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Easter Attacks case postponed to January 2022 as accused request for indictments to be read in Tamil

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The case filed against 25 accused with regard to the 2019 April 21st Attacks was postponed to the 12th of January 2022, by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on Tuesday (23).

The case was called up in the presence of Justices Damith Thotawatte, Amal Ranaraja, and Nawaratne Marasinghe.

On Tuesday (23), the accused requested the court for the indictments filed against them to be read out in Tamil, and considering the request and the time period required to translate the charges in Tamil, the case was postponed.

In addition, lawyers were not present for 10 of the accused.

The Court also sent a reminder to the President of the Sri Lanka Bar Association to make available lawyers who are fluent in Tamil.

The accused were moved in and out of the court premises under tight security.

Sri Lanka ruling party MP to resign, take up US envoy post to strengthen US-SL ties

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Elected ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe on Tuesday (23) said he will take up the ambassador post in the United States with effect from next week.

“President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requested me to accept the ambassador post to the US. I accepted,” Samarasinghe told parliament.

“I expect to resign from parliament in two or three days and fly to the US on Friday (29), against a backdrop of the US becoming a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with a huge vote margin victory. The US starts its membership on January 1.”

Samarasinghe’s decision to take up the diplomatic posting comes as Sri Lanka under President Rajapaksa is trying to balance a foreign policy that is seen as China friendly. Western nations including the US have been pushing the Rajapaksa government to address alleged past human rights violations though the UNHRC.

The rights body has adopted a tough stance on Sri Lanka over its past rights abuses. Samarasinghe said his appointment was to strengthen Sri Lanka’s relations with the US amid the challenging allegations and the UNHRC’s calls for a probe

The UN General Assembly last month elected the US to the Geneva-based UNHRC, more than three years after the Trump administration quit the 47-member body over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform.

“I can tell from the 10-year experience of dealing with the UNHRC, when the US becomes the member, the US will be taking a leadership role. So I see that it as an essential to develop good relations and mutual understanding with the US,” said Samarasinghe.

“President Rajapaksa is also of the view that it is not only on economic grounds but also politically that we must form a strong relationship with the US. I am going to fulfill this objective.

“I am not leaving politics. I am going at the request of the president. I want to remind you that I will be giving political leadership to the people of the Kalutara district upon my return after serving the motherland,” he said, referring to his electorate.

Samarasinghe was elected from the island nation’s Western coastal district of Kalutara in the 2020 parliamentary poll. He polled the least preferential votes out of the eight SLPP representatives elected to parliament.

Kalutara district SLPP candidate Wadduwage Manju Lalith Varna Kumara is next in the list to succeed Samarasinghe, a party source said.

Samarasinghe was on a three month leave from parliament this year that was approved by the legislature.

Before joining politics, he was a politically-appointed official in the foreign service and served as the first secretary to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Australia as well as a counselor for the Sri Lankan Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva in the 1980s.

Samarasinghe entered active politics in 1988 and was elected to parliament in 1994 on a center-right United National Party (UNP) ticket. He crossed over to the then government side in 2006, joining the ranks of the center-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

He has served as Minister of Labour, Disaster Management, Plantation, Skills Development, as well as Ports and Shipping in his parliamentary career. He, as Ports Minister, signed the Chinese-built 1.5 billion US dollar Hambantota port deal to be handed over to China in 2018 on a 99-year lease.

Samarasinghe is the third SLPP legislator to resign from parliament since July.

He defected from the Rajapaksa camp after the 2015 presidential poll defeat and joined former president Maithripala Sirisena. He lost the parliamentary election later in 2015, but Sirisena appointed him on the national list.

Samarasinghe’s name was in Wikileaks quoted by then US ambassador to Colombo Robert Blake in 2007.

The cable said Samarasinghe had expressed concern that then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his two brothers – Basil and Gotabaya- had rendered his human rights and humanitarian access efforts ineffective and that he would not sacrifice his political career to become “part of a white wash” for the Sri Lankan government’s then alleged recent human rights violations.

New COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka to increasingly be among vaxxed; lockdown incoming?

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

As vaccination continues, a majority of new COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka in the coming days will be among the fully vaccinated, a health official said, asking people to brace themselves for a possible lockdown come end December.

Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath told reporters on Tuesday (23) that health authorities may impose strict restrictions by the end of the year with the coming Christmas season in mind and anticipating a spike in new cases.

“It won’t be a surprise if authorities declare strict travel restrictions or a lockdown in the coming festival season given the increase in public movement,” he said.

Speaking to EconomyNext, Herath said with the more people being vaccinated in the country, new infections and any deaths will inevitably be people who have received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“If we have vaccinated 100 percent of the population, any new patients we find will be people who have been vaccinated. A majority of deaths may also be those who have been vaccinated but had low immunity due to comorbidities.”

According to official data, Sri Lanka has vaccinated more than 62 percent of the total population as of Tuesday.

Herath could not confirm what percentage of the current active cases in Sri Lanka are vaccinated.

“But in the coming days, a majority can be those who have been jabbed,” he said.

“Not only patients in hospital wards, but a majority in intensive care units (ICUs) can also be vaccinated but experiencing severe conditions due to other health issues,” he reiterated.

Health officials confirmed 735 new cases on Monday (22) with 31 deaths also confirmed for the previous day, an increase of 11 from the day prior.

With the new patients, total cases in Sri Lanka since March 2020 have increased to 558,120 with 16,434 active ceases.

With the home based treatment method in place only around 50 percent of the active cases who need medical attention are currently receiving treatment at hospitals.

Despite the surge in patient numbers, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa said on Tuesday that the health ministry has given the go ahead to host a limited number of spectators at the upcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL) cricket tournament.

The approval also includes permission for limited crowds to be allowed at the ongoing test tournament between West Indies and Sri Lanka in Galle, the minister said.

The test tournament began on November 21, with the final to be played on December 03.

“I have not been officially informed about the Director General of Health giving such permission for a crowd gathering,” Herath told EconomyNext.

“Maybe he gave a special permission for that. However, as heath sector workers, my personnel opinion is that it is absolutely not suitable to give permission for such an event in the current situation.

“According to the guidelines I have received so far, no permission has been given for any kind of gathering for sports or festivals,” he said.

Election Laws PSC calls for unbiased media coverage

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to Identify Appropriate Reforms of the Election Laws and the Electoral System and to Recommend Necessary Amendments has recognised the need for impartial media coverage during periods of elections for the purpose of conducting free and fair elections.

These aspects and related matters have been raised during its discussion with key electronic media institutions on 20 November.

“Committee Chairman and Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that impartial election campaigning is a key factor in free and fair elections. Many concerns have arisen due to unfair media reporting at present. During an election period, electronic media institutions charge a very high price for election advertisements. He pointed out that this was a serious injustice to certain political parties and politicians,” a parliamentary press release issued in this regard noted on Monday (22).

Sources told The Morning yesterday (23) that the discussion had centred round the increased rates that are charged by media institutions during election times. Representatives of private media institutions had noted that the increased rates work on the basic principles of demand and supply, and the fact that media institutions are able to get a higher profit during election times.

On the other hand, it was noted that this leaves “no chance” for lesser known political parties or candidates who do not have rich sponsors supporting them, thus making the playing field uneven during the time of an election campaign.

“Although the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) provide free airtime for all candidates during election times, this process also has certain irregularities. The time slot for each candidate is determined through a random process (drawing of lots). However, if a lesser known candidate gets a primetime slot for advertisements during this process, they may trade it to a more popular candidate. Some candidates may not even use the time slot they were given which in turn leads to co-ordination issues concerning the airtime within the SLRC and the SLBC,” sources added.

Additionally, another problem which was discussed is that the Election Commission (EC) only has the capacity to monitor news during election times. A non-governmental organisation (NGO) has monitored other aspects of the electronic media during the most recent elections.

