Sri Lanka Saturday reported 20 deaths due to COVID-19 after the figures were confirmed by the Director General of Health Services on Friday, November 05.
Among the deaths reported today, 10 are of males and 10 of females. The majority of deaths – 14 – are of elderly people in the 60 years and above age group.
According to the data reported by the Government Information Department, the total deaths due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began last year has now risen to 13,841.
The Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking annulment of the decision taken by the Urban Development Authority to take over more than 3,000 acres of land in the Muthurajawela wetland in the Negombo, Wattala and Ja-Ela areas through a gazette notification.
Prime Minister and Urban development Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, State Minister of Urban Development Nalaka Godahewa, Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority, Central Environmental Authority, and Divisional Secretaries of Wattala, Negombo and Ja-Ela have been named as respondents.
The Cardinal has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court stating that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) has decided to take over more than 3,000 acres of land belonging to the Muthurajawela Wetlands in a gazette notification issued on October 07.
In his petition, the Cardinal Ranjith pointed out that the takeover would severely affect the livelihoods of the people living in the area and would challenge their residences as well.
Accordingly, the Archbishop of Colombo has requested in his petition to issue a writ order invalidating the gazette notification containing the decision taken to take over the relevant land under the Urban Development Authority.
Claiming that the popularity of the government was fast diminishing as never before, the National Peoples’ Power (NPP) said today the government was using various ploys to divert the people’s attention from burning issues.
NPP MP Harini Amarasooriya told a news conference that no other government which came to power with a remarkable mandate had lost its popularity within a short period of time in Sri Lankan history.
“The popularity of this government has diminished even before two years have lapsed. A number of crises have erupted in various sectors. For the last 73 years, we have seen that it has been the tradition of the governments to use various ploys to divert peoples’ attention from burning issues. This government is also using the same tactic now,” she said.
The MP said the government was trying to incite racism, religious extremism and create divisions among the people while taking various actions to restrict democratic scope.
Dr. Amarasooriya said the government was intervening in the legal system of the country and added that the law was implemented differently whereas it came to power pledging to ensure “One country One Law” concept.
“A separate law is implemented on people who voice against the government and those who express their opinion on the Easter Sunday attack. Politicians and religious leaders such as Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, who voiced his opinion on the Easter Sunday attack, was facing various threats and was plotting to arrest him. A different law is implemented on people who are partial to the government,” she said and added that cases of government cronies were being withdrawn surprisingly.
“This will tarnish the image of the country internationally as some of these cases were involved in human right violations,” she said.
A Sri Lankan Court has extended an order preventing the payment to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. for a Chinese Organic Fertilizer Ship to Sri Lanka.
The order was extended to the 19th of November 2021, on Friday (5).
Local authorities earlier secured the order to prevent the payment, after laboratory tests proved the presence of a pathogen, twice, in fertilizer samples.
Thereafter, the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka was blacklisted by the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka for failing to make the payment according to the Letter of Credit and the contracts between two parties.
However, People’s Bank said that is it bound by an enjoining order issued by the Commercial High Courts of Sri Lanka with regard to the trade transaction in question, which precludes the bank from processing the payment.
People’s Bank also said that the temporary delay in processing the said payment pertaining to the LC is solely due to the bank’s obligation to be bound by the legal directions of the country, as a responsible corporate citizen.
It added that once the legal barriers in effect are removed, the LC payment will be effected promptly a per the usual trade practices.
Organic Fertilizer samples from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. tested for the presence of harmful pathogens, not once, by twice in tests carried out by Sri Lanka’s National Plant Quarantine Service.
Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Ministry not only rejected the Chinese Fertilizer but also went to the extent of issuing an order to deny entry to the ship carrying the consignment from entering Sri Lankan ports.
Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka’s State Fertilizer Companies obtained an Enjoining Order against the Chinese company, Qingdao Seawin Biotech, its local agent, and the People’s Bank.
The order has prevented the People’s Bank from making any payment under a Letter of Credit opened in favour of the Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Company Ltd.
On the 17th of September Sri Lanka’s Minister of Agriculture confirmed for the first time that a microorganism identified as ‘Erwinia’ was discovered in samples brought down to Sri Lanka from Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.
On September 29th, Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage announced the suspension of organic fertilizer imports from China.
