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NPP holds protest in Geneva calling for LG polls in SL

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The National People’s Party (NPP) members in Switzerland held a protest in Geneva on Sunday against the alleged attempts of the Sri Lankan Government to deny the people the right to franchise. The protest took place at 1 p.m. in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva. The protestors held placards calling for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down from the post and called for timely elections to be held in Sri Lanka. The protestors also shouted slogans against the Government’s new tax regime, the increasing cost of living, the drug shortages in hospitals as well as the rising costs of electricity and fuel. The protest was part of a series of demonstrations planned by the party in other countries against the delayed Local Government elections in Sri Lanka. The NPP has maintained that the Government is intentionally attempting to delay the vote due to its unpopularity among the citizens at this juncture. A similar protest was held in Melbourne, Australia in front of the State Library over the weekend. It was organised by the Save Sri Lankan Foundation affiliated with the NPP.

Sri Lanka’s Rupee Will Reverse Gains and Plummet 20%, Fitch Says

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka’s rupee, which became the world’s best performing currency this year amid hopes of an International Monetary Fund bailout, may resume declines and lose a fifth of its value against the dollar by end-2023, according to Fitch Solutions.

“We are optimistic that Sri Lanka will be able to secure an IMF board approval by early 2Q 2023,” said Seah Wang Ting, country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions. Nevertheless, there’s potential for disruptions after the initial board approval as authorities may find it challenging to stay on track with the IMF program amid a weakening economy and a local election likely on the horizon, he said.

Fitch maintained its forecast for the rupee to weaken to a record low of 390 per dollar by year-end. The rupee advanced 3% to 317.7 per dollar on Wednesday, taking its annual gains to over 15%. That’s after the IMF said it plans to decide on a $2.9 billion bailout for Sri Lanka following China’s assurance that it will support the nation’s debt restructuring.

Sri Lanka has increased taxes, cut energy subsidies and loosened its grip on the currency to secure the IMF loan. The central bank recently lifted borrowing costs further to ensure that inflation which has slowed from nearly 70% doesn’t flare up.

“Sri Lanka still has significant external debt repayment needs and will need to build up its foreign reserve buffer over the coming months, which would put downside pressure on the exchange rate,” Fitch said in a report Wednesday.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday the country needs to repay about $6 billion-$7 billion foreign loans on average each year until 2029.

The Sri Lankan rupee may also be pressured by tightening global monetary conditions, according to Fitch. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated.

Source:Bloomberg

SL receive total school uniform fabric from China

Posted on March 8, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

While completing the total of 70% of school uniform materials donated by the Chinese government, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha today accepted the remaining 40% of them at the ministry.

The final stock was donated by China’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong at the Ministry.

On January 13, the government received 30% of the fabric, which were officially handed over to the minister by the acting Chinese Ambassador, Hu Wei.

He said the balance 40% of the school uniform materials were received, and thereby completing the 70% of the total school uniform fabric requirement for the year 2023.

Addressing the media, he said the total of 70% of school uniform materials for 4.1 million students have been unloaded and the distribution of the uniforms would begin in the next couple of days.

“We received a total volume of 8.86 million metres of school uniform fabric, with 70% as donation. The remaining 30% will be theough the Government’s Treasury, thus make to total of 3.831 million meters,” he said.

The first consignment of school uniform materials was distributed to remote areas including the Northern Province (Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, and Mullaithivu), Eastern Province (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara), Uva Province (Badulla and Moneragala), and North Central Province (Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa).

“Our target is to complete the distribution of all school uniform fabric with a variety of 23 cloth types among 4.1 million schoolchildren, including those in Pirivenas and Muslim schools, before March 24. The distribution of uniforms is handled by the cooperative sector.

North-East missing persons to submit report to UNHRC

Posted on March 7, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

While a representative of the Association for the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances in the North and the East will not be participating in the ongoing 52nd United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, a report will be submitted to the council highlighting that justice should be delivered to their longstanding issues via the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Speaking to The Daily Morning, President of the association Yogarasa Kanagaranjini said: “We have surrendered our loved ones and are eyewitnesses to such events. The Government has failed to inform us, the relatives of the missing persons, of the whereabouts of our loved ones, even though it is their responsibility. Those who are alive should be released and the Government should tell us what happened to those who are no longer alive. Therefore, we have now decided to reach the ICC to achieve justice for our longstanding issues. A long-lasting political solution should also be achieved for our future generations to live peacefully in this country.”

