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United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader, Minister Sajith Premadasa said he will contest the next Presidential elections with the support
of UNP leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.

This statement was made by Premadasa at a massive public rally held in Kurunegala last evening. The event was attended by many government ministers, MPs, party organizers and the party’s representatives in provincial
as well as local government bodies.

The UNP Deputy Leader further noted that his hands were clean as he was not involved in corruption or any criminal activity.

“I don’t have blood in my hands. I don’t have any corrupt or criminal activities in my hands,” Premadasa charged.

He said that false allegations are being made against him and yet he was not shaken.

Premadasa further added that the more allegations are made against him the more determined he becomes to do more for the people.

The Kurunegala rally is the third such event organised by the UNP to support Premadasa’s candidacy at the next presidential election. Rallies were earlier held in Badulla and
Matara.

However, the UNP is yet to decide on its Presidential candidate and both Wickremesinghe and Jayasuriya are among the contenders apart from Premadasa.

What the survey says!

While speculation is still rife about the presidential candidate selection of UNP, the Party is silent on a survey they have conducted which says it all.

It has become clear why we see strong support within the Party for its Minister Sajith Premadasa to be nominated as the Presidential candidate for the 2019 Election. Per the survey, if there is one candidate who can take UNP to victory against the strong Rajapaksa base, it is its Deputy Leader, Minister Sajith Premadasa.

The survey indicates around 43% of the votes for UNP, if Sajith Premadasa is nominated as its Presidential candidate as opposed to only 17% of the votes if PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is nominated and a paltry 13% of the votes if Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is nominated as the candidate.

While nobody from the Party was available to comment, the survey is a clear indication that, with only few months left for the election, the only way UNP stands any chance to win this election is by nominating Sajith.

The survey also indicates that the feet on street approach of Sajith Premadasa on development activities has made him popular not just amongst the lower middle class but also amongst the youth and women who are fed up of the scams and corruption in the country. Per the survey, neither Rajapaksa or Ranil Wickremesinghe have scored well on any of these fronts. On the index of corruption alone, Sajith Premadasa’s clean image has helped him score 56%.

If the UNP does not act fast on its decision, it may very well give the victory in a platter to its opponent.

The Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday (3) that the State Intelligence Service (SIS) had sent 97 warning notices to the office of the Defence Secretary and the Police Chief during a period of three years on possible attacks from the terrorist group headed by Zahran Hashim.

The revelation was made by President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena when the fundamental rights petitions filed against Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera and former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando were taken up for hearing.

The Counsel had said the evidence of such communications were evident from the affidavits and other documents of State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardena spanning years 2017 to 2019.

Jayawardena appeared for the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) a Petitioner, among 12 other Petitioners in the fundamental rights petitions.
The petitions were filed citing for failure to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks.

The matter was taken up for hearing before a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Sisira de Abrew, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Prasanna Jayawardena, Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya and Justice Murdu Fernando.

A black day was noted in parliament by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Bimal Ratnayake yesterday (5) due to the absence of all ministers from whom oral questions were raised during yesterday’s session.

“This is a black day in Parliament as none of the Ministers are present to answer all 15 oral questions raised from them,” Ratnayake has said.

“It’s been one year since we handed over some oral questions and none of them are answered by the ministers. What is the use of holding Parliamentary sessions if the Ministers cannot come and answer the questions that are raised by the MPs,” the MP has added.

Joining in, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Ananda Aluthgamage has said it is better to dissolve the House and go for a snap general election as the function of the present Parliament had almost come to a standstill.

“Millions of rupees are being spent for sessions and all these go waste as Ministers are absent,” he has said.

Meanwhile, several back bench MPs of the governing party have also supported the views expressed by the opposition MPs.

United National Front (UNF) MP S. M. Marikkar has said parliamentary privileges of MPs have been violated by the Ministers by not being present in the House to answer the questions.

Leader of the House, Minister Lakshman Kiriella has also said he would agree with the matter raised by the MPs.

“Ministers fail to attend sessions despite the advice given to them by the Prime Minister to give priority to Parliament,” he has said

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa is now trying to fool women in the run up to the presidential election by putting forward his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Pohottuwa party (SLPP) presidential candidate.

