Oct 30 (NR) Deputy Leader of UNP MP Sajith Premadasa has condemned the prorogation of Parliament. Speaking during the Voice of Justice’ protest organised by the UNP that was held in Colpetty this afternoon MP Premadasa said questioned why the President has failed to reconvene Parliament if the newly appointed faction claim that they are democratic, grateful for freedom and value the people’s mandate. He stressed the matter should be solved not through more..

Oct 30 (EN) Sri Lanka's Army will not get involved in an ongoing political crisis in the island triggered by the appointment of ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, its commander has said. Sri Lanka's army chief Mahesh Senanayake told AFP, that the military expected politicians to constitutionally and legally end the dispute. "The army will not get involved," he said, responding to queries on the role of security forces as the constitutional crisis drags on. more..

Oct 30 (EN) Political uncertainty caused by the sudden dismissal of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe could threaten support for reforms and sound macroeconomic and fiscal policymaking, S&P Global Ratings has warned. It said in a statement that these factors are important given Sri Lanka's debt repayment needs next year. The full statement follows: The escalation of political uncertainty in Sri Lanka following the dismissal of PM more..

Oct 30 (CI) For all the talk of England searching for a different formula on this tour there was a familiarity - a wearing familiarity - about their approach on the first day of the red-ball section of their trip to SL. Despite fielding a 14-man team - players came and went throughout the day as they juggled their fielding duties with net sessions and periods out of the sun - there was no place for the only out-and-out quick bowler in the squad (Olly Stone) and no place for their third spinner more..

Oct 30 (EN) SL's political crisis triggered by appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM would make it more difficult for the island to refinance foreign debt, Fitch Ratings said. "Prolonged political upheaval accompanied by deterioration of policy continuity could undermine investor confidence and make it more challenging for the govt to meet its large external financing needs in 2019-2022," Fitch said. "The outcome of the power struggle and possible implications for sovereign rating (B+/Stable) more..

Oct 30 (IRIN) There is only a mound of dirt where her home once stood in Keppapilavu village in the country’s northeast; the rest is just dirt, gravel, and broken shards of doors and windows from her demolished home. Sri Lanka’s military occupied thousands of hectares of land during and after the country’s bitter 26-year civil war, which came to a brutal end in 2009 when the military crushed remaining Tamil fighters here in the north. more..

Oct 30 (IT) Students from SL at South Asian University in New Delhi held a silent protest against the ouster of Ranil Wickremesinghe and the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM. The students have called President Sirisena's actions undemocratic and have demanded the parliament to be convened at the earliest to decide the fate of the two leaders. Kaushalya Kumarasinghe, a student, said, "We don't want to take sides. But according to democratic traditions, the president should more..

Oct 30 (DM) It is deplorable to find the foreign countries and organisations, which remained silent about the delay in holding elections appearing concerned about the change of premiership, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said today. He said that the US State Department and the European Union (EU) had failed to issue a single statement about the delay in holding provincial council elections. “The elections for six of the nine PCs had not been held but the US which more..

Oct 30 (GDI) New Secretaries have been appointed to 12 ministries. Hemasiri Fernando has been appointed as the Defence Secretary. Other Secretaries are as follows; D.M.A.R.B. Dissanayake - Defence; R.B. Ariyasingha - Foreign Affairs; L.P. Jayampathi - Ports and Shipping; K.D.S. Ruwanchandra - Agriculture; Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda - Power and Renewable Energy; Padmasiri Jayamanna - Education & Higher Education; more..

Oct 30 (NR) UPFA says the removal of Ranil Wickremesinghe as PM is constitutional. Speaking at a media briefing today, govt spokesman Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said Wickremesinghe can claim his majority in Parliament when the House convenes on the 16th. MP Samarasinghe noted according to the Constitution, the President has the power to invite an individual to take up the post of PM to appoint a suitable individual who has claimed confidence of the House. more..

Oct 30 (AM) UNP MP Dunesh Gankanda has been appointed State Minister of Environment. His appointment was announced not too long after a video of him meeting with President Sirisena and his Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was leaked to the media. President's brother Dudley Sirisena was also visible in the video. He took oath before President Maithripala Sirisena this evening. With Gankanda's deflection, the number of deflections from the UNP now stands at five. more..

Oct 30 (AD) U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday that they are watching the situation in Sri Lanka, which plunged into turmoil when its PM was replaced with a former president, with a great deal of concern. The Foreign Secretary made these comments in response to a question from Conservative MP Sir Hugo Swire at the House of Commons today. Swire inquired as to whether Hunt would point out to SL President more..