The said report – based on five demands, including the release of Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act prisoners, resettlement in ancestral lands and demilitarisation of the particular regions – is to be forwarded by Secretary of the association Leeladevi Ananthanadarajah.

“This cannot be achieved by only us as the support of the Member Countries of the UNHRC is needed. Some of those who have allegations against them are representatives of the Government here. Therefore, we believe that only the ICC can resolve our issues. We began our struggle separately in 2017. Since the 36th UNHRC session, we have been bringing our issues to the attention of the council. Everyone listens to our grievances, sympathises with our situation and sheds tears, but, we are yet to see a response from them to help us achieve justice. No one is coming forward to deliver justice for our grievances. Our expectation is still there – that the international community would deliver justice to our long-standing issues, but we are unsure of the timeframe as to when we would be given justice. Therefore, we would like to say that even if this has been dragging, we have no other option but to proceed to the next step,” she added.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Eelam Thamilar Suyatchi Kazhagam (Eelam Tamils Self-Rule Party) and former Northern Provincial Minister of Women’s Affairs Ananthy Sasitharan, who has been part of the struggle, trying to find the whereabouts of her husband Sinnathurai Sasitharan alias Ezhilan, also noted that she would urge at the UNHRC session that justice via the ICC is required as other options have failed over the years. Elsewhere, the Vavuniya High Court issued an order on 23 February to produce Ezhilan and another two Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members who surrendered to the Government’s security forces in 2009, on 22 March.

On 20 February, while marking the sixth anniversary of the struggle of the relatives of missing persons, on the 2,190th day, a massive protest involving more than 100 relatives was held in Kilinochchi, during which, Kanagaranjani urged the international community to identify those responsible for the enforced disappearances of their loved ones by producing them before the ICC.

Sri Lanka Bailout discussion on March -IMF

Posted on March 7, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The International Monetary Fund announced on Tuesday (07) that Sri Lanka has received financial assurances from all its major bilateral creditors. This paves the way for the IMF Board to consider the approval of the Staff Level Agreement for financing under the Extended Fund Facility on March 20.

Earlier in the day, China gave assurances that it will support Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, clearing the biggest hurdle for the nation to secure a USD 2.9 billion bailout from the IMF.

The IMF approval for a USD 2.9 billion loan depended on financial assurance from all Sri Lankan creditors. India and members of the Paris Club initially expressed their willingness to provide financial assurance verbally. Some of the tools discussed by creditors include debt moratoriums and refinancing. The IMF approval is considered to be vital as means of reviving the country’s ailing economy.

Large–scale Chinese companies to invest in Sri Lanka

Posted on March 7, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Large–scale Chinese companies are to invest in Sri Lanka, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said today.

The Deputy Ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo Hu Wei officially presented the financial assurance letter issued by the Exim Bank of China to Mahinda Siriwardena, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon.

Hu Wei revealed that large–scale Chinese companies are looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka in the near future to explore new investment opportunities.

Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake was also present on this occasion.

EC recommends LG polls to be held on April 25

Posted on March 7, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Election Commission today announced that April 25 is a suitable date to hold the Local Government election after the polls were postponed from March 9.

Accordingly, the Commission said it had directed the District Returning Officers to make an announcement in this regard.

Earlier, the Commission said that the LG polls which was scheduled to held on March 9 would not be held due to lack of funds.

The Supreme Court earlier issued an interim order preventing the Finance Ministry Secretary and the Attorney General from withholding the funds allocated for election purposes under the 2023 budget.

Sri Lanka’s 6th Periodic Review under ICCPR to be held in Geneva

Posted on March 6, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka’s 6th Periodic Review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) will be held on 8 and 9 March 2023 in Geneva, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is recalled that Sri Lanka acceded to the ICCPR on 11 June 1980. Currently, 173 countries have ratified the ICCPR. In addition to the implementation of the Covenant, all States Parties to the Covenant have undertaken a voluntary obligation to submit periodic reports to the Committee and participate in periodic reviews.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka has submitted 5 Periodic Reports in 1983, 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2013 and has participated in 5 Reviews in 1983, 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2014.

