Jul 16 (AD) Chairman of the SLFP Former President Maithripala Sirisena says the SLFP will refrain from voting for any presidential candidate on the 20th of July unless a specific programme is presented by the candidate to resolve the prevalent crisis. Former President stated in order to garner the votes of SLFP MPs a suitable individual proposed within a democratic and legal framework must present a plan on how they plan to address more..

Jul 16 (EN) SL’s bond and Treasury bill rates closed lower at the secondary market trade on Friday while a guidance peg on interbank spot trading strengthened, dealers said. The move comes after Goatabaya Rajapaksa resigned from his post after fleeing the country. A bond maturing on 01.06.25 closed at 27.00/28.00 percent down from 28.00/25 percent on Thursday close. A bond maturing on 15.07.29 closed at 28.00/29.00 percent steady from 29.00/30 percent in the previous close. more..

Jul 16 (DM) The SLPP, Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe appears to be having the edge in the secret ballot to be conducted on July 20 to be elected to serve presidency for the rest of the current term. The SLPP has taken this decision despite its own MP Dullas Alahapperuma announcing that he would participate in the ballot. SLPP has taken this decision despite its own MP Dullas Alahapperuma announcing that he would participate in the ballot. more..

Jul 16 (Island) Former wartime Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has requested unity among political parties represented in Parliament as the country struggles to overcome unprecedented political-economic-social crisis. The following is the text of the statement issued by the former MP: “SL is experiencing one of the darkest periods of her history with the culmination of the sudden resignation of Prez Rajapaksa. The events that led to the downfall of the Prez Rajapaksa more..

Jul 16 (ST) Amid the thriving underground fuel trade, a team led by a newly-appointed development officer of the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat designed a web-based application to ensure the limited fuel supply is fairly distributed among people and staff of essential services. The team led by Thusitharan Panchalingam, a graduate of applied mathematics and computing at the University of Jaffna, designed the app, Fuelometer, which records details such as vehicle type, fuel, more..

Jul 16 (CI) SL dislodged both of Pakistan's openers in the final hour of play on day one in Galle, as the hosts fought back hard on a day that had largely belonged to the visitors. Kasun Rajitha got one to nip back in from around the wicket to trap the left-handed Imam-ul-Haq lbw - a delivery that's fast becoming a hallmark of Rajitha's bowling - while Prabath Jayasuriya accounted for Abdullah Shafique, who was also dismissed LBW more..

Jul 16 (CI) The second Test between Pakistan and SL may be moved from Colombo to Galle, owing to the possibility of political demonstrations in the island's capital. While at no stage have cricket matches been threatened by the large-scale civil unrest seen in SL over the last few months, and particularly in the past week, there are fears that masses descending on Colombo's streets again may create logistical challenges for a Test match. Galle itself had seen a large protest on July 9, more..

Jul 16 (ST) A group of educators, religious leaders, lawyers, doctors, activists and civil servants has begun a petition that highlights dangers of child malnutrition and poverty. The economic collapse caused by years of heavy foreign borrowing since 2007 and then the debt default in April this year have now put the lives of millions of SL children at risk. In their petition, civil society groups are highlighting malnutrition, vulnerability at home, loss of learning and stress due to the uncertainty of more..

Jul 16 (BBC) Claims green policies and eco-tyranny lie behind the political crisis in Sri Lanka have been spreading online - but is there any truth to them? Rising prices, along with food and fuel shortages, have made life difficult for many - and the protests have been going on for months. But this week, as protesters stormed the president's palace, hundreds on social media - many climate-change sceptics - blamed green policies. more..

Jul 16 (ANI) As the political and economic upheaval in Sri Lanka continues, the average Sri Lankan believes that the current situation is largely due to self-serving politicians who have led them into this mess. SL's multiple crises have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the collapse of the crucial tourism industry, which provides foreign currency for imported fuel and medical supplies, and rocked by the supply chain crisis precipitated by the Ukraine war. more..

Jul 16 6 (ANI) SL cricketer Chamika Karunaratne waits in a long queue at the fuel station to fill up his car after two days. A young international cricketer who made his international debut in 2019 is now upset by the recent crisis in the country. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, "Luckily got it after being in a long fuel queue for two days, Due to the huge fuel crisis, I am not able to even go to my cricket practices," he told ANI. Sri Lanka is going to host the Asia Cup 2022 in August this year. more..