Oct 31 (CT) We must not allow politics to provoke our moral outrage. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a magnificent political conjuror. After his reelection in 2010 he jailed his failed opponent. The one who beat him on his third bid in 2009 has now delivered the boodle to his doorstep. I undertake this essay to enlist your support to ensure that the govt that was led by Ranil Wickremesinghe survives this challenge. This is not about keeping him in office. more..

Oct 31 (CT) A constitutional crisis has been precipitated with President Sirisena purporting to remove PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and purporting to appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa MP as Prime Minister on 26 Oct 2018. Before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (which came into force on 15 May 2015) Article 43 of the Constitution provided as follows: “The President shall appoint as Prime Minister the MP who in his opinions is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament.” more..

Oct 31 (Roar) The battle between the Sirisena-Rajapaksa alliance and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for control of the govt ended in a stalemate on Oct 29th, with Prez Maithripala Sirisena disregarding mounting calls to reconvene Parliament and appointing members to his new Cabinet instead. Twelve ministers, a deputy minister and a state minister were appointed, and included four MPs who had deflected from the UNP: more..

Oct 31 (CT) The announcement of the appointment of Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM and the removal of the sitting PM Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe last Friday, 26 October 2018 was a shock to the nation. All are now talking about politics, law and democracy. The partisans on either side of the divide are calling the removal and appointment as constitutional while the other side is screaming that it is unconstitutional. There is another lot who unable to distinguish between more..

Oct 31 (CT) Last Friday, President Sirisena sacked PM Ranil Wickremeinghe and appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa, his political rival until the day before, as the new PM — a surprising move that Mr. Sirisena made in order to resolve a deepening political dispute between himself and Mr. Wickremesinghe. But this act has only pushed SL into an unprecedented constitutional crisis, beginning a potentially dangerous phase of an on-going three-cornered power struggle among 3 leaders. more..

Oct 31 (SO) In September 2017, over a year ago the terms of Three Provincial Councils (PC), Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North Central, expired. North Western, Central and Northern PCs end their terms within the course of this month. As of today six out of the nine PCs remain dormant as a result, and a total of 262 council seats that should have been filled by people’s representatives, to maintain more..

Oct 31 (CT) Northern Province Governor Reginold Cooray was in Germany a week ago and visited the site of part of the Berlin Wall which had remained the symbol of cold war between the NATO allies and the Warsaw Pact Communists allies for nearly three decades dividing Germany into two different countries as West and East Germany from year 1961 to 1990. The 155 km Berlin Wall which was described as the wall of shame was destroyed in 1990 with the end of the cold war, more..

Oct 31 (CT) While I was on Face the Nation a couple of weeks back, I mentioned critically Rosy Senanayake’s decision to raise the salary paid to members of the Colombo Municipal Council. Her response was not about the issue, but to try to hit back by sending me a message to say “would really like to know how much the U get paid and the perks.” I realized the poor woman had got emotional, so simply replied that it was not clear what she meant by “the U” and asked her to call. more..

Oct 31 (EN) Postponing planned economic reforms will make Sri Lanka more vulnerable to external and internal shocks and stall growth, causing the island to lag behind regional peers, the central bank has warned. “It is important to facilitate private sector led growth with prudent, consistent and far reaching reforms that support increased productivity in the economy,” it said in its half yearly report on recent economic developments and prospects for 2019. This was in the backdrop of more..

Oct 31 (CI) Stuart Broad could be dropped from England's Test side for the first time since 2012. Broad, the second-highest wicket-taker in England's Test history, would appear to be vulnerable as England balance the desire to play three spinners while ensuring their batting strength is not diluted. Any final decision will be delayed until the team management have had a good look at the surface for the first Test in Galle but it is expected to offer assistance - possibly substantial assistance more..

Oct 31 (TG) Ayesha Thajudeen was one of the first people on the scene of her brother’s accident. Police said Wasim, a Sri Lankan national rugby player, had crashed his car and burned to death inside. Surveying the charred vehicle, around 4am that morning, Ayesha wasn’t so sure. The car was sitting in a ditch; it wasn’t clear what it had struck with enough force to burst into flames. Wasim’s wallet was nowhere to be found more..

Oct 31 (Island) Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale profusely appreciated Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for accommodating her in the 10-member Constitutional Council (CC). The UNPer declared that she was the first woman named to the CC, chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya - elected from the Gampaha District at the 2015 August parliamentary polls. Parliament and political parties constituted the first CC by way of enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. more..

Oct 31 (Island) The numbers game is being played outside Parliament. The new govt has sprung some surprises for the UNP by engineering several defections including that of Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. UNP MP Vasantha Senanayake returned from Kenya, on Sunday, went to Temple Trees straight from the airport and posed for a picture with ousted PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. On Monday, he was appointed a minister of Sirisena-Rajapaksa govt! Crossovers are also likely from Rajapaksa more..