The 6th Report was submitted on 22 February 2019 to the Human Rights Committee. The Human Rights Committee is a body comprised of 18 independent experts that monitor the implementation of the ICCPR. The Reviews of all countries are conducted by the Committee.

At the request of Sri Lanka, the 6th Review will be conducted in hybrid format and will be led by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Himalee Arunatilaka, the ministry said.

The Sri Lanka delegation also comprises senior officials from the Presidential Secretariat, Ministry of Public Security, Attorney-General’s Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva participating in person.

Senior officials from Colombo will join the Review virtually representing the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ministry of Health, Department of Prisons, Department of Police, Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office on Reparations (OR) and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).

In addition to Sri Lanka, the following countries will also be reviewed by the Human Rights Committee during its 137th session to be held from 27 February to 24 March 2023: Egypt, Turkmenistan, Zambia, Peru, and Panama.

EC rules out conducting LG polls before Hindu and Sinhala New Year

Posted on March 6, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

While stressing that the date for the Local Government (LG) polls remain in the hands of the Treasury, the Election Commission (EC) ruled out yesterday the possibility of holding the election before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year which falls in mid-April.

EC Chairman, Nimal G Punchihewa told Daily Mirror that even if the treasury releases funds for the election immediately based on Friday’s Supreme Court ruling the election has to be held between 5 – 7 weeks from the day of declaration of the polls. Hence, the LG polls have to be held in the second half of April, 2023.

Punchihewa told Daily Mirror last morning that the EC was ready to announce a short date for the LG polls if the Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene promises to release adequate funds to the EC to conduct polls at the meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow morning at the EC also attended by the IGP, Chandana Wickramaratne and Government Printer Gangani Liyanage.

“I can’t give you an assurance whether the EC could hold the LG polls or if that is the case when. All depends on the availability of enough funds to the EC. If the Treasury takes the responsibility to release sufficient funds at tomorrow’s discussion, we are ready to hold the LG polls on a nearest possible day. The ball is in Treasury’s hands” Punchihewa emphasized.

“However, the Treasury can also tell us that it is more than happy to release funds to the EC but they don’t have enough cash to do so at the moment. They can release funds only in a few months only. But I don’t think this kind of scenario would arise tomorrow at the discussion,” he added.

If the EC failed to obtain a firm pledge from the Treasury immediately for sufficient funding to conduct much delayed LG polls, there will be another legal issue. The highest court in the country has given ruling to the Secretary to the Treasury not to retain funds allocated to the EC from the budget 2023. Therefore, the Treasury is officially and legally bound to release funds to the EC. If not, it will amount to contempt of court. The EC does not want to involve in another legal battle. The petitioners either who obtained this court ruling will need this, Punchihewa stressed.

If the Treasury promises to release funds immediately, the EC will try its best to release the gazette notification indicating the day of the polls through 25 District Returning Officers (DROs) on Wednesday (8) and unless on Thursday.

Commenting on the remarks coming from certain quarters that he did not call the all-important meeting at the week-end, Punchihewa said it was a long week-end and many public servants go out of the city and also they are officially not bound to attend officials meetings.

NPP calls for prompt rescheduling of LG polls

Posted on March 6, 2023 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The National People’s Power has requested the National Election Commission to promptly reschedule the conduct of the Local Government Election.

The NPP made the request in a letter to the Chairman of the Election Commission today (6).

The NPP letter states that March 9th Local that Government Election was postponed by the Election Commission indefinitely citing the lack of funds to conduct the election.

However, the letter added that funds have been allocated through the 2023 Budget for the conduct of elections while the Supreme Court on March 3 issued an injunction order informing the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to release the allocated funds.

The National People’s Power said the Supreme Court has identified the importance of the conduct of the Local Government Election and is considering the election a basic fundamental right.

Therefore, the party requested the Election Commission to act accordingly and ensure the conduct of the election without delay.