Jul 16 (ANI) With the political and economic crisis in SL continuing to worsen, supermarkets in the capital city of Colombo are rapidly running out of food and other essential commodities. In the crisis-ridden island nation, people have been waiting in line for days for essentials such as cooking gas, kerosene, gasoline, sugar, milk powder, and medicines. According to UN agencies, 5.7 million Sri Lankans, including about 2.3 million children, now require immediate humanitarian assistance. more..

Jul 16 (AD) The MPs of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya met today, under the leadership of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa for a further discussion on the vacant position of the President. SJB leader had earlier announced that he also plans to join the race for the presidency. His candidature was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary groups of the two parties. Accordingly, the adoption of the candidacy of the opposition leader was reaffirmed more..

Jul 16 (EN) SL’s international partners urged the island nation to uphold the law and order and prevent violence after its unprecedented political crisis following strong protests forced its president to flee the country and resign. Following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the sitting PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the acting president in line with the constitution, despite some protesters more..

Jul 16 (ANI) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera on Saturday said that his govt is in discussion with Russia for the purchase of fuel amid the raging energy crisis in the country. Wijesekera lauded the Indian govt for giving a credit line for purchasing fuel as the economic crisis continues to affect over 20 million Sri Lankans. "We have made requests (for fuel) to different countries. So, any country that comes to help us, we appreciate that. Right now, Indian govt is the only country that more..

Jul 16 (EAF) SL’s slide into political instability since April 2022 culminated in the resignation of former Prez Rajapaksa following public protests on 9 July 2022. The govt’s policy blunders and resistance to course correction were blamed for unleashing the harshest economic crisis on the SL population in recent history. Former president’s resignation paves the way for the formation of an interim all-party govt. Gotabaya Rajapaksa leaves behind an economy ravaged by shortages of essential goods, more..

Jul 16 (EN) Ministry of Power and Energy introduced a new National Fuel Pass for the general public on Saturday to obtain fuel on a regular basis through regularizing the distribution. Fuel is now sold as high as 3,000 rupees a litre in outside filling station though the govt prices are between 420-550 rupees depending on the fuel. The new fuel ass will allow each motorist to obtain a minimum quantity of fuel on a weekly basis, more..

Jul 16 (DM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) requested all parties to respect the decisions taken at the Party Leaders meeting on 9th July 2022 and to act in an expeditious manner in order to restore public confidence in the legal and Constitutional mechanisms of SL. In a statement, the BASL stated that it is up to the Parliament to elect successor to the post of Presidency without delay in terms of the Constitution and the Prez Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981. more..

Jul 16 (AD) Chairman of SLPP, Prof. G.L. Peris has called for an explanation from the party’s General-Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam regarding his statement on backing the candidature of Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in the election in parliament for the office of President. In a letter directed to Kariyawasam, Prof. Peiris demanded a response for the following: Under what authority this purported decision was made; The names of the persons who purportedly participated in the making of more..

Jul 16 (CT) While a large number of healthcare workers queued up at the allocated fuel stations, from Thursday evening, they were unable to obtain their quota of fuel as they had not been given security clearance. Media Committee Member of the GMOA, Dr. Vasan Ratnasingam said on Friday that the crisis situation in the health sector was explained to the Ministry of Power and Energy and CEYPETCO. However, the lack of security clearance for fuel sheds and even the health more..

Jul 16 (FT) Muslim Choral Ensemble (MCE) Ambassadors for Peace has announced phase two of this undertaking that takes shape as the World Muslim Choral Ensemble (WMCE) Ambassadors for Peace in Colombo, in July. Ten international choristers and instrumentalists, from India, Iran, Pakistan, USA and SL, will participate in a residency in Colombo from 18 to 24 July, leading up to a performance and closing ceremony at Lionel Wendt Theatre on 24 July at 7 p.m. and more..

Jul 16 (ST) When Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Singapore last Thursday (14) evening, he had a valid SL passport, and was still president of the country he fled. Singapore's decision to allow him entry that day therefore did not significantly deviate from its established policy, said retired Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan. He said that when Mr Rajapaksa landed here, he was a president with no formal charges brought more..

Jul 16 (DM) Fitch Ratings this week warned that SL’s export and tourism sectors are likely to take a hit from the possible recession in the eurozone and it could further exacerbate the country’s actuate foreign exchange shortage. “A recession in Europe, which is becoming more likely, would increase external strains and growth challenges for some vulnerable non-European sovereigns, including several in north Africa and south Asia that have high export exposure to EU” Fitch Ratings said. more..

