News

Speaker of the Iran Parliament Ali Larijani and a delegation arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday on a two-day official visit.

Ali Larijani along with 36 Iranian diplomats arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday on a special Iranian flight.

 State Minister of National Integration and Reconciliation A. H. M. Fowzie welcomed the delegation at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Larijani is scheduled to stay in the country until April 20, and the delegation is expected to meet government officials including Prime Minister and Speaker of the House during the visit. The Iranian Speaker expected to hold discussions with regard to the ongoing conflict in Syria, according to reports.

Larijani, was in Vietnam with the parliamentary delegation to boost bilateral parliamentary cooperation prior to arriving in Colombo.

He held talks with Vietnamese prime minister, parliament speaker as well as head of joint trade council of Vietnam and Iran and participated in a trade gathering of both countries' businessmen.

SLFP General Secretary, Minister Duminda Dissanayake says that if false propaganda over the decisions taken by the SLFP in the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister and the government continues, many leaders of the SLFP including himself will have to reveal the real truth behind the 16 who left the government.

The Minister further stated that the two small groups of United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) are working towards creating clashes within the government. Dissanayake also claimed that 23 MP’s of the party withheld from voting at the NCM in a bid to protect the 16 who left the government but certain individuals have been trying to link him along with Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to the UNP.

However, he stressed that he nor Amaraweera has any intention to join the UNP.

It is reported that a senior from the United National Party (UNP) is set to be appointed to the Deputy Speaker post vacated by MP Thilanga Sumathipala recently.

It has been decided to give the post to the UNP as a majority of the SLFP MP’s have decided to sit in the opposition while the remaining MP’s are all members of the Cabinet.

According to political sources in recent times Sumathipala has worked in a manner bringing disrepute to the post of Deputy Speaker and therefore a senior will be appointed to the post instead to set an example for junior MP’s.

It is being reported that following the political change on May 8 former Test Cricket Captain of Sri Lanka, Minister Arjuna Ranatunga will be appointed as the new President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC).

The current chief of the SLC, Thilanga Sumathipala was appointed to the post on January 3, 2016, and according to regulations at the time, the term of office of any board of a national sports association was two years.

Accordingly, the term of the current board ended on January 3, 2018. As a result, a general meeting had to be called prior to March 31 to appoint a new board. However according to new regulations gazetted by Former Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekara this should happen prior to June 1. The new regulations have also increased the term of the board to four years.

It is said that the current SLC board is, therefore, looking to adopt the new regulations but if they do so they will not be required to hold an election before June 4 giving the current board two more years to be in their positions.

Due to an attempt to postpone the elections scheduled to May 20, several UNP MP’s have suggested that the board should be dissolved and a committee should be appointed instead headed by Minister Arjuna Ranatunga.

According to sources the request to accept the post has been made to Ranatunga by the UNP party leadership and a number of senior cricketers.

The move comes especially at a time where the current President of SLC, Sumathipala supported the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister resulting in him becoming politically isolated. Allegations have also been rife that Sri Lanka cricket suffered during his tenure as SLC Chief.

Therefore if an election is called Ranatunga is expected to gain the full support of the UNP.

President Maithripala Sirisena says that 75% of the news items in Sri Lanka's online publications are free of the truth.

The president who visited the UK to attend the Commonwealth Heads of State summit Tuesday (April 17) made this statement while speaking to a group of Sri Lankans living in London.

According to the President the recent Sinhala Muslim clashes that took taken place in Kandy were also based on false propaganda spread through the internet.

President Maithripala Sirisena also pointed out that social media sites has even become a serious issue for the United States and that the decision of the lankan government to shut down the social media during the clashes averted a great deal of destruction that could have taken place.

 President Maithripala Sirisena also said that the attempts made by some to hide the truth and promote falsehood are a hindrance to the forward march of the country.

Therefore, the President invited the Sri Lankan community living in London to assist the journey of building the country with a proper understanding of the real situation of the Motherland.

Members of academics, businessmen, university students and many others representing various fields were present at the meeting and President Maithripala Sirisena was warmly welcomed by them.

Expressing his views, the President further explained that the real information on the propagandas followed by the government to develop the country by establishing freedom and democracy do not flow to the people.

A major reason for that is certain media and social media platforms attempt on highlighting falsehoods and suppressing the truth to gain narrow political advantage and commercial benefits, he said and further stated that they have not truly understood the value of the freedom given to everybody by the present government.

The President, who emphasized that the government has taken steps with great dedication to fulfil the duties on behalf of the dear Motherland during the last three years, said that one of the priorities of it is to establish coexistence and reconciliation and to make the peace gained by the country a permanent one.

Thus, the President said that the economic plans made towards monitoring the country towards development and building the economy of the people of the country has often succeeded while the victories gained internationally through the past three years getting close to the international community, which was earlier against the Motherland, also takes a special place.

Engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have announced they will work to rule commencing from May 8. According to the Union, the action will be based on several demands including salary anomalies.

