Category: News

Sri Lanka has offered the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port to Japan, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

Colombo Port’s West Terminal has been given to India’s Adani group to develop as a joint venture after the the government of previous president cancelled the ECT deal with India and Japan through a tripartite agreement .

“If we really want to do it, we have to give the East Terminal,” President Wickremesinghe told the Sri Lanka Economic Summit of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

“We have given first offer to Japan.”

If Japan does not take it will be open to others, he said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing the inauguration of the Sri Lanka Economic Summit yesterday (5) in Colombo, said that China has requested Sri Lanka to speak to the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China in connection with ongoing debt restructuring process for the purpose of accessing the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) bailout programme.

He reiterated that Sri Lanka has commenced debt restructuring talks with China.

The President also noted that it is not easy to carry out business activities with high interest rates, but added that a meeting is likely to be held in early 2023 with regard to strengthening the economy.

“Small and medium-scale enterprises are a major concern, as we cannot allow them to collapse,”he said.

The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) uncovered a massive human organ trafficking racket operating at a private hospital in Borella deceiving people from poor families during the ongoing economic crisis.

The CCD launched investigations into the racket after complaints were lodged by five persons including a woman to the Borella Police Station in connection with the non-payment after selling kidneys at a leading hospital in Borella. The kidneys had been sold by people belonging to poor families who were suffering to make ends especially during the ongoing economic crisis.

Accordingly, the police arrested a suspect involved in the racket after he surrendered himself at the Colombo Crime Division on Monday evening.

The arrested suspect is a 41-year-old resident of Kajimawatta, Colombo 15,

He was remanded till 13 December by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The Magistrate also ordered a travel ban to be imposed on six directors of the private hospital.

It has been revealed that this suspect has acted as a broker by coordinating between the person who sold the kidney and the receiving party.

In addition, apart from the brokerage fees, the suspect has also defrauded a part of the money given by the management of the hospital to those who sold the kidney.

Sources said that the victims who complained about the racket were presented before a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) and it was revealed that one of those people’s kidneys had been removed.

They were promised a large amount of money for donating the kidneys, but they claimed that they have not received the money.

Meanwhile, it was reported that a kidney removed from a poor person has been transplanted to a foreigner.

Following the uncovering of the racket, the Health Ministry has appointed a seven-member committee to investigate the incident and has taken steps to temporarily suspend organ transplants at the concerned private hospital.

The time has come for an election in Sri Lanka and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is ready to face any election, SLPP national organiser Basil Rajapaksa said, dismissing claims that the party has come to fear elections in the face of growing unpopularity and increased factionalisation.

Speaking to reporters at an event held in Colombo Monday December 05 morning to mark the fourth anniversary of the party’s media centre, Rajapaksa handwaved off assertions that the SLPP has splintered in the wake of the mass protests that ousted his brother and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“No, our party hasn’t fragmented, not the way this cake was cut,” he said, pointing to the cake that was cut to celebrate the media centre’s anniversary.

“There may be some [dissenters], but we are with the people,” said Rajapaksa.

Political analysts, however, note that the once mighty SLPP has indeed fractured to at least four or five distinct factions. One group, according to party sources, is with President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is keen to involve younger SLPP legislators in his economic reform agenda. The second is with former Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma who launched an unsuccessful bid for the presidency and was roundly defeated by Wickremesinghe at the July 19 presidential vote in parliament. The third group now sits as independent MPs in parliament, while a fourth faction are with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the SLPP patriarch.

There is another group that remains loyal to Basil Rajapaksa, though all but one SLPP legislator voted for the 21st amendment to the constitution that prohibited dual citizens from entering parliament. Rajapaksa, a dual citizen with US passport, recently returned to the island after a private visit to his second home.

The former finance minister, who resigned after a wave of protests that demanded his departure along with that of his presidential brother, for their alleged role in Sri Lanka’s prevailing currency crisis, the worst in decades, was in a jovial mood at the anniversary event on Monday and was seen heartily indulging reporters who were throwing loaded question after loaded question at him.

Asked about future plans of the SLPP, Rajapaksa quipped that they couldn’t be revealed to the media at this stage.