This was after Director-General of Agriculture Dr. Ajantha De Silva on 28th September confirmed that Harmful Bacteria was detected in a fresh sample (2nd batch) of Chinese Organic Fertilizer.
It was after these developments that the Ceylon Fertilizer Company Limited had got a court order to block payment to Qingdao Seawin Biotech over the shipment of organic fertilizer which was contaminated.
Sri Lankan bishops have urged the government to abandon its “one country, one law” plan for the predominantly Buddhist nation and instead draft a new constitution.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last month appointed a 13-member presidential task force under the chairmanship of hardline Buddhist monk Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera to study the concept and prepare a draft law.
The ‘One Country, One Law’ concept was an election slogan of Rajapaksa in 2019 when he was elected president with overwhelming support from the nation’s Buddhist majority.
According to an extraordinary gazette notification issued by the president, the task force is required to submit reports to the president once a month and the final report on or before February 28, 2022.
Bishop Winston Fernando of Badulla, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL), has taken a strong exception to the government’s move and has urged the repeal of the gazette notification appointing the task force.
In a statement issued on November 2, he described the omission of Tamil, Hindu, Catholic, and other Christian minority groups from the task force as a lost opportunity.
“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, following a meeting with Catholic Parliamentarians both from the Government and Opposition, wishes to express its deep concern about the erosion of the democratic principles and values in our country,” the CBCSL statement said.
It lamented that “despite the promise made by the President and the Government before and after the elections, the formulation of a new Constitution for the country is put on the back burner with the adoption of the unholy, manipulative 20th Amendment to the Constitution.” He added, “It is being exploited beyond its limit to the detriment of the well-being of the country.”
A controversial chairman
His Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or the Forces of Buddhist Power, was implicated in the anti-Muslim riots in 2013.
He was sentenced to a six-year prison term for contempt of court last year after shouting at a judge for holding him guilty of accosting the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.
However, he was accorded a presidential pardon within a few months of starting the prison term.
Flawed process
“To appoint a person without giving any consideration to his past records to chair the Presidential Task Force is adding insult to injury,” Bishop Fernando said in the statement.
The CBCSL statement criticized the purpose of the task force and the manner in which it was appointed. “No one would oppose the ‘One Country, One Law’ objective in governance provided it stems as a corollary of the Constitution of the country,” the CBCSL statement said.
“But to appoint by a special Gazette a Presidential Task Force comprising hand-picked individuals from outside without any reference to the democratically elected Legislature is unacceptable.” The bishops said, “The Parliamentary process has been ignored in a matter of such grave concern.”
The Sri Lankan bishops’ made a strong appeal for the repeal of the gazette notification, saying instead “a new constitution should be drafted to ensure that all the citizens are treated equally before the law”.
Opposition to the task force
Twenty-four Muslim organizations have issued a joint statement strongly condemning the appointment of Ven. Gnanasara Thera as the task force chairman.
Opposition groups and analysts also criticized the decision of the government. According to the news website, ‘Jesustoday.lk’, the “one country, one law” plan is likely to be a dangerous slogan that will erase diversity and make the will of the majority the only law. “All citizens should be equal before the law. This is not what is hidden in the slogan,” it said.
The task force is being headed by someone who has been indicted by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks of April 21, 2019.
The news website further pointed out that the controversial monk heading the task force “has issued hate speeches to a significant number of people in this country.”
Move towards task force
Sri Lanka has witnessed strong opposition by nationalist groups in recent years to attempts to introduce Sharia law in the country, saying it would promote Muslim extremism.
The campaign gained force after the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks on churches and hotels, in which over 270 people, including 11 Indians, were killed. It was blamed on the extremist Islamic group, the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ).
However, opposition lawmaker Harin Fernando alleged that the task force chairman had been indicted by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks. He said the appointment of someone like Ven. Gnanasara Thera exposes the political interests of the government.
The appointment of the Presidential task force comes months after a Cabinet decision to amend the country’s Muslim personal laws. Sri Lanka also has the Kandyan Law and Thesawalamai Law, pertaining respectively to the Sinhalese and Tamil communities.
The ‘’one country, one law’ concept was promoted by the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party in a bid to win the support of the Sinhala majority as a counter to the rising extremism.
Meanwhile, the Buddhist monk said he hopes to exchange views with all political parties, religious and civil society organizations. “The aim of this task force is to build the environment for all including Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu and Muslim to live together under one law and country,” he said.
