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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has signed his first gazette summoning all members of the Armed Forces for the maintenance of Public Order in specific areas

The gazette was issued Under the Public Security Ordinance, by the President on September 27, 2024.

The Gazette makes way for the deployment of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to exercise police powers in maintaining public security in Administrative Districts and territorial water adjacent to such Districts.

The previous gazette summoning the military for maintenance of public order was issued by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday, 27 August 2024.

Minister of Public Security Vijitha Herath said that the government has taken steps in the past 24 hours to address the visa issuance issues that have arisen.

Accordingly, effective midnight today (26), people will once again be able to obtain visas using the previous system.

The government has also initiated an immediate audit to examine the irregularities related to the services provided to VFS. This audit will thoroughly investigate the discrepancies, and appropriate legal action will be taken as required.

Former Minister Kumara Welgama has passed away at the age of 74.

He had passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital, family sources said.

From 1984 to 2000, Welgama served as the chief organiser for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the Agalawatte electorate.

He later held key ministerial roles, serving as the Minister of Industrial Development from 2007 to 2010 and the Minister of Transport from 2010 until early 2015, under SLFP-led governments.

Since 2020, he has led the New Lanka Freedom Party and contested elections in alliance with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

Officials from the Ministry of Power and Energy have informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the country currently has sufficient fuel reserves to meet consumption needs, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

The President stressed the importance of maintaining these reserves to ensure uninterrupted fuel availability for the public and urged officials to efficiently plan for fuel procurement for the upcoming year. The President further assured his full support in facilitating these efforts, the statement said.

During the meeting held today (26) with Ministry officials, President Dissanayake directed them to devise a plan for distributing solar panels, received through Indian aid, to 800 Piriven. He emphasized the need for a clear roadmap from the Ministry to ensure smooth implementation of this initiative.

The President also highlighted the importance of expediting projects financed by the Asian Development Bank and other foreign loans. He announced plans to establish a committee tasked with approving foreign-aid projects within three months, with the aim of accelerating their execution. Through this process, he noted, projects supported by foreign aid can be implemented more efficiently.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake underscored the urgency of accelerating rural development projects and swiftly implementing a system to ensure funds are directed to villages, noting that this approach would rapidly strengthen the rural economy.

He expressed confidence in the vital role that government officials play in these efforts and emphasized his expectation that all will work with dedication to achieve these goals.

The discussion was attended by Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President; Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy; and a group of other officials.

--PMD--

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has pledged its full support for the transparency initiative of the current government.

This commitment was made by a delegation of high-ranking KOICA officials during a meeting with Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (27).

KOICA has also agreed to offer loan assistance for projects aimed at preventing fraud and corruption in Sri Lanka.

Representatives from the agency emphasized their intention to tailor loan support to meet the specific requirements of the country.

Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Miyon Lee, Deputy Ambassador Songyi Jeong, Country Director of KOICA Sri Lanka office Kim Myungjin, Deputy Country Directors Yongwhan Kim, Yunsoo Jeon, DIMO General Manager Roshan Seransinghe, and Sri Lanks Railways Deputy General Manager B.M.U Banneheka were also present at the meeting.

Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya has been ordered to be remanded in custody by the Supreme Court today.

This order comes as a result of his failure to comply with the interim order issued by the Supreme Court on August 2, which voided the government's decision to issue visas under the electronic visa system.

The ruling was made by a bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe, and Achala Wengappuli.

The court had previously issued an interim order suspending the issuance of online visas and directing the controller general to issue visas under the old visa issuance system, thus voiding the electronic visa system.

Although more than a month has passed, the Controller General has willfully disregarded the court's order, leading petitioners, including Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem, and M. A. Sumanthiran, to inform the court on September 13 to take appropriate legal action against him.

Considering the submisions made in court the supreme court justices noted that the Controller General had willfully ignored the court's order and therefore was in contempt of court.

As a result, during today's hearing, the petitioners filed contempt of charges against the Controller General.

The Supreme Court Justices emphasized that ignoring the Supreme Court's orders is a serious matter and that it is the responsibility of Supreme Court Justices to uphold the rule of law, instructing prison officials to take him into custody.

The Supreme Court Justices ordered that he be remanded in custody until the conclusion of the petition examination.

The Police security provided to former Parliamentarians has been recalled, with the exception of those assigned to the former Speaker, former Deputy Speaker, and the Opposition Leader, Police confirmed in a statement

Several former MPs confirmed to NewsWire that they have been informed of the withdrawal of their security personnel.

This decision aligns with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s campaign promise to reduce unnecessary security provided to politicians, aimed at cutting down on excesses in governance.

Parliamentarian Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, today (24) at the Presidential Secretariat. She took the oath in the presence of Honourable President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Additionally, the Cabinet of Ministers was appointed, and they are as follows:

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasooriya as the Acting Inspector General of Police.

This decision was made under the constitutional powers vested in the President.

The official appointment letter was handed to him by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the President's Office today .

At the time of his appointment as Acting IGP, he was serving as the SDIG in charge of the North Central Province.

The Governor of the Western Province, Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Gunathilake, has resigned from his position.

In a letter addressed to newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, he has officially informed of his decision to step down from the position.

In the letter, he further stated that he had worked with utmost dedication for the development of the Western Province, public service in the province, and for the benefit of its people, in accordance with the powers vested in him as Governor, since his appointment to the position on March 25, 2020.

He also mentioned that he was fortunate to have led the public service of the Western Province in efforts to enhance the safety and health of the people during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, as well as during other crises in recent years.

Muditha Peiris has stepped down from his position as the Chairman of the Litro Gas Company.

He has tendered his resignation effective from tomorrow (27).

Peiris was appointed as the Chairman of Litro Gas on June 13, 2022.

Prior to that, he had served as the Managing Director of the state-owned LP gas supplier.

Peiris had held the position of Managing Director at both Litro Gas Lanka Ltd and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, a distinguished academic, rights activist, and university lecturer, has been appointed as the 16th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Known for her work in education and social justice, Amarasuriya’s appointment marks a significant milestone in Sri Lankan politics.

Amarasuirya becomes Sri Lanka’s third woman prime minister, with the title held previously by Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

The new prime minister stands out as the first academic-turned-politician to take office.

Amarasuriya entered Parliament through the NPP national list in 2020.