Category: News

Deadline for Postal Vote Applications Ends Tonight

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The deadline for submitting postal vote applications for the upcoming parliamentary elections will end at midnight tonight.

The process of accepting postal vote applications began on the 1st of this month.

The Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, stated that government employees who have not yet submitted their postal vote applications must ensure their applications, certified by their respective heads of departments, are handed over to the Returning Officer of their residential district by the end of today.

Sri Lanka inks US$200mn World Bank loan for budget support

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Sri Lanka has signed an agreement for a 200 million dollar budget support loan with the World Bank linked to economic reforms in debt management, banking and female empowerment, the Washington-based lender said.

This is the second part of the Resilience, Stability, and Economic Turnaround (RESET) Development Policy Operation (DPO). The first part, totaling $500 million, was disbursed in June and December 2023.

“Sri Lanka will now have the opportunity to focus on maintaining its hard-earned stability and investing in the private sector to transform the national growth trajectory,” said David Sislen, World Bank Regional Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

“Doing so is vital to boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and ensuring that everyone benefits from a stronger, more resilient economy.”

The Second RESET DPO aims to support reforms that improve economic governance, enhance growth and competitiveness, and protect the poor and vulnerable, helping to build Sri Lanka’s resilience and fostering an equitable economy.

It focuses on improving economic governance to create a stable macroeconomic environment and restore investor confidence through key reforms including enacting a new Public Debt Management Act to better inform borrowing decisions, implementing tax administration reforms to boost revenues, and addressing financial sector risks by tightening single borrower limits and improving mechanisms for resolving non-performing loans.

It also includes amendments to the Telecommunications Act and a new Electricity Act to improve services in these markets, as well as measures to enhance export competitiveness by phasing out para-tariffs and lowering customs duties.

Enhancing women’s empowerment and reducing gender discrimination to promote higher and more sustainable growth in Sri Lanka is another key feature.

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Plantation workers to get revised daily wage of Rs. 1,350 from 10 October

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The plantation sector workers will receive their long-awaited revised daily minimum wage of Rs. 1,350 along with an additional allowance of Rs. 50 for each extra kilo of harvest from 10 October.

The move follows recent negotiations between Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), trade unions, and the Wages Board, culminating in an agreement with the Estate Sector Wage Control Council at the Labour Department.

“As per the latest Gazette, RPCs must pay a basic wage of Rs. 1,350 effective 10 October,” industry sources informed the Daily FT.

The Rs. 1,350 basic wage excludes contributions to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF), but with those added, workers’ total earnings will exceed Rs. 1,500 per day.

The workers’ wages, typically calculated at the end of the month, are due to be paid on the 10th of the following month.

The wage agreement reached on 10 September followed multiple rounds of disagreements between employers and trade unions, with workers advocating for better compensation. The new wage structure agreed upon by all stakeholders was seen as a critical step in improving the livelihoods of plantation workers, who have long campaigned for fair wages.

“Under this productivity-based model, estate workers, including those in the tea and rubber sectors, can earn over Rs. 50 based on their output per day,” they explained.

The revised wage system applies to workers in the tea and rubber industries, including those involved in tea growing, tea manufacturing, rubber cultivation, and raw rubber processing.

Under the current system, plantation workers receive a basic wage of Rs. 1,000 with an additional Rs. 40 per kilo after reaching the target of 20 kilos of tea leaves.

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‘Appoint Sajith as UNP Leader or replace Ranil’

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Samagi Jana Balawegaya member, Harshana Rajakaruna called for the handing over of the United National Party (UNP) Leadership, presently helmed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya Leader, Sajith Premadasa.

The SJB is a breakaway faction of the UNP. At the recent Presidential Poll, Premadasa was somewhat a close runner up while Wickremesinghe was a distant third. Since the Poll, various efforts are underway to unite the two Parties with the view that the combined votes received would give them the edge at the upcoming General/Parliament Poll. The call for the SJB and the UNP to unite follows a meeting chaired by Wickremesinghe, following his loss at the Presidential Poll. However, no final decision on aligning has been made.

“If the UNP wants to align with us, they can hand over the Leadership to Premadasa so that we may purify the Party and rejoin,” Rajakaruna said in this context at a press conference. “If they decide against this, they can appoint a new leader and form an alliance with us. The reason why this is not happening is because Wickremesinghe still does not want to give up his power as the Head of the UNP.”

Rajakaruna noted that the SJB will put forward people who have not faced any accusations against their political career in the Parliamentary Election and that they would not accept those who have broken their trust. In August of this year (2024), the Supreme Court held that the expulsion of former Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nannayakkara was lawful, leading to them losing their seats in the Parliament. Former Minister Thalatha Athukorale who was with the SJB also extended her support to Wickremesinghe.

However, the SJB urged voters to vote wisely in the upcoming Parliamentary Election.

“Parliamentarians are only a sample of the people,” Rajakaruna said. “If we want the Parliament to change, then the people themselves must change. We cannot complain that the Parliament is bad because that would mean that the people are themselves bad.”

