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Political parties are pitting female candidates in losing battles says Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, executive director of Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE). According to him, political parties have placed their female candidates for the local government election for electorates where there is a powerful, often male, candidate contesting from another political party.

He made this statement during a program to train female candidates for the coming local government election at Madurankuliya, Puttalam.

“Female candidates must contest in at least 10% of the wards in a particular electorate and political parties often pit their female candidates against very strong male candidates. In most cases women candidates are competing against former chairmen of a local council or an extremely popular figure,” he said.

CaFFE has noted that political parties have given up attempting to win the seats in which their female candidates are competing and that this might adversely affect their ability to win a majority in an electorate.

“This might lead to many unstable electorates and you will see people complaining that this is the fault of the Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP), which is not the case at all,” he said.

CaFFE executive director added that the decision taken by political parties to put their female candidates against very strong male candidates will also strengthen the perception that women can’t successfully contest against male candidates.

“One of the main reasons why we campaigned for this new electoral system is because we wanted women to contest elections and win. We didn’t want women to just get through affirmative action. By putting a female candidate against a former chairman of a local council and not giving her the necessary support to carry out a strong campaign, political parties are ensuring that misogynistic attitudes are reinforced,” he said.

A Special Sitting of Parliament has been convened at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow to discuss the Bond report following the request of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Acting Secretary-General of Parliament Neil Iddawala issuing a press release yesterday said all Parliamentarians have been informed to attend the Special Sitting. Speaking to the Daily News, Iddawala added a Party Leaders Meeting chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has been scheduled for 2 p.m. today to discuss tomorrow’s agenda. He said it is most likely that the Prime Minister would make a statement at the commencement of Sittings. When inquired by the Daily News, Parliamentary sources said a copy of the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Bond issue had not been received by Parliament until yesterday and whether it would be tabled on Wednesday would be known only after the Party Leaders’ Meeting.

The Prime Minister addressing the UNP Convention rally at Campbell Park on Sunday stated that he had formerly requested Speaker Jayasuriya to convene Parliament ahead of schedule to discuss the Commission report.

The first sitting of Parliament for 2018 was earlier scheduled for January 23.

Source : Daily News

The Sri Lankan government announced today that the prohibition placed on women to purchase alcohol has been removed. Excise Notification No. 666 of the Gazette Extraordinary had imposed a ban on the sale of liquor to women and employing women in places where liquor is manufactured or sold.

Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera put an end to this draconian legislation by signing the Excise notification Gazette Extraordinary in this regard.

According to the Excise Act, Section 11.2, it is prohibited for a tavern to sell alcohol to personnel in uniform, minors and people who are under the influence of alcohol.

The Election Commission said that postal votes for Local Government Elections will be submitted to the Postal Department, on January 11.

Acting Election Commissioner M.M. Mohamed said that the name lists of government workers who are eligible to cast postal votes were certified at the District Election Office yesterday.

This year 560,536 government workers are eligible to cast postal votes, he said.

Postal Votes could be cast at Election Offices, District Secretariats and at Police Stations on January 22 and at other Government Institutions, postal votes could be cast on January 25 and 26.

Source : Daily News

Sri Lanka's government aims to pay off its record-high debt by raising $500 million this month through development bonds and selling off two state-owned hotels.

Sri Lanka reportedly owes a total of $12.85 billion, including $2.9 billion in foreign loans plus another $5.36 billion in interest. To pay some of that down, the government requested to seek out investors to buy the Grand Hyatt Colombo for $293 million.

The Grand Hyatt, Colombo

The members will choose the winning investor following a competitive process. Hyatt Group will manage the hotel with 458 guestrooms and 100 apartments for a 20-year term once construction is completed this year.

The Sri Lankan government is also looking for an investor to buy a 51-percent stake in a hotel operating under a Hilton Worldwide brand in the capital city. Hilton Worldwide, who currently operates the property under a management agreement, aims to renew the contract in 2019 when the current one ends. The divestment of these two hotels is just the start of the government's repayment of hefty foreign infrastructure loans this year, which has left the country swamped in debt.

The central bank will also raise $500 million in 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year Sri Lanka Development Bonds out of the $3 billion allotted for the year ahead of the looming due date.

The government is pushing for a Liability Management Act to borrow more funds than the budget allows to repay its debt over the next two years. Meanwhile, it will reschedule some loans as part of its repayment process.

The first batch of tea was exported to Russia today after the tea ban imposed on Sri Lanka was lifted, the Tea Board said.

Chairman of the Tea Board Rohan Pethiyagoda said that measures were taken to ensure the quality and freshness of the tea batch exported to Russia.

Russia imposed a ban on Sri Lankan tea exports on December 18 after condemning a consignment of tea which contained an insect.

Source : Daily News

The World Bank has joined a growing chorus predicting an end to the global economy's strong run. Stock prices are high relative to earnings and volatility is at historic lows, warnings that economists traditionally take as signs of overheating.

"There is a sense in which financial markets appear to be complacent. That makes room for disruption when there are surprises - a repricing of risk," said Franziska Ohnsorge, a World Bank economist.

Her warning echoes those of institutions including Legal and General Asset Management, which fears the US economy and markets will surge ahead this year before rate hikes burst the bubble and cause a recession.

There are other downside risks to the outlook too. The World Bank fears an upsurge in protectionism could stop trade growth from recovering, undermining GDP. Geopolitical tensions pose a threat as well, as the institution cites trouble in the Korean peninsula, turmoil in the Middle East and any re-emergence of governance problems in the eurozone among the potential risks.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the predicted slowdown, even if those risks do not come to pass.

