News

(Reuters); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was expected to head to Singapore after fleeing to the Maldives in the early hours of Wednesday, a government source in Sri Lanka told Reuters, as protests continued in Colombo.

The source, who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the subject, said Rajapaksa could send his resignation to the speaker of Sri Lankan parliament after landing in Singapore.

An aide to Rajapaksa and the Singapore government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala De Silva has sent his letter of resignation to the President following an allegation made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament yesterday citing a social media report that a Cabinet Minister had solicited a bribe from Japan’s Taisei Corporation.

The Minister said that though he is NOT the cabinet minister in question, the project by the Taisei Corporation comes under his purview, and therefore the public may assume that he is the alleged Minister in question who solicited a bribe.

He called on the President to conduct an independent investigation into the allegation, in order to protect the good name of the government and his innocence.

Nimal Siripala said he was resigning to pave the way for an independent and impartial investigation.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the Sri Lanka Police to impose a curfew within the Western Province within immediate effect.

Further, he also ordered that an emergency law be imposed islandwide, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed.

Despite such orders having been given though, no such curfew has been enforced yet.

Earlier today (13), Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters near the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo.

The protesters had marched from the Galle Face protest site towards the Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road and staged a protest outside the premises.

Former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra and 11 others were granted police bail a short while ago (06).

The group was arrested earlier today for staging a protest opposite the President’s residence in Fort this morning.

Accordingly, seven females and five males were arrested and later granted bail Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said.

The group staged a protest this morning near the President’s house expressing their displeasure over the current economic crisis, with Hirunika demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa step outside and meet her.

Police Special Task Force (STF) SSP Romesh. A. Liyanage has been suspended over the recent attack on journalists near the Prime Minister’s private residence on Saturday (09).

Accordingly, SSP Liyanage was suspended with immediate effect for failing to prevent the brutal attack on a group of journalists who were covering the protests.

During Saturday’s protests, four journalists were attacked by officers belonging to the Sri Lanka Police and the Police STF opposite Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Colombo, moments before his residence was set abalze.

The injured media personnel were rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment.

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha today announced the dates for the 2022 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, the G.C.E. Ordinary level examination and the Grade 05 Scholarship exam.

Accordingly, he said that the G.C.E. A/L examination will be held from November 28 to December 23, 2022 while the Grade 5 Scholarship exam is to be held on November 27.

Meanwhile the G.C.E. O/L examination is expected to be held between April and May next year, the Minister of Education said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it is hoping for a resolution to Sri Lanka’s political turmoil that will allow a resumption of talks for a bailout package after a violent day of protests.

“We hope for a resolution of the current situation that will allow for resumption of our dialogue on an IMF-supported program”, the IMF said in a statement.

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign on Wednesday (13) after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence and secretariat on Saturday, an official said.

Protesters also set fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence.

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has requested the President and the Government to take responsibility for the present crisis and resign, as they have no moral right to remain in power any further.

Issuing a statement, the Archbishop of Colombo notes that the country has fallen into a state of total economic bankruptcy, and the resultant level of suffering on the people had pushed them into a dark abyss, that cannot be explained in human words. Although hopes of a better future were rekindled with the appointment of the new Prime Minister and many remained silent in order to not to be an obstacle to solutions being found for current problems, the present plight which the people are facing had become worse and unbearably painful.

The present crisis and the despondent situation that has brought about has to be directly attributed to the President and the Government of Sri Lanka for the shortsighted and arbitrary decisions made within the last two and half years.

“From the beginning we did not hesitate to condemn the stubborn and oppressive burdens that had been placed on people, fleecing them and stealing their money and assets of the country in a corrupt manner” the statement reads.

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith also calls out on the lack of an investigation or bringing to book of those who are responsible for the corrupt and dishonest practices and decisions, and the lack of a serious attempt being made or a vision to solve the problems which the country is facing.

“People are spending days in queues going through untold hardships to obtain essentials and the Government has no cohesive plan or project which could definitely free them from this situation,” the statement reads.

The Archbishop of Colombo also notes that the biggest obstacle to liberating the country from its sad situation is the fact that the Rajapaksa family continues to stay in power in spite of majority of people not reposing trust in them anyway.

“The blatant neglect of duty on the part of the ruling party of the Rajapaksas to serve them, has made it very clear to the people that this family considers their political power as being more important than the wellbeing of the people, thus proving that everything done so far amounted to only political jugglery,” His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith mentions.

Therefore, on behalf of the suffering people, the Archbishop of Colombo has requested from President and the Government of Sri Lanka to accept responsibility for the sad situation and to step down from their positions, as they have no moral right to continue office anymore under these circumstances and to hand over the power back to people without causing further suffering.

News 1st

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the party leaders that he is willing to resign as Prime Minister and make way for an all-Party Government to take over.

He claimed that he is taking this decision in view of the fact that island-wide fuel distribution is due to recommence this week, the World Food Program Director is due to visit the country this week and the Debt Sustainability report for the IMF is due to be finalised shortly.

Therefore, the Premier said that he agrees with the recommendation by the Opposition Party Leaders to ensure safety of the citizens.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Parliament a short while ago (05).

He was seen sitting next to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Criticism was levelled at Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe during yesterday’s Parliamentary sitting, after they failed to be present.

Sri Lanka has imposed police curfew with effect from 9 PM today for several police divisions in the Western Province. This will be in effect until further notice.

These areas are:

Negombo Division

Kelaniya Division

Nugegoda Division

Mount Lavinia Division

Colombo (North) Division

Colombo (South) Division

Colombo (Central) Division.

Sri Lanka Police said that people living in the said police areas MUST remain indoors during the period of the Police Curfew.

The Supreme Court today ordered the Attorney General to prepare a report detailing the sectors that a given priority in fuel purchasing, and distribution.

The Attorney General was ordered to submit this report before the 12th of July 2022.

Th Supreme Court made the order after taking into consideration two Fundamental Rights applications filed by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

The applications were called up in the presence of Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Mahinda Samayawardena, and Arjuna Obeysekera.