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SLPP general secretary Sagara Kariyawasam finds Basil Rajapaksa to be a best choice of a leader for Sri Lanka.

During the war, Rajapaksa interacted with the international community and obtained its support militarily, Kariyawasam told the media today (11).

In the postwar period, he acted as the economic development minister to elevate the poor and to make Sri Lanka a fast developing nation, he said.

Rajapaksa identified the heartbeat of the poor and did much to uplift them economically, said the SLPP general secretary, adding that he fearlessly faced the recent allegations against him and proved them to be false.

Kariyawasam’s comments came amid speculation that Rajapaksa was planning to renounce his US citizenship and enter parliament within months.

Some in the SLPP have even proposed him to be the party’s candidate at the next presidential polls.

May the Easter celebration bless the country, with wisdom, positivity and spiritual strength to overcome all its challenges, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in his message for Easter Sunday today (09).

Full statement:

Easter Sunday celebrates the ability of Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, to transform lives by dispelling darkness in people’s minds and bringing hope to the world.

With Easter commemorating the resurrection of Jesus, it is an occasion for us to reflect on the values of love, peace, and forgiveness as espoused by Him, which are at the core of Sri Lankan culture, and we must come together with family, friends and communities, to solemnize the blessings life has to offer.

We are presently seeking to overcome an era of unprecedented hardship, uncertainty and disappointment and are looking forward to a better tomorrow. The Government is dedicated to realizing the aspirations of all Sri Lankans regardless of race, religion, party or color. I strongly believe that we can overcome these challenges in the near future.

However, it is crucial that we all unite on a common agenda that elevates us beyond narrow political objectives and regressive trends, and instead paving the way for the country toward progress. Let us all unite and work for a brighter future for Sri Lanka.

I am very much aware of the extreme pain caused by the Easter Sunday attack being still fresh in your minds, and I share that pain. I wish to reassure you that the legal proceedings related to this tragic incident are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence. The necessary groundwork towards this end has been laid, to ensure justice for all the victims. I pledge my unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of our country, by preventing any recurrence of such heinous acts.

As we continue to face these challenges, let us draw strength from the spirit of Easter, and its message of hope and renewal.

May the Easter celebration bless the country, with wisdom, positivity and spiritual strength to overcome all its challenges. I extend my heartfelt wishes to all those who are celebrating the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, a meaningful and peaceful Easter.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

President

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The National Committee on Delimitation of Divisions for Local Government Bodies handed over its preliminary draft report to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena today.

Demarcation of constituencies based on geographical size and population has been listed in the preliminary draft and the said draft is to be forwarded to District Secretaries and political party secretaries shortly.

Religious leaders and various organizations have already submitted proposals to be included in this report.

Committee Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said that the proposals being received for inclusion in the report will be considered until April 30 since the time until then is granted to prepare the final report.

Sri Lanka's first female professor of medicine Emeritus Professor Priyani Soysa died on friday (7).

Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Colombo Prof. Soysa was 97 years old at the time of her demise.

She is remembered for creating opportunities for mothers to stay with their children at children's wards, working to provide maternity leave for mothers up to three months, formulating the national policy on breast feeding, actively working on the polio eradication programme as well as children's nutrition.

Prof. Priyani Soysa's remains will lie at a private funeral parlor in Borella from Sunday (9) before being laid to rest at the Borella cemetery on Monday at 5pm.

The G.C.E. ordinary level examination 2023 has been postponed by two weeks, and will now start on May 29, announced the Examinations Department.

It was scheduled to begin on May 15.

The delayed start is due to the still incomplete evaluation of answer papers of the G.C.E. advanced level examination.

University lecturers are staying away from the process over an income tax issue, while teachers have agreed to carry out the task.

However, it cannot begin until a board comprising university lecturers plan the marks procedure.

80% of the school children's uniform requirement has been distributed, said the Ministry of Education.

A senior official said that the remaining 20% will be distributed before the end of this month.

Under the first phase, 70% of the material received from China to Sri Lanka have been distributed in the North, East, Central and North-Western provinces.

In the second phase, 30% of the material will be distributed to cover the rest of the 05 provinces.

Uniforms are to be distributed to 4.1 million school students and student monks.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe directed officials to develop a formal plan aimed at maximizing the contribution of the Nuwara Eliya District, a major tourist city, to the Sri Lankan Government’s program to establish a stable economy within a four-year timeframe.

During a discussion held at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat this morning (10), the President instructed officials to work on a formal plan to maximize the contribution of the Nuwara Eliya District, the President’s Media Division reported.

The discussion also included the unveiling of the Nuwara Eliya New Town Development Plan and the Nuwara Eliya Tourism Plan, which were attended by political authority and government officials from the Nuwara Eliya District.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who spoke at the occasion, highlighted that despite the belief of many that the country’s economy could not be rebuilt, the agreement reached by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government, provides an opportunity for fresh hope on the country’s economy.

The President emphasized the importance of developing the Nuwara Eliya District as a striking city that can attract tourists throughout the year, targeting both local and foreign tourists.

