News

MP Shantha Bandara, who was sworn in as the State Minister of Agriculture yesterday (11), has been removed from all positions he had been holding in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Bandara accepting a State Ministerial portfolio at a time when the party decided not to accept any portfolios in the present administration is a betrayal to the party, the SLFP said.

General Secretary of the SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said steps will also be taken to expel the State Minister from the SLFP Central Committee and from the Party.

Bandara was sworn in yesterday as the State Minister of Organic Fertilizer Production, Promotion and Supply Regulation and Promotion of Paddy and Cereals, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Salt and Potato Cultivation, Seed Production and High Tech Agriculture following the resignation of Shasheendra Rajapaksa.

He said that he had accepted the post at the request of the President.

Newly-appointed Finance Minister Ali Sabry has stepped down from his position a day after his appointment.

His appointment as the Finance Minister came after the entire Cabinet of Ministers resigned from their respective portfolios on Sunday (April 03).

In his letter of resignation sent to the President, Sabry said it was not his intention to take up any post after he tendered his resignation from the post of Justice Minister on April 03.

“However, in order to maintain parliamentary democracy and the stability of the system and constitutional governance, in light of the multitude of requests made by the business community, professionals and some of my cabinet colleagues, I decided to accept the post of the Minister of Finance only as an interim measure until a suitable, full-time sustainable solution could be found.”

Sabry says, after much reflection and deliberation, and taking into account the present situation, he is of the view that fresh, proactive and unconventional steps need to be taken, including the appointment of a new Finance Minister, to make suitable arrangement to navigate the ongoing crisis.

“In order to facilitate such an appointment, I hereby tender my resignation from the post of the Minister of Finance with immediate effect,” he added.

He also expressed his willingness to step down his parliamentary seat, if the President wishes to appoint a person suitable to handle the situation outside the current parliament.

Prior to his resignation today, Sabry, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, presented the International Monetary Fund’s report on Sri Lanka to the parliament this morning.

After the Cabinet of Ministers tendered their letters of resignation, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed four ministers to maintain the affairs of the Parliament and other functions of the country legitimately and stably until a full Cabinet is appointed.

Accordingly, Prof. G.L. Peiris was sworn in as the Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry as the Finance Minister, Johnston Fernando as the Minister of Highways and Dinesh Gunawardena as the Education Minister.

These ministers were appointed as there is a need to appoint a Leader of the House and a Chief Government Whip for the functioning of the Parliament and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance, the PMD explained in a statement.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) requested power cuts were approved by the PUCSL for next week.

The schedule is as follows;

4 hours on 11th and 12th April No power cuts from 13th to 15th of April 2 hours and 15 minutes on 16th & 17th of April

On 11th and 12th

Groups ABCDEFGHIJKL

2 hours and 15 minutes from 8:30am to 5:30pm 1 hour and 45 minutes from 5:30pm to 10:45pm

Groups PQRSTUVW

2 hours and 15 minutes from 10:45am to 5:30pm 1 hour and 45 minutes from 5:30pm to 10:45pm

On 16th to 17th

Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW

2 hours and 15 minutes from 9am to 6pm.

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle has resigned from her post.

Speaking to Ceylon Today, Fernandopulle stated that she had submitted her resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Colombo Magistrate’s Court issued an order preventing Ex-Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal from traveling overseas.

Ajith Nivard Cabraal was also issued summons to appear in Court on the 18th of April.

The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunuwela upon considering an application filed by former governor Keerthi Tennakooon.

The application charged Cabraal for abusing public funds during his tenure as the governor of the central bank.

President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne and Attorney-at-Law Gunaratne Wanninayake appeared on behalf of the plaintiff.

The additional magistrate has also ordered Ajith Nivard Cabraal to appear in court on the 18th of this month.

Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Ajith Nivard Cabraal has handed over his resignation.

Taking to Twitter, Cabraal stated that he has submitted his resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

His resignation comes hours after the entire Cabinet handed in their resignations to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, following a Cabinet meeting held last night.

"In the context of all Cabinet Ministers resigning, I have today submitted my resignation as Governor, @CBSL to HE President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. @GotabayaR #SriLanka #GoSL", Cabraal tweeted.

The Ministry of Education has decided to extend school hours by an hour from the next term, commencing 18 April.

Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera said the decision was taken owing to the limited time available to complete this year’s syllabus and to cover missed lessons.

Minister of Sports, Youth and Technology, Namal Rajapaksa says he has resigned from his Ministerial portfolios today (03).

The Government Medical Officers’ Association stated that the health sector will face several issues in the next few weeks due to the shortage of medicine.

North Western Province Coordinator of the Government Medical Officers Association, Dr. Indika Ratnayake said that with the present situation in the country and negative financial system allocations to the health sector have been reduced.

Further, he said that the main reason they could not import medicine was because of the shortage of dollars.

According to the situation arising in the country importing medicine will be difficult and there will be a high demand for medicines, he said.

Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa led a protest march towards Independence Square in Colombo on Sunday (7), defying the nationwide curfew.

However, the protest march was obstructed by police barricades that were set up around Independence Square, Colombo.

A heavy security detail was also deployed to the vicinity.

However, the protestors including SJB Parliamentarians continued to protest in the presence of the police and military personnel.

“You are supposed to protect the people and the not government,” Sajith Premadasa told police officers who were manning the barricade.

“We are causing any damage to public or private property. We are here to protest peacefully. All those present with me are the MPs. You, the law enforcement, are bound to the mandate of the people and you cannot suppress it,” said the Opposition Leader, adding that he respects the police and military, and has no intention to threaten them.

SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka warned the police officers that obstructing the movement of any MP would land them in jail for five years and that the actions of the police is a violation of the constitution.

Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe has been appointed as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

Weerasinghe served as a Deputy Governor for the CBSL and will be serving as the new Governor upon the stepping down of predecessor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

He will assume office on April 07.

Activist Thisara Anurudda Bandara was granted bail by the Hulftsdorp Magistrate's Court last night.

Bandara's case, initially scheduled to be taken up at around 05:00 pm last evening (02), was ultimately taken up at around 01:00 am, for which nearly 50 lawyers appeared on Bandara's behalf.

Bandara was arrested and charged under the Penal Code, specifically under those provisions that prohibit the expression of feelings of disaffection towards the State, yesterday (02), for managing a Facebook page titled "Go Home Gota".

He was initially reported missing by the Sri Lanka Young Journalist's Association, after a group of people/officials who identified themselves as police officers went to Bandara's residence and arrested him.

Subsequently, however, the Modara Police informed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) that Bandara was, in fact, in their custody, despite the Modara OIC initially denying claims of such an arrest being made.