But he cannot fool all the women of Sri Lanka all the time by uttering lies and distorting facts, several leading women rights activists said adding that women have no worries about his 2015 defeat as they are very well aware the attitude towards them by his siblings and close supporters including mass rapists.

Addressing the first convention of Sri Lanka Podujana Women’s Front held at past Saturday (31), the former President said the microfinance loans have made rural women debt-ridden without mentioning the present government’s relief scheme initiated by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to write off most of those loans.

The Government has absorbed more than Rs 1.25 billion worth of unpaid microfinance debt incurred by 45,139 women in the North, East and North Central Provinces.

According to the Ministry of Finance,lending companies have written-off Rs 141.41 million worth of interest payments on these loans.

At the women’s convention, Mahinda Rajapaksa also spoke about the present government’s budget proposal to provide financial assistance for the redemption of the jewelry pawned in banks by rural women high lighting it as a broken promise.

 Related News:
Cabinet approves relief for drought-affected women on loans up to Rs 100,000

Mr. Rajapaksa has conveniently forgotten that all the details of the government’s relief for women in the North and the East who borrowed money from finance companies and pawned their jewelry were presented by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in parliament on 5 April 2019.

This revelation was made by him in response to a question raised by the opposition leader and it is a pity that Mahinda Rajapksa is now trying to fool women who have already benefited by the government's relief schemes, leading women rights activists said.

Last year, the Government introduced a scheme to write off non-consumption loans up to Rs 100,000 given to women by all registered finance companies in the drought-affected districts of Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

According to 2015 budget proposal, 36,000 women were paid Rs.94 million to redeem their mortgaged jewellery. We waived off loans amounting to Rs.736 million obtained by 57,000 farmers while 115,000 drought-affected people were paid Rs.1.2 billion in 12 districts," minister told parliament.

But all those things have fallen onto deaf ears of Mahinda Rajapksa who is now hell bent on fooling the masses.

Leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed displeasure over the probe carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on the allegations surrounding the new Sri Lankan passport obtained by SLPP presidential hopeful, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

He claims that the CID was focusing its attention on Gotabaya Rajapaksa more than the Easter attacks.

Rajapaksa said at an event yesterday (4) that the CID is investigating false allegations over Gotabaya’s passport.

He noted that the CID is not focused on the investigations over the deadly attacks on Easter Sunday.

Rajapaksa charged that the government is determined on taking revenge on members of the former government.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also present at the event.

Probe

It is learnt that a team of CID officers had also visited Hambantota as part of the probe to inquire into the inclusion of Gotabaya’s name in the 2005 voter registry of the Mulkirigala electorate when he had become a US citizen in 2003.

The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) received several complaints by civil society on the alleged “criminal activity” that had taken place when obtaining a new Sri Lankan passport by Gotabaya.

The Acting IGP first directed the CID to handle the probe but later assigned it to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD). However, following findings of the CCD, the probe was redirected to the CID.

The probe has found that files relating to Gotabaya’s dual citizenship do not exist at the Immigration Department and that computer records were made only in January 2014. Gotabaya was also registered to vote in 2005 despite being ineligible as an American citizen, and in May this year obtained a passport on a new National Identity Card (NIC) that is not tied in immigration records to his previous passports and court-ordered travel restrictions.

Gotabaya acquired US citizenship on January 31, 2003, according to a document published on Twitter by his spokesman Milinda Rajapaksha. He therefore ceased to be a Sri Lankan citizen on this date. Section 20 (5) of the Citizenship Act states that “a person who is a citizen of Sri Lanka by descent shall cease to be a citizen of Sri Lanka if he voluntarily becomes a citizen of any other country.”

Official records indicate that Gotabaya returned to Sri Lanka as a US citizen on an American passport on July 3, 2005 using a tourist visa. In an affidavit he filed with the Supreme Court in May 2015 to support an application to prevent his arrest in several criminal cases including the MiG Deal, Avant Garde floating armoury scam and financial crimes at Mihin Lanka, Rajapaksa declared under penalty of perjury that he returned to Sri Lanka to “assist” his brother “in the election campaign” for the presidency.

