News

Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) Nuwara Eliya District MP for Kurunegala District Muthu Sivalingam has been appointed as the Deputy Minister of Primary Industries.

He was sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat.

President Maithripala Sirisena will make a special statement on the future actions of the government before Friday, Minister Susil Premajayantha said today. 

Meetings between key parties have been held on a frequent basis on the way forward after the upsetting local government poll results which saw the SLPP sweeping the board.

It is reported that Minister Palitha Range Bandara, who was the organizer of the Anamaduwa electorate in the Puttalam district, has resigned from his post as electoral organizer.

Resignation is only from the electoral organizer post

It is reported that Palitha Range Bandara has communicated of his resignation to the party general secretary. However he is said to have not resigned from his ministerial portfolio.

Political sources claim the resignation of the state minister could possibly be the first signs of a cross over from within the government.

Was disappointed about the UNP leadership

It is also reported that Minister Range Bandara has been displeased with the leadership of the UNP for a long time and that the minister was of the opinion that the Prime Minister should have resigned from the position of party leader after the election results were announced.

It is reported that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has agreed with the President to establish a caretaker government headed by the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) if a general election is held.

After a discussion with the UPFA ministers and MPs last evening, a proposal has been submitted for a caretaker government and it was agreed upon subject to several terms after the decision was informed to Mahinda Rajapaksa by the SLFP leaders.

Accordingly, it is reported that if the several conditions including the holding of an early general election are accepted then JO members are now favourable to form an alliance government.

Minister of Law and Order Sagala Rathnayake has tendered his resignation after making a special statement at the Parliamentary group meeting of the UNP.

In a Facebook post on his page, Rathnayake said that he would not hesitate to sacrifice his positions for the betterment of the party and reiterated that his loyalty to the party and the party leadership remains as strong as ever.

“I will make any sacrifice needed for the uplift the party and will not hesitate to do whatever that is best for the party” the Minister said adding that it was a personal decision made by him to resign from the post. While affirming his continued loyalty to the party Sagala went on to say that he is ready to accept any position granted by the UNP in order to serve the people of this country.

According to government sources a cabinet reshuffle is imminent in the coming days.

The Court of Appeal (CA) today further extended its interim order preventing police from acting against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa under the Public Property Act regarding a Magistrate's Court inquiry, until February 28 .

The two-judge-bench comprising then Court of Appeal (President) Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Gunaratne extended this Interim Order preventing police from acting under the Public Property Act against Rajapaksa, on Galle Magistrate’s court inquiry over a complaint that the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana was built using public funds amounting to Rs.90 million.

Source : Daily News

Sri Lanka’s coalition government, an alliance between the two main political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), will continue despite losing local government polls, a spokesman said.

A Cabinet reshuffle will be decided upon this week itself, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told a news conference.

The coalition did badly at last week’s local government polls, where the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a proxy party of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, emerged as the single largest party.

The polls result led to speculation of changes in the government with calls by the opposition for both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down.

 Source : Economy Next

The newly elected 8,356 candidates from the recently held Local Government elections will assume duties for 341 local authorities on March 6.

The number of seats to be assumed in the local authorities, classified as Urban Councils, Municipal Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas are 41, 24 and 276 respectively.

The gazette notification in this regard will be issued tomorrow, said the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry.

Source : Daily News

UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said today (15), that the UNP parliamentary group has decided to continue with the unity government and carry out party reforms following a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He further stated that it was agreed to restructure the party while taking measures to stabilize the government.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the UNP and SLFP led unity government should continue as it is due to the recent LG poll results.

 When asked if the Premiership should go to anyone other than Wickramasinghe, TNA MP M.A Sumanthiran said the TNA has no opinion in this regard.

He also said no request has been made of them to join to form a UNP unitary government and even if such a request is made the TNA will not support such a cause by becoming part of the government.

"Our position is that we will not become partners of the government until we see a settlement for the national question."

“No such offers made”

The MP also refuted rumours that several cabinet ministerial portfolios have been offered to the TNA if they support a UNP unitary government. “No one has invited us or offered such posts to us,” Sumanthiran said.

However, he said if such a request is made the party will hold discussions regarding it adding that however, the party will not become a party to the government which is to be formed.

“National government must continue”

He also claimed to have no connection to parties who are calling for the resignation of Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe adding that the TNA stances is that the national government should continue.

The MP while accepting that the EPDP and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress’s voter base has increased as seen in the recent polls, he said the TNA would hold discussions in this regard.

(BBC)

President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed the members of the commission to inquire and report the malpractices in Sri Lankan Airlines, Mihin Air and Sri Lankan Catering, during the period of 6th of January 2016 to 31 of January 2018, the president's media division said.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gunarathna has been appointed as the President of the commission, and Court of Appeal Judge Gamini Rohan Amarasekara, Retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, Retired Deputy Auditor General M. D. A. Harald, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board Ms. W. J. K. Geeganage have been appointed as the members of the Commission.

The Japanese Justice Ministry stated that 2,226 people from Sri Lanka had applied for refugee status last year.

Justice Ministry officials however stated that they believe that most of the asylum seekers came to Japan for work and such applications will be declined due to strict screening procedures.

Japanese government said the number of foreigners who applied for refugee status in the country during 2017 hit a record high for the 7th year in a row with 19,628 people filing for refugee status but only 20 were granted asylum.