Nine army intelligence officers accused in the case filed over the abduction and disappearance of journalist Pradeep Ekneligoda have been remanded until the 13th of June.

The case was called before the Colombo Trial-at-Bar today (June 03).

In November 2019, the nine accused had been served indictment over the abduction of Eknaligoda and released on previous bail.

Eknaligoda, who was a cartoonist, political analyst and journalist, was reported missing on January 24, 2010, two days before the presidential election.

During today’s proceedings, evidence statements were recorded from the witnesses in the case.

Further hearing of the case has been fixed for the 13th of June.

The officials of the Department of Zoology have informed the Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Wildlife Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera that there is no money to provide daily food to the animals in the Dehiwala Zoo as well as other zoos in the country.

Officials at the zoo say there is a severe shortage of food due to declining foreign tourist arrivals and local tourist arrivals due to fuel shortages and rising food prices.

Officials say that the money allocated by the government in the budget has also finished.

The suppliers who supplied food to the zoos are currently owed Rs. 59 million and need at least Rs.120 million more for the rest of this year, officials said.

The Minister had informed the officials that steps will be taken in consultation with the Treasury to provide the relevant financial allocations.

Representatives of the ‘Gota Go Gama’ demonstration at Galle Face in Colombo have refuted claims that a discussion had taken place with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Addressing the media, they said two monks claiming to be representatives of the ‘Aragalaya’ at Galle Face had met the President yesterday.

The representatives clarified that no one from ‘Gate zero’ the ‘Aragalaya’ or ‘Gota Go Gama’ at Galle Face have met with the President.

Stating that the key demand of the ‘Aragalaya’ is for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, activist Randimal Gamage said attempts are underway to disrupt the ongoing struggle at Galle Face.

The clarification comes after Sri Lanka President office claimed that a group identifying as the Confederation of Professionals for a National Policy, a group of professionals and youth involved in the ‘Aragalaya’ (struggle), had met the President yesterday.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) said that the group had presented a concise set of proposals outlining actions that should be taken to resolve the current political and economic situation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Issuing a statement, the PMD said the proposal was handed over to the President at the President’s House, Colombo, yesterday (01).

The PMD said discussions focused on short, medium and long-term measures that should be taken to address the current political, social and economic crisis and the adoption of a new ‘people-friendly’ Constitution.

Subsequently studying the proposal, it was agreed to hold the next discussion within the next few days.

President Rajapaksa said that several groups representing experts in various fields were ready to build the country and that he is ready to provide the necessary powers and resources to implement the positive plans of those groups.

The professionals pointed out that a development programme with specific targets should be provided to all Ministries annually and steps should be taken to review the progress towards those targets on a quarterly basis.

The proposal calls for the removal of Ministers and Officials who fail to meet targets by the end of the year.

The discussion which was held under the patronage of Ven. Prof. Pathegama Gnanissara Thera and Shastrapathi Ven. Vitiyala Kavidhaja Thera was attended by Dr. Asoka Jayasena and Mr. Nelum Weragoda representing the Confederation of Professionals for a National Policy and a group of professionals and youth involved in ‘Aragalaya’.

Justice Minister Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and Chief of Staff to the President Anura Dissanayake were also present during the discussion.

The debate on the Supplementary Estimate of Rs. 695 billion which is to be presented on the 7th of June by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be taken up for debate on the 8th until 5.30 pm, the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said.

The Secretary General also said that the Resolutions under Section 8 of the Appropriation Act No. 7 of 2020 are to be passed following the debate on the same day.

The decisions were taken at the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, this morning (02).

Furthermore, Regulations as mentioned in the Gazette Notification No. 2274/42 dated 09.04.2022 imposed under the Import and Export (Control) Act and the Regulation under the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance for the purpose of increasing the Credit limit by Rs. One Trillion are to be passed without a debate on the 7th.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will then make a special statement on the current situation in the country and the adjournment debate on the said statement will be held until 5.30 pm.

The Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill (Second Reading) and Regulations under the Petroleum Resources Act are scheduled to be taken up for debate until 4.30 pm and passed in Parliament. Thereafter, time has been allotted for Questions at the Adjournment Time from 4.30 pm to 4.50 pm followed by the Motion at the Adjournment Time by the Government from 4.50 pm to 5.30 pm.

Furthermore, it has been decided set aside time from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm on June 10th for the Vote of Condolences given the murder of Member of Parliament Amarakeerthi Athukorala who was killed during the recent clashes.

Parliament meets daily at 10.00 am and except for June 10th, time has been allotted from 10.00 am to 11.00 am every day to raise Questions for Oral Answers.

Amendments brought in by the Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena to increase the strength of the Committees on Public Enterprises (COPE), the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and the Committee on Public Petitions in Parliament pertaining to its review mechanism was considered.

Accordingly, it has been decided to convene a special meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business on the 7th at 2.30 pm to discuss this matter further.

The Committee also drew attention to the letter sent by the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance proposing the importance of maintaining the business of Parliament with a minimum of paper use in relation to the creation of an eco-friendly e-government service while minimizing costs.

The Committee also focused on the possibility of submitting soft copies of all reports and documents tabled in Parliament to a special web portal on the Parliamentary website for the use of Members of Parliament.