Discussions about the reforms have noted the difficulty of implementing a legal mechanism to regulate the media during election times. However, proposals by stakeholders have included agreements between candidates and the media institutions, with the Election Commission acting as an intermediary, to adhere to certain principles during the election times.

The parliamentary press release further noted that the representatives of the Election Commission have told the committee that the criteria issued by the Commission are only applicable to state-run media and that it is important to seek information from the Mass Media Ministry on the implementation of these criteria. “The Attorney General’s Department should be consulted for the practical implementation of the media criteria issued by the Election Commission,” the press release noted, quoting Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, who had also addressed the committee on 20 November.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Madhura Withanage has said that news reporting is not balanced during election times.

The discussion had involved officials from both state and private electronic media institutions, including the SLRC and the Independent Television Network (ITN).

Representatives from the media institutions have noted the need for a single legal framework effective for both state-run and private media institutions during election times.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said on Monday that the committee led by Gunawardena will present its proposals on election law reforms to the Parliament by late January or early February 2022. “The country is very focused on changing the electoral system as both political parties and the public are of the opinion that it is unsuitable. The committee led by Gunawardena is looking into it already, meeting about twice a week, in discussions spanning for more than two hours at a stretch. Those recommendations will also be given to Parliament towards the end of January or at the beginning of February 2022. Those recommendations will also be very helpful,” said Prof. Peiris whilst addressing the media.

The committee is due to meet again on Friday (26) for a discussion with representatives from the print media.

SL bound to go for dialogue with IMF this December: Ranil

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka is bound by section 4 of the UN Monetary and Financial Conference to go for a dialogue with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December this year, UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today.

Mr. Wickremesinghe who was speaking during the committee stage debate on the budget said the IMF was established under the UN Monetary and Financial Conference to promote international monetary cooperation.

“Sri Lanka is bound to go for a dialogue with the UN under section four of the UN Monetary and Financial Conference in December this year. Therefore I request that the details of this dialogue be presented to Parliament. This dialogue will contain the ideologies of the Sri Lankan government, ideologies of the IMF and the agreements reached by both parties. Parliament has the right to know details of this agreement,” he said.

Also he said spending for the presidential task forces from the president’s expenditure heads is unlawful. “Parliament has power over the finances and control of the cabinet as per the constitution. The Cabinet is responsible to Parliament. The task forces were appointed without the cabinet approval followed by Parliament. The task forces are not responsible to Parliament. Therefore spending for the task forces is illegal,” he asserted.

Kinniya ferry tragedy: MP’s house came under attack

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The residence of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress MP M. S. Thowfeek in Kinniya has been attacked by a group of residents following the ferry mishap in which six were drowned.

The MP’s house was severely damaged in the attack.

Six passengers including four students were drowned and 20 others were hospitalised after a passenger ferry capsized in the Kurinjankerni lagoon in Kinniya this morning.

Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that a 30-year-old woman, her 6-year old son and 3-year-old girl were among the dead.

Two girls in the same family and a 70-year-old man also died in the tragedy.

The rescued were admitted to the Kinniya and Trincomalee Hospitals.

The spokesman said five girls and four boys were among those 19 receiving treatment at the Kinniya Hospital.

A 6-year-old girl is receiving treatment at the ICU at the Trincomalee Hospital.

The Navy and the Police launched a search operation to locate the missing persons soon after the incident.

The ferry was being used to transport people due to repairs being carried out on the Kuringankerni Bridge in Kinniya.

Police said a tense situation prevailed in Kinniya following the tragedy.

Residents in the area staged a protest claiming that the authorities had not implemented a proper programme to prevent such accidents during development projects.

Six including children dead after ferry capsizes in Kinniya

Posted on November 23, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Police reported that four schoolchildren are among the six people who died after a passenger ferry capsized in Kinniya, Trincomalee earlier today.

Six reported drowned and 11 others have sustained injuries after a ferry capsized in the Kuringankerni lagoon in Kinniya, Trincomalee, the Police said.

