Former President Maithripala Sirisena has dismissed repeated claims by the Opposition that the Government will collapse imminently, stating that the current administration will not fall so easily.

“Making various statements is part of Opposition politics. However, a Government that commands the support of 159 Members of Parliament will not collapse as easily as shaking fruit off a tree,” he said. “Toppling a Government backed by 159 MPs is not a simple task.”

Sirisena made these remarks while speaking to the media after attending a ceremonial event, reiterating that parliamentary strength remains a decisive factor in political stability.

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka should increase its trade with India with an aim to reduce risks in the ongoing geopolitical battle, a former Asian Development Bank research expert said.

Sri Lanka and India have a long history of attempting to upgrade their 1998 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) into a broader “comprehensive” deal.

While technical negotiations were completed for two major frameworks, CEPA and ETCA, neither was signed due to intense political opposition and domestic pressure within Sri Lanka.

Ganeshan Wignaraja, a former director of research at Asian Development Bank Institute said upgrading existing FTA with India is seen as a key.

“So, the short answer for Sri Lanka I think is that you know there is this risk of trade diversion,” Wignaraja said at forum held in Colombo last week.

Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports to India were 1.04 billion US dollars in 2025 and Items under Indo-Lanka FTA had generated more exports than imports consistently, data show.

Wignaraja stressed on the need for Sri Lanka to integrate more with India’s market and reap the benefits of the Indian market and called for making it a more strategic relationship compared to what exists today.

“We have to really take a strategic view of India. We have a very limited trade agreement signed; you know decades ago. But there was a discussion on an investment agreement to build in the bits. I think we better do all that rather quickly,” he said.

CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) was negotiated between 2005 and 2008 with an aim to be the natural evolution of the existing FTA, moving beyond just “goods” to include services, investments, and technology transfer.

However, professional bodies of doctors, engineers, and lawyers along with local business chambers feared that Sri Lanka’s small market would be “swamped” by Indian professionals and cheaper labor, leading to mass local unemployment.

In 2008, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government faced heavy criticism from nationalist political allies who viewed the deal as a threat to national sovereignty.

Wignaraja pointed out that even under the existing Free Trade agreement there were many constraints that prevented greater trade from happening and a lot of opportunities still remained where further liberalization was possible.

“What is it that we can do in India given the way in which that earlier trade agreement was done? Lots of exclusions such as the quota on garments, there are lots of regulations that affect our primary agriculture stuff that can go to India,” he said.

“I think it really means stuff in services where there is less regulation right. It means for instance in Gift City there are opportunities for our companies to participate in ventures with them

“Also, it means I think trying to talk with Indians much more, and getting Sri Lankan labor to work in Mumbai and in important centers in India, otherwise we risk trade diversion which is what the model shows,” Wignaraja said.

A large rally was held in Kilinochchi today to declare Sri Lanka’s Independence Day as a “Black Day” for the Tamil people, highlighting longstanding grievances in the North and East.

The march, which began at the Kandaswamy Temple premises in Kilinochchi, proceeded to the Depot Junction before concluding with a Black Day declaration by a collective of civil society organisations.

Protesters called attention to what they described as continued oppression in the Tamil homeland of the North and East, demanding the release of political prisoners, justice for families of the forcibly disappeared, and an international investigation into alleged human rights violations.

The demonstration was organised jointly by civil society groups from the North and East, associations representing families of the disappeared, and other Tamil civil organisations.

Participants carried placards and chanted slogans including “The North and East are the Tamil homeland,” “We demand an international investigation,” and “Sri Lanka’s Independence Day is a Black Day for Tamils.”

Several political representatives were present at the rally, including Members of Parliament S. Sridharan and Durai Raveendran, along with former MPs, representatives of political parties, civil activists, university students, families of the disappeared, and Tamil nationalist groups.

Jaffna International Airport (JIA) marked 2025 as its best-performing year since opening in 2019, recording 53,443 international passenger movements and 1,138 international aircraft movements.

The year featured several historic milestones for the airport. JIA welcomed three international charter flights from Malaysia, Hyderabad, and Chennai in India, and operated the first-ever international MEDEVAC charter flight from Hyderabad. The airport also officially commenced the Terminal Expansion Project with a foundation-laying ceremony.

In addition, JIA facilitated humanitarian flights carrying relief consignments, operated by international and local partners, including the United States Air Force, to support communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

The airport continues to strengthen regional air connectivity, support economic growth, and promote tourism in Northern Sri Lanka. JIA expressed its gratitude to airline partners, stakeholders, travelers, and the dedicated airport staff for helping achieve this historic milestone.

Issuing a statement, the Church of Ceylon has criticized the government over it’s move to introduce the Protection of State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB).

The PSTB is to be introduced to replace the widely criticized Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA).

The Church of Ceylon states that for 47 years, the PTA has been criticized for abusing and misusing state agencies to detain dissenting voices, journalists, human right defenders and minority communities.

The Church of Ceylon has called the PTSB’s introduction as a clear violation of the President’s election manifesto, where a pledge was made to “abolish all oppressive acts… and ensure the civil rights of people in all parts of the country”.

It emphasizes that the proposed PSTB risks reproducing the same patterns of repression associated with the PTA, adding that the bill contains a vague definition of terrorism that could be used to suppress dissent and curtail freedom of expression.

The Church of Ceylon calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately repeal the draconian PTA and withdraw the proposed PSTB draft bill, urging the government to address security concerns and respond to terror threats in a manner consistent with constitutional and democratic values.