Deputy Director General IDCPC, Ms Li Jinyan, Director IDCPC, Ms Jin Yan Secretary to the Vice Minister, HE Qi Zhenhong Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China and several other officials.

Joining President Dissanayake at this discussion were Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, according to the PMD.

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake an official visit to India during the third week of December on an invitation by the Indian government.

This was confirmed by the Cabinet spokesman, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa during the Cabinet press conference held today (26).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath had previously stated that Dissanayake will call on India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who became the first foreign dignitary to call on Dissanayake when he was elected President in September and had extended the invitation.

Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka in October after the National People’s Power (NPP) government led by Dissanayake came to power on September 23.

During his visit to Colombo, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar paid courtesy calls on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. On behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister Jaishankar had extended an invitation to President Dissanayake to undertake a visit to India at a mutually convenient date.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Spokesman also expressed that the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has extended an invitation to President Dissanayake to visit China. He revealed that the timeline for the visit has not yet been determinded.