The President stressed the importance of preparing the development plans while considering the needs of tourists. He explained that the plans should prioritize creating a pleasant environment for tourists to relax, rather than focusing on constructing large buildings.

He also pointed out that the absence of a formal system for rainwater drainage in Nuwara Eliya City is a longstanding issue, and he urged officials to implement an urgent program to address this problem. Additionally, he directed special attention to solving the problem of drinking water in the area.

Mr. Wickremesinghe further explained that buildings in the Nuwara Eliya City should be done according to a proper plan, rather than constructing buildings haphazardly. He emphasized that the city has suffered due to the construction of large buildings and that officials should consider whether to turn it into a bustling metropolis like New York or maintain its identity as Nuwara Eliya.

The President highlighted the likelihood of an increase in tourist arrivals to Nuwara Eliya with the completion of the Central Expressway and stressed the importance of developing facilities in accordance with a proper plan.

He also emphasized that no party or investor should be allowed to damage the resources of the Nuwara Eliya District, and that all development should be environmentally friendly and well-planned.

Furthermore, Mr. Wickremesinghe called for government officials and political authorities to work in a well-coordinated manner in these matters. He encouraged everyone to think beyond the traditional framework and align themselves with the new program needed by the country.

Following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his intention to meet with all the secretaries of ministries, chairpersons of authorities and commissions, as well as heads of departments in order to obtain their contribution to realize the targeted 2025 development plan.

During the discussion, there was a widespread focus on developing the Nuwara Eliya District through sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.

There was a detailed conversation regarding the development activities to be carried out in the city under the Nuwara Eliya City Development Plan, as well as the development of Nanu Oya as a sub-city.

Plans were also made to develop Nuwara Eliya as a green city by preserving forest conservation areas, and five suburbs were earmarked for development with Nuwara Eliya as the central hub. Additionally, the establishment of a university in Nuwara Eliya and the construction of a Ramayana Center were also discussed during the meeting.

The President issued instructions to modernize the Nanu-Oya Railway Station and establish a high-quality economic centre nearby. The aim is to enable farmers to pack their vegetables and transport them safely and conveniently to Colombo.

The development of the racecourse and the lake, improvement of parking facilities, and speedy implementation of a formal water management program in Nuwara Eliya were given special attention during the discussions.

In addition, a program to increase the income of local residents and improve their lives was discussed at length.

The event was attended by Minister Jeevan Thondaman, Nuwara Eliya District Members of Parliament S.B. Dissanayake, C.B. Ratnayake, V.S. Radhakrishnan and M. Rameswaran, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Nandana Galabada, and other government officials.

--PMD

The outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Woonjin Jeong called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President's Office on Thursday (06).

Woonjin Jeong who officially announced his end of term in Sri Lanka, engaged in a friendly discussion with the President.

President Wickremesinghe thanked the South Korean Ambassador for his service rendered to Sri Lanka during his tenure and wished him success in all his future undertakings.

Senior Adviser to the President on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene was also present during this occasion.

Woonjin Jeong has been serving as the South Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka since July 2, 2020.

The 2022 G. C. E. O/L exam will take place from 29th May to 8th June, said the Department of Examinations.

In a statement, the Department of Examination introduced several telephone numbers and an email for inquiries.

Telephone: 011 2 785 922 / 011 2 784 208 / 011 2 784 537

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tabling the anti-terrorism bill in parliament has been postponed, said minister of justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

The decision has been taken in view of the requests made by MPs, lawyers and civil society organizations with regard to the draft bill, he said.

Accordingly, it will likely be presented to parliament at the end of April.

There is opposition to the draft bill as being antidemocratic.

Premier Dinesh Gunawardena has said it would be passed in parliament this month.

The newly appointed members of the Audit Service Commission have been sworn in on Sunday (April 09), before Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, the Speaker of the Parliament.

The Auditor General is appointed as the ex-officio Chairman to the Commission and accordingly, Mr.W.P.C. Wickramaratne has taken oath in the said position.

Furthermore, Retired Justice Nihal Sunil Rajapaksa, Mrs. Nandaseeli Godakanda, Mr. Gnananantharajah Thevagnanan, Mr. A M Dharmajith Nayanakantha also took oath as members to the Commission, the Department of Communications of the parliament announced.

Representatives of the World Bank have commended Sri Lanka’s Development Policy Operational Program, for the remarkable progress it has achieved in advancing its development objectives, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

During the final discussion in a series held with the World Bank representatives on Sri Lanka’s Development Policy Operational Program, the attendees discussed the next steps to complete the island nation’s development policy operational pre-actions, such as the establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Office, restructuring of state-owned enterprises, welfare benefit payment systems, social registry, and their respective timelines.

The discussion was held this morning (06 April) at the Presidential Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Sagala Ratnayake, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff.

Ratnayake also commended the World Bank for their contribution to Sri Lanka’s development policy operations and expressed his hope for everyone’s support in making the program a success.

The event was attended by World Bank representatives, including Mrs. Chiyo Kanda, the Country Manager, and the President’s Senior Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, as well as several other officials.