As per reports, several schoolchildren are also among the victims.

In the meantime, the injured have been admitted to the Kinniya Hospital and are currently under medical care.

The salvage divers of the Navy and the Police have launched a joint effort to rescue the missing people.

The ferry had been transporting a group of children and teachers when it capsized this morning (November 23).

Top Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev meets Lankan President

Posted on November 22, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

The Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariaton Monday.

Patrushev has been Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation since 2008, having previously served in the Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

Bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Russia will mark the 65th anniversary on 19 February 2022. President Rajapaksa said that Mr. Patrushev’s visit will further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

The President thanked Mr. Patrushev for providing 5,000 doses of Sputnik vaccines, for Russia’s assistance in making the Covid-19 vaccination drive a success, and for the 49,379 Russian tourists who arrived in Sri Lanka last year even during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Sri Lanka wishes to expand its export product range under the Russian GSP scheme. The President said Russian investors are invited to invest in the Colombo Port City, and in energy, pharmaceutical, ICT, agriculture, infrastructure, oil and gas exploration, and logistics sectors.

President Rajapaksa commended Russia’s role as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council in promoting the interests and concerns of developing countries in the areas of peace and security and expressed gratitude for Russia’s strong support to Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council sessions.

Russia extended an immense support in Sri Lanka’s fight against terrorism. The President said Sri Lanka is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation in addressing extremism, terrorism, and cyber threats, including sharing of intelligence information and countering terrorist financing.

Russian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Yury Materiy, Deputy Secretaries of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Aleksander Venediktov and Oleg Khramov, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and a team of Russian diplomats were also present at the meeting.

Top UN official in Sri Lanka Nov 23-25 to meet govt, opp leaders, civil society

Posted on November 22, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari will be in Sri Lanka for an official visit from Tuesday (23) to Thursday (25).

UN Sri Lanka said in a statement on Monday (22) that Khiari will meet senior government officials, representatives of political parties and civil society, religious leaders, and the diplomatic community.

The visit follows UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s meeting with Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in September in New York. At the meeting, which came 15 months after a warning from Rajapaksa that he might take the island out of the UN and its agencies if the world body pursued war crimes allegations against Colombo, he had pledged cooperation.

“President Rajapaksa said that he was always ready to work closely with the United Nations,” his office said in a two-page statement even as the UN’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva had announced just a week prior that it had collected some 120,000 pieces of evidence of abuses by Sri Lankan forces.

Related: Sri Lanka to work closely with UN, agrees to ‘pardon Tamil youth’

New Constitution draft and electoral reforms by end January

Posted on November 22, 2021 | by TELO Admin | Leave a Comment

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday (22) that the draft of the new Constitution will be presented to Parliament by the end of January, alongside the recommendations on the electoral system, which are to be made by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to identify appropriate reforms of the election laws, headed by Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

“We hope that by the second week of January, the draft of the new Constitution will be ready, which is now being worked on by an expert committee chaired by President’s Counsel (PC) Romesh De Silva. In about three weeks, the committee will prepare the new Constitution – not proposals, not recommendations, but the complete draft. The country is also very focused on changing the electoral system as both political parties and the public are of the opinion that it is unsuitable. The Select Committee led by Gunawardena is looking into it already, meeting about twice a week, in discussions spanning more than two hours. Those recommendations will also be given to the Parliament at the end of January or at the beginning of February, and they will also be very helpful,” said Prof. Peiris whilst addressing the media yesterday.

He added that once the draft of the new Constitution is ready, it will be sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department, prior to it being presented to Parliament. A bipartisan Parliamentary Select Committee, representing members of all political parties, will analyse the said draft before Parliament debates it, he explained.

The expert committee was appointed in September of last year. In addition to De Silva PC, its other members include Gamini Marapana PC, Manohara De Silva PC, Sanjeewa Jayawardena PC, and Samantha Ratwatte PC; Dr. A. Sarveswaran; Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne; and Prof. G.L. Peiris.