The Colombo Zonal Education office has withdrawn an order it issued in February to Principals in Colombo schools demanding they pay due respect to Parliamentarians and PC members who attend special school functions.

In a letter dated February 20 sent to all schools in the Colombo Zonal Division, Zonal Education Director P.N. Silva ordered that parliamentarians and PC members, public representatives, be invited to special school functions.

The letter went a step further when it ordered the invitees, especially members of parliament, be ‘given due respect’ when they attended such events.

The order was revoked on April 9 following public criticism after it was released to the media. The revocation letter by Zonal Education Director Silva apologized for the inconvenience faced by principals.

Source : Daily Mirror

The re-authorised US generalised scheme of preferences (GSP) will become active for Sri Lankan exporters from April 22 Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said.

US President Donald Trump re-authorised US GSP facility for 120 countries when he signed the US Omnibus Spending Bill on 23 March.

The re-authorisation opens opportunities for around 5000 products to be imported to US without tariff from 120 developing countries. Sri Lanka will now benefit from the renewed US GSP Scheme until 31 December 2020.

China on Wednesday refuted a U.S. research group report on the Belt and Road Initiative, reiterating that the initiative aims to achieve win-win economic cooperation.

According to the Associated Press, after analyzing 15 Chinese-funded port projects, a research institute called C4ADS concluded that the projects were not driven by win-win economic development, but intended to expand China's "political influence and military presence."

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed at a daily press briefing that the Belt and Road Initiative is essentially about economic cooperation, and the core concept of the initiative is to promote common development by advancing connectivity in infrastructure and other fields.

The initiative has gained support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, with more than 80 of them signing cooperation agreements with China.

She noted this worldwide support would never have been impossible were the initiative not adapted to the trend of the times and beneficial to people of various countries.

The spokesperson emphasized that the initiative has been open and transparent, with all participants involved in consultations in both planning and project implementation.

"China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others," she said.

"Belt and Road is a mutually beneficial and win-win initiative," Hua said, adding that it will allow other countries to share opportunities from China's development and help solve development problems facing the world.

"During the Belt and Road construction, the Chinese side sticks to market rules and takes all parties interests and concerns into consideration," Hua said..

She added that a large number of relevant cooperation projects are being carried out, and they have bettered the local economy and benefited the local people.

Source : Xinhua

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Ministers who recently walked out from the government are demanding the appointment of a new General Secretary for the SLFP.

Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara claims that the SLFP cannot continue under a General Secretary who backs the United National Party (UNP) referring to the current General Secretary, Minister of Agriculture Duminda Dissanayake.

According to Jayasekera SLFP members who left the unity Government recently will push for a new General Secretary.

Jayasekara said the request will be made at the Central Committee meeting scheduled to be held once President Maithripala Sirisena returns from London while they will also push the party to leave the unity Government.

A board of directors has been appointed to regulate Sri Lanka Army's overseas peacekeeping services. According to the Sri Lanka Army, the board commence their operations from April 12.

The board appointed according to a concept of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, it will be located at an office named 'Sama Medura' set up at the Old Dutch building in Colombo.

Major General Mervin Perera has been appointed as the Director of Overseas Operations. The new Board of Directors consists of several units including the Operations Division, the Human Rights Unit, the Training Division and the Peace Planning Division.

The new board will provide troops with the ability to act legally and with the required discipline and skills necessary to overcome the challenges in the future world when providing peace keeping services.

It is further expected to deploy a military force complete with experience and skills to peacekeeping missions, as required by international peacekeeping forces.

Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said that by deploying military and police personnel with a high level of discipline for peacekeeping operations, opportunity will be presented to deploy more troops for international peacekeeping operations.

Moreover, Sri Lanka time to time has deployed over 20,000 military personnel for peacekeeping operations for more than thirty years, and they have provided a commendable service recognized internationally, the Commander noted.

Source : Colombo Page

The Scotland Police have defended a contract it has with the Sri Lankan Police despite concerns raised by human rights groups.

A reply to a freedom of information request by Police Scotland noted that its international contracts in 2017 included a training programme in Sri Lanka, a state accused of gross human rights abuses including Police torture.

Scots officers were sent to Jamaica and Sri Lanka to train their respective police forces, two projects criticised by human groups.

In reply, however, Superintendent Shaun McKillop of Police Scotland, said he fully acknowledged such concerns but added that not to engage with these nations would mean having no influence over improving the situation in the future.

“Sri Lanka remains one of the key places for the UK government, so we continue to work for them through the conflict, stability and security fund,” McKillop said. “We’ve done some work for the UK government in Pakistan, looking at crime investigation in the Punjab. We’ve also worked for the Scottish Government in Malawi and Zambia.”

When asked why state torture remains a problem in Sri Lanka nearly a decade after Police Scotland began its work there, McKillop said it was important to keep engaging with the country.

He said: “The British High Commission review our training on a regular basis, as well as our own monitoring. We are continuing to work with them and to press them.