Population growth has driven a substantial portion of GDP growth in recent decades, but this is now slowing. As a result, economic growth, and rising living standards, will have to be driven by productivity growth in future if prosperity is to continue to emerge and poverty to be reduced.

Inter-ministerial Delegate for the French candidacy to organise the 'World Expo 2025', Pascal Lemy, held talks with Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera this week. The meeting was to ensure Sri Lanka’s support for the French government's bid to organize the ‘World Expo 2025’.

Four countries have announced their candidacy to host the World Expo 2025: France (in Greater Paris), Japan (in Osaka), the Russian Federation (in Ekaterinburg), and Azerbaijan (in Baku).

The 170 Member States of the BIE is expected to elect the host country at the 164th General Assembly in November 2018.

World Expos, known officially as International Registered Exhibitions, are organised every five years. The themes of World Expos are designed to raise awareness of and find responses to universal challenges of our time. The next World Expo will take place in Dubai (UAE) between 20 October 2020 and 10 April 2021 under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.

Former navy spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake and five others, held in remand custody, were granted bail by the High Court today.

Commodore Dassanayake and the others were arrested and remanded on charges of aiding and abetting in the abduction of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009.

High Court Judge Manilal Waidyaratne released each of the six accused on a cash bail of Rs.100,000 with three sureties of Rs.1 million each.

While a main witness to the case, B.Vijayakanthan turned hostile recently claiming the statement given by him was made under duress however at a press briefing in July, Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the arrest of former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake was based on strong and clear evidence of his involvement in the disappearance of 11 youth.

 The Police Media Spokesman said the reports obtained from the Tri-Forces, Police and intelligence services confirmed that none of the disappeared youths were involved in any terrorist activity.

“A few officers in the Navy had committed those disappearances by acting wantonly and abusing their powers. Nobody can fault the Navy for those acts,” he said.

Gunasekara, detailing the investigations on the disappearance of 11 youth, said the Police have so far arrested seven Navy officers in connection with the disappearances, including the first accused Sampath Munasinghe, who has been released on bail.

He said the 11 missing persons, on whom investigations were nearing completion, were residents of Mannar, Kotahena, Trincomalee, Grandpass, Maradana, Dehiwala and Dematagoda. He said the CID investigations could reveal that those youth had been detained at two locations, namely at Chaithya Road in Colombo and the Navy Camp in Trincomalee.

He said the CID has received 28 complaints with regard to enforced disappearances in 2008, adding that the rest of the complaints would also be investigated and the offenders would be brought to book.

The investigations on disappearances of youth in 2008 commenced following a written complaint by former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda to the Colombo Crimes Division on May 28, 2009. The investigations were handed over to the CID on June 10, 2009. The CID has obtained statements from missing persons’ families and naval officers, and scientific evidence based on analysis reports of phone calls.

Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake today filed an RTI application at the Presidential Secretariat to get a copy of the report of Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Bond issue.

The former Minister, speaking to the media outside the Secretariat, insisted on fast-paced investigations on the MIG craft deal, hedging deal, Greek bond issue and loss of Sri Lankan Airlines. He said some were trying to bring disrepute to him, the UNP, and the party leadership using the bond issue.

“The UNP is targeted in an unfair manner during an election period. I have been engaged in politics for 25 long years. We do politics with the people and our hands are clean. You may assassinate me, but please do not assassinate my character,” Karunanayake said refuting the allegations made against him on the bond issue as well as giving false evidence.

He also reiterated that the Central Bank and Commercial Banks were not under him at the time the controversial bond transaction occurred.

“It is our Government that made the Right to Information Act a reality and pioneered a new political culture. I am requesting a copy of the report under the RTI Act as some elements and the media have levelled allegations against me quoting the bond commission report. I will aptly reply after reading the report,” he added.

The Bond Commission report was handed over to the President on December 30. The former Minister of Finance had also previously written to the President's secretary to obtain a copy of the report but failed.

Source : Daily News

The visiting UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka met the Commander, Security Forces - Jaffna (SF-J), Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi during their visit to the Northern Province on Saturday.

Commander of Security Forces in Jaffna, Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi greeting Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka, Hon. Ranil Jayawardana.

According to Army media, the delegation led by the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka (APPG - SL), Hon. Ranil Jayawardana was briefed on the post-conflict military commitments in the region and civil-military cooperation projects with special focus on peace-building and reconciliation efforts, by the Jaffna Security Forces Commander during the meeting.

They were also educated on other humanitarian projects, initiated by the SFHQ-J in coordination with civil sector participation.

Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said the Galle Fort no longer runs the risk of being eliminated from the UNESCO world heritage list as the government has adopted necessary measures to preserve and protect the site in line with international standards.

"The Galle Fort was declared a world heritage site due to its historic and architectural value. In recent times, it ran the risk of being eliminated from the world heritage list due to constructions contravening the UNESCO standards. But, Soon after our government came to power, we adopted measures to ensure that the Galle Fort meets the world heritage standards. As part of the same plan, we have earmarked 14 buildings within the fort that need to be vacated," the Minister said, after visiting the Galle Fort on Sunday (January 07).

The Ministers said some buildings would end up in deplorable conditions in the absence of such measures. He said this would be carried out while minimizing the impact on the day-to-day affairs, within the fort.

"Some allege that we plan to vacate the All Saints Central College. But they turn a blind eye to the fact that 2500 students carrying out their academic activities in a 70-acre land and to difficulties faced by them, on a daily basis. We are currently looking at measures to give a sustainable solution to all parties. It is a great victory that we managed to eliminate the risk of being eliminated from the world heritage list. Had Galle been eliminated, it would have been an embarrassment to the entire nation," the Minister explained.

Ratnayaka also added that he would continuously conduct progress review meetings to monitor the situation and resolve issues that arise on the run