The conditions of Rajapaksa’s on-arrival visit visa permit only “bona fide tourist” activity and forbid “visit for purposes other than holiday.”

The day Mahinda Rajapaksa took oaths as President on November 18, 2005, Gotabaya apparently lodged a dual citizenship application that was fast-tracked, and approved on November 21.

However, according to the few records that exist of this event in Immigration Department systems, Gotabaya’s purported dual citizenship only became effective on 30 November 2005.

He was appointed Defence Secretary on November 24, 2005.

(TheLeader.lk)

 Related News:
Gota still a US citizen?

Controversy over Gota's new passport

A clash between the delegates representing India and Pakistan has resulted in the brief halting of Sittings of the South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Colombo.

The heated argument between the delegates of the two countries was over the Kashmir issue.

The Pakistani Parliamentary delegation had demanded to know from their Indian counterparts why India had revoked Kashmir’s special status nullifying autonomy granted to the state which had also resulted in numerous schools in the region being closed down, sources have said.

Subsequently a heated argument had ensued between the two groups, with India asserting that it was an internal Indian issue.

Parliamentarian Professor Ashu Marasinghe had to stop the session for lunch to calm the situation and end the quarrel.

The event was hosted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in celebration of the 30 year anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989-2019).

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP representing the “joint opposition” (JO), Dullas Alahapperuma says the draft Constitution for the establishment of the proposed Sri Lanka Podujana Alliance (SLPA) by parties in the “JO” was approved by all political parties in the alliance.

The MP made this observation at a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) press conference.

Alahapperuma said the “joint opposition” on Tuesday (3) resolved the main issue there was to form an alliance.

“At the party leaders’ meeting, all parties in the “joint opposition” had agreed to the drafted new constitution,” Alahapperuma added.

It will soon join political history of this country under the name Sri Lanka Podujana Alliance, the MP further said.

The MP observed that the alliance would be officially formed by the end of the month.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has reiterated his commitment to abolish the Executive Presidency so its powers cannot be abused with impunity, and pledged to continue upholding democracy.

Wickremesinghe has made this observation while addressing the People’s Majlis, which is the equivalent of the Maldives Parliament.

The Prime Minister has outlined the measures taken by his Government, since coming to power in 2015, to foster and promote democracy and strengthen institutions. He acknowledged that the creation of the Executive Presidency led to the accumulation of power in one institution, and this was somewhat resolved by the Government.

“The 19th Amendment to our Constitution corrected the position by requiring the President to appoint Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. This reinforced the collective responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers to Parliament. Today, the major features of the Westminster Parliamentary Government exist side by side with an Executive Presidency, which we are committed to abolish, due to its profound powers that have often been exploited and abused by its incumbents with impunity,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the 19th Amendment was deemed necessary, because of “the flagrant violations of the Constitution under the previous regime. For instance, the then-Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was removed in 2013 without a proper resolution of impeachment. Similarly, there was a high level of politicisation of the Public Service and the Police. The 19th Amendment addressed these issues by establishing six independent commissions.”

However, Wickremesinghe pointed out laws alone do not strengthen democracy, as they can be repealed or ignored.

The strengthening of key democratic institutions, and their implementing mechanisms is also necessary, he said. Sri Lanka has achieved the independence of these institutions through the establishment of the Constitutional Council.

The appointees were no longer dependent on the whims of the Executive, and have the space to act independently, he added.

“But the challenge is not over. The abuse of the democratic space for example, through hate speech and fake news, are some of the new dangers. Social media is like a god of ancient times: both the creator and the destroyer. It has the ability to spread the message of freedom as well as to rouse passions and emotions that lead to its destruction.
Finding a balance between the democratisation of news and the legal obligations of the user to prevent harm is the complex question that which we, you, and many countries, have to grapple with. The final solution will require an educated public, aware of their freedoms and the threats that are posed by the net and the web," Wickremesinghe said.