Meanwhile, as detailed in a press release, a special committee has been appointed in order to investigate any opposition or problems that several parties had with the nomination list for the 2024 Parliamentary Election. The committee was appointed by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara with former MP Eran Wickramaratne as its Chair and it consists of President’s Counsels Dinal Phillips, Nalin Dissanayake and S.T. Jayanaga.

The Daily Morning’s efforts to reach out to SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake, proved futile.

Gazette issued on 06 political parties that cannot contest Parliament Election

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The National Election Commission has announced the political parties that cannot submit nominations as recognized political parties for the upcoming Parliamentary Election.

According to a new Gazette issued by the Commission, the political parties cannot contest the election, scheduled for 14 November 2024, due to disputes involving the office of party secretary.

The political parties that cannot submit nominations as recognized political parties are as follows;

Eelavar Democratic Front
United People’s Freedom Alliance
Eksath Lanka Podujana Pakshaya
Eksath Lanka Maha Saba Party
Lanka Janatha Party
Sri Lanka Progressive Front

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More countries join as additional sponsors of resolution on Sri Lanka

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More countries have joined as additional sponsors of a resolution on Sri Lanka presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, at its ongoing 57th Session.

The resolution was tabled by the main sponsors the United Kingdom, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United States of America.

However, as of 4th October the had Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America as the sponsors and co-sponsors of the resolution.

The Resolution titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ had been submitted to the Secretariat just ahead of the Presidential Election in Sri Lanka.

Resolution A/HRC/57/L.1 looks to renew the mandate in Resolution 51/1, which the Sri Lankan Government has already rejected.

The new Resolution tabled at the Human Rights Council during its ongoing 57th Session calls for the mandate and all requested work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Human Rights Council resolution 51/1 to be extended.

“Decides to extend the mandate and all requested work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Human Rights Council resolution 51/1 and requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an oral update at its 58th session, and a comprehensive report on progress on human rights, reconciliation, and accountability in Sri Lanka at its 60th session to be discussed in an interactive dialogue,” the resolution says.

The 57th session of the Human Rights Council is taking place in Geneva from 9 September to 11 October 2024.

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Sri Lanka Executes Largest-Ever Prisoner Transfer to Pakistan

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In accordance with the Prisoners Exchange Agreement No. 05 of 1995, 56 Pakistani nationals serving sentences in Sri Lanka for drug-related offenses were transferred to Pakistan on October 6, 2024.

The transfer was facilitated by a Pakistan International Airlines flight, numbered A320, which departed from Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

The flight carried 51 male and 5 female prisoners, under the supervision of 64 Pakistani diplomatic officials. These prisoners will continue to serve their sentences in Pakistani prisons.

A team of 47 officers from the Prisons Department and the Emergency Response Tactical Force ensured the secure transfer of the prisoners from Welikada Prison to the airport.

The operation was coordinated with the involvement of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defense, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, and the Pakistani High Commission.

This marks the largest transfer of prisoners in the history of the Sri Lankan Prisons Department.

Sri Lanka to commence information collection for census of population, housing

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Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics said on Sunday that it will commence the collection of personal and housing information for the 15th census of population and housing in the country on Monday.

Director General of the department Anoja Senevirathne told journalists in Colombo that census officials will be visiting households across the country to collect vital data.

She said around 50,000 officials will be engaged as enumerators in the process, according to Xinhua news agency.

She said Sri Lanka usually holds a population census once every 10 years, but the process was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.

The South Asian country’s last population census was conducted in 2012.

Easter attacks: Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena appears before SC

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The former Senior DIG and head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Nilantha Jayawardana, is currently appearing before the Supreme Court to present his case in relation to the Fundamental Rights petitions filed against him for failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks, despite receiving sufficient intelligence, said Ada Derana reporter.

As a result, he and others were ordered to pay compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks.

The Supreme Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the petitioners, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and the former SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena were each ordered to pay Rs. 75 million, former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando was ordered to pay Rs. 50 million and former National Intelligence Director Sisira Mendis was ordered to pay Rs. 10 million from their personal money.

On September 27, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that contempt of court charges would be filed against Nilantha Jayawardana, for failing to pay the Rs. 75 million in compensation for the Easter Sunday bomb victims as ordered by the court.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court has ordered him to appear before the court on today.

The 12 petitions were filed by a group of individuals including Nandana Sirimanna, whose two children were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks, tourism entrepreneur Janath Vidanage, three Catholic Fathers including Rev. Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda and Attorney-at-Law Moditha Ekanayake, who was injured in the bombings at the Shangri-La Hotel.

The deadline to complete the relevant compensation payments was initially set for July 12, 2023.

On September 09, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara had completed the payment of Rs. 75 million in compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena on August 16 had also completed the payments of compensation of Rs. 100 million to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Launch of Mahawa-Anuradhapura Railway Line Delayed

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The launch of the newly renovated railway line from Mahawa to Anuradhapura has been further delayed.

The signaling system for the railway line has not yet been installed, resulting in this delay.

The Department of Railways said that both locomotive drivers and regulators have been informed that it is impossible to operate trains without a signaling system.

The Ministry of Transport has been made aware of the existing issues.

The ministry has advised the Department of Railways to make a suitable decision after discussing the matter with relevant parties.

The railway line from Mahawa to Anuradhapura has been closed since January 2024.

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