Jul 16 (AD) Minister Kanchana Wijesekara says, despite the arrival of fuel shipments, the distribution of fuel will begin only after the fuel pass system is implemented. Accordingly, the members of the public are urged not to wait in queues at Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) filling stations. Earlier today, the Power & Energy Ministry, along with the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), launched the website calling for registrations for the national fuel pass. more..

Jul 17 (TM) SL’s shortest-ever elected presidency in a nutshell – promised a breathtaking ride, got in the driver’s seat, drove in reverse gear, crashed, driver fled; passengers injured and stranded. If a citizen of this country were to tell a foreign tourist here that SL, a nation of 22 million people, had a president who polled 6.9 million votes at the last poll but fled leaving the post to a person who had polled 30,000 votes at the same election, the reaction would most likely be laughter and, more..

Jul 17 (GV) Colombo was noticeably subdued when news of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation letter reaching the speaker of the parliament came out; perhaps because people were unable to buy them, there were no firecrackers. In any case, Mr. Rajapaksa goes down in history as the first SL president, indeed its first post-independence leader, to have been chased away by his people. We are yet to know what will follow. For the aragalistas at Galle Face and elsewhere, however, more..

Jul 17 (TM) Bypassing the Constitution can lead to a slippery slope which will worsen the political crisis SL is facing, warned BASL President Saliya Peiris According to Peiris, a new govt can be voted into office as soon as by the end of the week. However, it needs to move quickly to bridge the trust deficit between the public and the State, with better transparency and a leadership that is acceptable to a majority of citizens. more..

Jul 17 (SO) SL is now on the cusp of a major political transition, following the resignation of Prez Rajapaksa which was announced officially by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Friday. This is an unprecedented event in SL history that once again proved the country’s democratic credentials. After all, nothing could be more democratic than a Prez elected with 6.9 million votes bowing down to public pressure and leaving office. Even before the resignation of Prez himself, more..

Jul 17 (CT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s exit from the country may have rendered a sense of temporary relief to the general populace. It may have quieted the cantankerous minds of the Aragala Karuwo. But that too might well be short-lived. A very few in the current political arena know the successor, the real Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, a very narrow window was opened on Thursday (15). It was telecast on ITN; Palitha Range Bandara, the current General Secretary of the UNP, more..

Jul 17 (TM) Sri Lankans last week witnessed several historical events. The first was when one of the most powerful individuals to have held the post of Executive Prez since the end of the war – Gotabaya Rajapaksa – was forced out of office and also had to make a hasty exit from the country. The next event was when Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Acting President on Friday (15) at an event held at Walukarama Temple in Colpetty. more..

Jul 17 (ST) Despite an eerie quiet, the calm after the storm, the country remains in a combustible state. An extra-constitutional putsch in the making in the cover of what many genuinely believed was a mere peaceful protest may have been avoided. South Asia’s oldest representative democracy was in the throes of extinction. The assault on Parliament House seemed the final hurrah, the culmination of the unceasing waves we referred to last week, for some. How had it come to this, more..

Jul 17 (ST) My dear Gota maamey, I thought I should write this letter to you, after the entire country waited for several days for a letter from you. That much anticipated letter finally arrived on Thursday. While we as a nation look to the future, I am sure you must be reflecting on the events of the past few days. You must be sad that, after getting the most number of votes a presidential candidate ever obtained in this country just over two and a half years ago, then enjoying a near 2/3rd more..

Jul 17 (Island) Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s fidelity to his alma mater, Royal College, is very well known. He has long been accused of cronyism concerning his batch mates and schoolmates in the school “where our fathers learned the way before us.” In fact, it had been made public not very long ago that he and his wife, Maithree, who are childless, will leave their recently torched Fifth Lane, Kollupitiya home to Royal College. That venerable institution is but more..

Jul 17 (Island) 1972 Socialist Republic Constitution that was ushered in 50 years ago was replaced by a presidential constitution in 1978 after UNP led by J.R. Jayewardene obtained a sweeping mandate and an unprecedented five sixth majority at the general election of 1977. He had carte blanche from the people to do whatever he wished. Constitution of SL was promulgated in 1978 by Jayewardene who had long advocated a strong executive and included it in UNP manifesto for that election. more..

Jul 17 (ST) It has been a historic week for Sri Lanka in its post-colonial history. It was the first time a popularly elected President resigned after two and a half years in office. Secondly, President fled abroad due to protests at home. Unlike other heads of state, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the first one to resign from office through email correspondence to the Speaker of Parliament. more..