“However, time has come for an election. It’s difficult to say how it will be at present, but as a party, we’re ready to face any election,” he said.

Rajapaksa’s apparent confidence in facing an election is in direct contrast to speculation that the SLPP is banking on President Wickremesinghe’s refusal to dissolve parliament anytime soon. Opposition lawmakers have accused Wickremesinghe of providing sanctuary and promising security to the deeply unpopular party by not calling early elections.

“We have won every election we faced so far. We are thankful to the Sri Lankan people for that. If we were unable to meet their expectations 100 percent, we regret that. We will correct any shortcomings and will work to fulfill the people’s aspirations,” said Rajapaksa.

Asked if he is going to remain in active politics despite the blanket ban on dual citizens, the former minister said, again with a chuckle: “Active politics… well, I’m not in governance anymore. Governance [for me] has been banned by the 21st amendment. So no, I’m not in governance, but I am in politics,” he said.

Pressed about possibly entering parliament again, he said: “How can I?”

Nor is Rajapaksa saddened by the development, he claimed. “No, I’m happy about it,” he said.

The former two-time finance minister, noted for his clash of views with Wickremesinghe when the latter was invited by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for a round of discussions on economic recovery, was cautiously complimentary when asked about the new president. It was the SLPP’s backing that guaranteed Wickremesinghe his lifelong ambition.

“I think that selection was the correct one. We have maintained from the start that all of us in government or opposition must be able to freely engage in politics,” he said, referring to assurances that the president has purportedly given SLPP parliamentarians that they will not face the kind of retaliatory mob violence that engulfed the nation on May 09 after alleged SLPP goons attacked peaceful anti-government protestors in Colombo.

A reporter asked if Rajapaksa believes the incumbent president is capable of taking the country on the right path to recovery?

“The first task was accomplished, by allowing us to engage in politics and to get on the streets. There are economic and other issues, and we have high hopes that they will be resolved,” he said.

The ethnic, religious issues and other genuine concerns of the people could be put behind the past to prevent a break up of unity and integrity of the state by the 75th Independence Anniversary of the country. As discussed by the Members of Parliament, if the Attorneys-at-law in the country would assist in this process, this task could be achieved, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He made this observation addressing the ceremony organized to felicitate President Ranil Wickremesinghe on completing 50 years at Bar, held at the Lotus Hall, Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, yesterday evening (03).

He said further that it is not an easy task but neither is it an impossible task. He added that this task cannot be achieved merely through the efforts of the politicians, but the support of the lawyers is vital in this endeavor.

He said apart from the economic challenge, there is a greater challenge, where the younger generation is questioning the entire system. He added that now the country has the option of letting the wounds of the past heal or letting it grow further. The Parliamentarians have taken a decision to see how best to resolve the ethnic differences and work towards reconciliation, issues of religious differences and all the other genuine concerns of the people, without breaking up the integrity and unity of the state.

He also said that if all the Attorneys-at-law join hands, all the major problems could be put behind us and all communities could come together as children of one mother as the country celebrates its 75th Anniversary of Independence next year. He added that it would also give all the opportunity to understand and appreciate each other’s views and prepare a constitution which would enshrine the freedoms the people enjoy but also allow for constitutional governance.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and First Lady Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe were received at this occasion by President’s Counsel Ronald Perera.

Addressing the gathering President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva said President Ranil Wickremesinghe has never worked for self-promotion but has always worked to strengthen Parliament.

President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva President’s Counsel Thilak Marapana and President’s Counsel Faiz Mustafa also spoke at the event. President’s Counsel Ronald Perera delivered the welcome speech and Attorney-at-Law Kushan de Alvis made the vote of thanks.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, First Lady Senior Professor Mithree Wickramasinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa , Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, UNP Chairman and Parliamentarian Wajira Abeywardena, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP Chandima Weerakkody, MP Udaya Gammanpila, MP M.A Sumanthiran, MP Lakshman Kiriella, Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake, Senior advisor to President on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene, Presidential Adviser Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Presidents Adviser Dr R. H. S. Samarathunga, President’s Adviser K P Dayaratne, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, Navin Dissanayake and the President’s Private Secretary Sandra Perera also were present at the occasion.