Wickremesinghe also said that as Sri Lanka and Maldives are two neutral nations situated at the cross roads of the Indian Ocean, they have to face mutual challenges of rising regional tensions, terrorism, piracy, and drug trafficking. He called for the two countries to strengthen bilateral dialogue in this sphere, and seek ways to cooperate in containing and overcoming these threats.

General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said five national list MPs who had left the party have been sent letters to show cause within seven days.

Accordingly letters have been sent to MPs Lakshman Seneviratne, Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, A.H.M. Fowziev Dilan Perera and S. B. Dissanayake.

On the 4th of August, the SLFP Central Committee decided to take disciplinary action against party members who violate the party’s code of conduct.

It is in this backdrop that the SLFP has sent show cause letters to the five MPs. While three MPs have joined the United National Front (UNF) government, two others have joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

President Maithripala Sirisena has been informed by the Supreme Court (SC) that he does not have the power to call for Provincial Council (PC) elections without a duly adopted delimitation report.

The Court has informed the President that he did not possess the power to enforce the delimitation report by gazetting it. Therefore, elections to the provinces cannot be held under the Provincial Council (Amendment) Act.

President's Secretary, Udaya Seneviratne yesterday (2) announced the Supreme Court observations to the President's request for an opinion on the possibility of the President making arrangements to hold the PC polls.

The delayed Provincial Council elections is viewed as a violation of the people's right to vote.

The Elections Commission earlier said it was unlikely that the Provincial Council elections would be held before the presidential election scheduled to be held this year.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Singapore Government would consider the extradition request for former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Mahendran, once the necessary documents were received, the Singaporean media has reported.

The Straits Times has stated the information and documents had been requested since January 18th this year, and the Sri Lankan High Commission has also confirmed that these documents have not yet been conveyed to the Singapore Government

“When we receive them, we will consider the extradition request further in accordance with Singapore law,” Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has said.

Mahendran, a Singapore national of Sri Lankan origin, was accused in 2015 of passing sensitive information to his bond-dealer son-in-law of Perpetual Treasuries, Arjun Aloysius to make millions in undue profits.

On Monday (2) the Attorney General’s Department handed over documents amounting to 21,000 pages to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka to be lodged with Singapore.

Mahendran was indicted in June for causing losses of over US$11 million to the state.

In March, President Maithripala Sirisena said Singapore had not responded to his call in January to return Mahendran.

Mahendran and his son-in-law are accused of manipulating bond auctions in 2015 and 2016. He was named a key suspect in the scam in February last year and fled.

A damning presidential report into the scandal also accused Mahendran of insider trading and recommended the state recover its losses from the pair.

 Related News:
Arjun Mahendran is in Singapore: INTERPOL informs CID

Having dared to break into entrepreneurship despite graduating with a Sri Lankan university degree, 73 Lankan youth clinched financial grants from Sri Lanka’s National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) in a celebration of their start-up successes, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Vocational Training said.

The Ministry pointed out that some such SMEs have even succeeded in nailing projects from well-known blue-chip companies.

The grants, made under ‘Upadidaree Vyavasayaka Udanaya’ (Graduate Entrepreneurs’ Awakening –GEA of NEDA) imparts cash to small business start-ups (mostly) belonging to the rural youth graduates. The grants are given to new small businesses that proved to be viable and profitable after their NEDA backed business registrations were completed. Their entire new business setup process-from business registration, training, production outputs, and to sales and marketing were solely assisted by NEDA’s GEA program. With 30 August grants to 73 new SMEs, such NEDA supported youth entrepreneurs’ total count now stands at 173. Around 70% of who received grants on 30 August are from the rural sector. Grants ranged from Rs 150000 for single owner start-ups and Rs 400,000 for jointly owned start-ups.

“Our Ministry is investing Rs 100 Million for NEDA’s GEA project. Today 73 more rural youth entrepreneurs who proved their start-up successes are getting grants from us to strengthen their SMEs,” said the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training (ICTPDPCDSDVT) Rishad Bathiudeen. Minister Bathiudeen was addressing his NEDA’s GEA awards event at Narahenpita.

Baithiudeen extended his wishes to the youth entrepreneurs and praised their efforts to become entrepreneurs rather than running after government jobs.