(Vatican News)
A heated confrontation between university lecturers, teachers and the Sri Lanka Police was witnessed at a protest in Nawala on Friday (5) afternoon.
The protest was organized in support of the industrial action launched by Teachers and Principals.
Dr. Mahim Mendis from the Federation of University Teachers Associations taking part in the protest said the state does not have a proper policy on education.
“FUTA will appear for the teachers and principals in their struggles,” he added.
At the same time, Trade Union Leader Joseph Stalin demanded the government ensure that the promise payments is made in one go ahead of the budget, rather than making payments in installments.
“The government is prepared to pay billions for a ship with contaminated fertilizer, but they have no money to pay the teachers,” he noted while reprimanding the government for its failure to address the issue.
Since July 2021, trade unions representing teachers and principals went on strike despite calls from the government to give up their trade union action.
The Trade Unions representing Teachers and Principals are making the following key demands :
01. Permanent solution to the perennial salary anomaly issue.
02. Immediate withdrawal of the Kotelawala Defence University Bill
03. Allocation of 6% of GDP for education
04. Permanent solutions to service issues faced by Principals and Teachers.
05. System for Extra-Curricular Activities attended by Teachers and Principals
Diana Gamage, a Member of Parliament of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an annulment of her party’s decision to expel her from the party membership thereby losing her parliamentary seat.
The petitioner has named 11 respondents including SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Chairman Sajith Premadasa, Parliamentary Secretary Dhammika Dassanayake and Election Commission Chairman Nihal G. Punchihewa and its members, and Elections Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake.
The petitioner alleges that the respondents had sought to cancel her party membership by alleging that she had voted in favor of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution when it was passed.
The petitioner alleges that the respondents did not allow a fair disciplinary inquiry before expelling her and alleged that this was a violation of the legal principle of natural justice.
Accordingly, she has requested the Supreme Court to issue an order revoking the SJB’s decision to suspend her party membership.
A protest was staged this evening (05) at the Kandana junction, opposing the procurement of lands owned by Catholic churches along the coast from Modera to Chilaw.
SJB MP Harin Fernando attended the protest as well, along with the SJB Chief Organiser for the Ja-ela area Shirantha Amarasekera.
Justice Minister Ali Sabry is expected to meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to discuss his concerns on the ‘One Country, One Law’ Task Force.
Sources told Daily Mirror that Sabry was expected to meet the President who returned to the country from Scotland yesterday. The exact date as to when they were to meet was not immediately known.
Ali Sabry was said to be disappointed over the appointment of the Task Force led by the Venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero to prepare a draft on ‘One Country, One Law’ and submit a final report by February next year.
It was reported that Minister Ali Sabry was not consulted before the Task Force was appointed. However, President’s Spokesman Kingsley Rathnayake said this week that the Justice Minister had been briefed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rathnayake said that the Justice Minister may not have been aware of the move to appoint the Task Force at the start. However, he said the President had later met the Justice Minister and briefed him on the appointment of the Task Force.
Sources said that the Justice Minister was still not satisfied with the appointment and was expected to meet the President to discuss his concerns.
The Task Force led by the Venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero includes Professor Dayananda Banda, Professor Shanthinandana Wijesinghe, Professor Sumedha Siriwardana, N. G. Sujeewa Panditharathna, Attorney-at-law Iresh Senevirathne, Attorney-at-law Sanjaya Marambe, Eranda Navarathna, Pani Wewala, Moulavi Mohomad from the Ulama Council in Galle, Lecturer Mohomad Inthikab, Kaleel Rahuman and Azeez Nizardeen.
Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara reveals that 11 allied parties in the government will have to leave the government soon, if the current political trends continue.
In an interview with a YouTube channel, Nanayakkara has pointed out that the government’s current path is not line with the thinking of the constituent partners of the ruling camp.
The Minister states that these two paths are not compatible, pointing out that the government is moving in one direction and the 11 constituent parties are moving in a nationalist-leftist direction.
He also stated that the government was destroying the expectations of the people who voted for President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
The Minister pointed out that holding a different opinion is not an act of hostility.
“Although Mahinda Rajapaksa is the Prime Minister, he is not playing an active role and all decisions of the government are taken by the President and Basil Rajapaksa, the Minister of Finance, “Nanayakkara said.