Oct 31 (AD) The case against the former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three others was taken up before the Permanent High Court-at-Bar today (30). The 3-judge bench consisting of Justices Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne ordered that the decision on whether the appeals filed by Gamini Senarath and three others will be submitted to the SC will be issued on Nov 2. more..

Oct 31 (CT) The first Youth ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Dambulla ended in no decision yesterday due to rain. Sri Lanka batting first made 207 runs for loss of 9 wickets at the end of their 50 overs with Sonal Dinusha making 59 runs. Navod Paranavithana and Nipun Dhananjaya chipped in with 33 and 32 respectively. M. Choudhury picked up 4 wickets for 44 runs while Rakibul Hasan and Shoriful Islam picked up two wickets each. Bangladesh were well on there way towards more..

Oct 31 (ST) Western Union and Sampath Bank have combined to provide customers, nation-wide access to international money transfers in minutes from more than 200 countries and territories. Sampath Bank’s 229 branches across the island now offer Western Union® Money Transfer, providing greater access and convenience during traditional banking hours and 365-day access from Sampath Bank’s super branches. This collaboration underpins efforts by Western Union and Sampath Bank to more..

Oct 31 (DM) Commenting on the present political change, Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple's Chief Incumbent the Ven. Galboda Gnanissara Thera said if a majority of the people opposed it they should have risen against it but instead the people slept well and so did he. He told the media that the people wanted it to happen. “They did not protest and curse the govt because they must have accepted it. People would have shouted more..

Oct 31 (ST) In an effort to meet the growing demand for Akshata GMO-free rice tagged the Healthiest Rice in the World, a special zone of 550 acres of paddy land was recently demarcated for the growing of this special rice varieties also known as Traditional Rice in Sri Lanka. This historic event was graced by Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera and Dy Minister Angajan Ramamanthan in the presence of over 400 farmers known as Akshata Green Force Cluster 4, t more..

Oct 31 (DN) President Counsel Ali Sabry in his opinion on the reading of the Constitution has pointed out that the President’s appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM was done in accordance with the Constitution. There is a Constitutional law discussion which has arisen after the President decided to swear in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM of the country. Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe continues to claim that he is the PM. It is interesting to study more..

Oct 31 (AJ) The surprise sacking of a prime minister; the return of a controversial leader; mass protests; a deadly shooting and warnings of a bloodbath - in just a few days, Sri Lanka has plunged into a bitter power struggle that risks undermining stability in the South Asian nation. Here's how the political crisis has unfolded and what is at stake if it drags on. The turmoil started on Friday when, in a surprise move, more..

Oct 31 (ICJ) The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called upon the Govt of Sri Lanka to abide by the Constitution and its international obligations in peacefully resolving the current political crisis, and for all political leaders to commit to respect for human rights and the rule of law. To this end, President Maithripala Sirisena should reconvene Parliament to end the constitutional crisis in line with the rule of law and democratic norms. ICJ urged the Govt to deliver on its commitment to more..

Oct 31 (Island) The CSE showed some bullishness in the early part of yesterday's trading but this upswing tempo petered out in the latter part of the day due to foreign selling, especially JKH stocks, market analysts said. Despite all odds the market was quite positive with the change in the premiership and its performance increased by 50 points. During the day, however, foreign selling was recorded in especially JKH stocks, which traded a share at Rs. 148 in retail market trading, more..

Oct 31 (DM) Newly-sworn Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said today President Maithripala Sirisena had inherent powers to dissolve Parliament in case the Vote on Account to be presented by the new govt was defeated. He told a hurriedly summoned news conference that the foremost task of the new govt was the presentation of a Vote on Account to appropriate finances for the operation of govt for an interim period. more..

Oct 31 (DM) Former DIG Nalaka de Silva, who is in remand custody in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate several VIPs, has been provided with special protection, a Prisons Department official said. He said the DIG was being detained in a special cell at the Welikada Prison and that additional security personnel from the prison have also been deployed for his security. CID arrested the DIG last Thursday and remanded till Nov 7 by Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne. more..

Oct 31 (CT) National Economic Council (NEC) General Secretary, Prof. Lalith Samarakoon said that investor and business confidence in the economy should be a priority. He explained that this political transitional period needed to be managed prudently and that the Govt should be serious about our credit worthiness. He added that growth is a priority, as the country recorded the lowest economic growth rate of 3.3% in 2017. “If we lose investor confidence, we will have trouble more..

Oct 31 (CT) Under the direction of the PM Mahinda Rajapaksa led Govt, steps will be taken to revoke the fuel pricing formula which is based on changes in the market retail prices, MP Dullas Alahapperuma claimed. He further claimed that after 10 Nov, the public would no longer have to be distressed about the said formula. Responding to the Media with regard to allegations of corruption being the reason for proroguing Parliament, more..