Accordingly, the Speaker has given the necessary instructions by the unanimous decision of the Members of the Committee to take the necessary action expeditiously in the future.

Furthermore, the Committee also decided to set aside Monday, July 04th as a special parliamentary day to take up 50 Questions for Oral Answers which could not be taken up in Parliament due to various reasons.

Sri Lanka is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to borrow at least USD 3 billion via the lender’s extended fund facility (EFF), sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The island state’s government expects another round of technical talks with the IMF in early June and hopes to reach to a staff-level agreement as soon as the end of this month, two of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for the IMF didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Spokespeople for Sri Lanka’s finance ministry and central bank didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Sri Lanka has requested a rescue plan to overcome its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. It defaulted on some overseas debt earlier this year and is struggling to pay for imports of basics such as fuel and medicine.

An EFF programme, which would be the 17th IMF plan for the nation, requires countries to make structural economic reforms “to correct deep-rooted weaknesses,” according to the IMF’s website. These programmes normally last three years with a grace period of 4-1/2 years to start paying back the loan, once the plan is approved.

A USD 3 billion deal would represent almost four times the country’s quota with the IMF.

The IMF said last week it was in talks with Sri Lanka for a “comprehensive” reform package, but didn’t specify what type of programme was being negotiated.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in May after mass protests forced the resignation of his predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, plans to present an interim budget within weeks.

The government announced on Tuesday a taxation overhaul to boost revenue, hiking corporate tax and raising the value added tax (VAT) rate to 12% from 8% with immediate effect.

Sri Lanka recently appointed financial and legal advisers to kick off talks with bondholders and bilateral lenders, such as China and Japan.

Source: Reuters

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (01) once again extended the tenure of the ‘One Country One Law’ presidential task force headed by a controversial Buddhist monk, days after police informed a magistrate court that the Attorney General wanted charges filed against the monk.

The tenure of the task force was extended by three weeks as of May 27 to “complete the task assigned” to it, according to a gazette issued on Wednesday.

The task force is headed by General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, who according to media reports is currently in Saudi Arabia to discuss religious extremism. Sri Lanka’s privately owned Daily Mirror reported that the monk was in Saudia Arabia upon official invitation by the Saudi government.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) of the police informed Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage on Tuesday (31) that the Attorney General had instructed the CCD to file charges against Gnanasara Thero for using language deemed hurtful to religious sentiments.

The charges are to be filed under Sections 291A of the Penal Code, which reads: “Whoever, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of any person, utters any word or makes any sound in the hearing of that person, or makes any gesture in the sight of that person, or places any object in the sight of that person, shall be punished.”

President Rajapaksa gazetted the One Country One Law task force in late October 2021 to come up with proposals for “one law” for all Sri Lankans abolishing all other personal laws including the Muslim marriage law and some other regional laws that go back centuries. The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) in particular has been the focus of much debate, with many women’s rights activists within the Muslim community calling for reform and an end to child marriage.

The BBS chief’s appointment as the head of the task force was widely panned by some opposition lawmakers, civil society groups and others including those within the government’s own ranks.

The firebrand monk has been accused of promoting Islamophobia in Sri Lanka.

In 2012, Gnanasara Thero was allegedly at the forefront of an anti-Muslim campaign which called on the majority Sinhalese to boycott Muslim-owned businesses.

The United States in 2014 cancelled a visa issued to the monk while social media platform Facebook blocked his account after the BBS’s alleged involvement in violence against Sri Lanka’s minority Muslims in the Western coastal town of Aluthgama.

He was arrested for contempt of court in 2018 during the previous administration but was later pardoned by President Maithripala Sirisnena.

Critics have said Gnanasara Thero has been used to create a rift between the Sinhala majority and Muslim minority for political reasons. But the monk has denied the allegation and has said Sri Lanka’s Sinhala majority has issues that have been ignored by politicians, issues that he had tried to address.

Since the 2019 Easter bombings, the monk has maintained that his cause is not against ordinary Muslims who have coexisted with the Sinhalese for centuries but with extremist, Wahabist elements in Muslim society.

Speaking to reporters in November last year, Gnanasara Thero said recommendations by the BBS, widely seen as an ultranationalist outfit, will make it to the proposals of the presidential task force he leads.

Related: BBS proposals will make it to ‘one country, one law’ task force: Sri Lanka hardline monk

The monk said the BBS had spoken about unethical conversions, destruction of archaeological monuments and cultural invasion.

The task force was also criticised for not having any Tamil representation initially, prompting President Rajapaksa to appoint three new members, purportedly representing women and the minority Tamil community. Former Justice Minister Ali Sabry was also reported to have expressed his surprise at the task force and the appointment of Gnanasara Thero as its chair without his consultation.

Opposition MP and leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said the task force may be a step towards further division between communities rather than a means to bring them closer.

“This is serious. Some communities have expressed opposition to this committee and have shared their concerns. We must govern not in a direction that sees conflict intensify but in a direction that sees conflict resolved, not in a direction that sees communities grow apart but come closer,” Dissanayake told parliament,” Dissanayake told parliament on November 10, 2021.