Sep 21 (AFP) Cash-strapped Sri Lanka began voting for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular IMF austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is fighting an uphill battle for a fresh mandate to continue belt-tightening measures that have stabilised the economy and ended months of food, fuel and medicine shortages. more..

Sep 21 (DN) In a gesture of community support, the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has extended financial assistance to three major hospitals in Colombo to commemorate its 85th anniversary. The bank has donated Rs. 2.2 million to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Castle Street Hospital for Women and De Soysa Maternity Hospital. The funds will be used to purchase essential medical instruments, enhancing the healthcare services provided by these institutions. more..

Sep 21 (FT) A total of 116 representatives from various international election observation organisations have arrived in SL to monitor the upcoming Prez election. Among the observers, 78 are from the European Union (EU), marking a substantial contingent from the EU election observation mission. Additionally, 22 representatives from the Commonwealth have also arrived to participate in the monitoring activities. Asian Election Observation Network has sent 9 more..

Sep 22 (EN) Early results of SL’s ninth prez poll held on Saturday showed Marxists JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was heading for a landslide victory to unseat Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his govt. Official results of postal votes from 15 out of 22 districts and 3 out of 160 constituencies showed Dissanayaka was leading with around 54 percent votes so far counted. The victory to a non-elitist common man for the first time shows public anger on successive govt’s poor governance, more..

Sep 22 (AD) Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles says that the islandwide curfew imposed until 6.00 a.m. this morning has been extended until 12 noon today (22). Curfew had initially been imposed with effect from 10 p.m. last (21) until 6 a.m. tomorrow (22). This decision has been taken by the incumbent President Ranil Wickramasinghe under the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance, in view of the releasing of the results of 2024 presidential election tonight. more..

Sep 22 (DM) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, extended his sincere congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his team on their potential victory in the 2024 presidential election. Taking to X, Sabry wished Dissanayake and his team every success in their efforts to lead Sri Lanka forward. “After a long and arduous campaign, the results of the election are now clear. Though I heavily campaigned for Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe, the people of SL have made their decision, and more..

Sep 22 (DM) SJB MP Dr. Harsha De Silva said they campaigned hard for SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa but it is now clear NPP presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be the new President. He said in a messege posted on X that "We campaigned hard for Sajith Premadasa but it was not to be. It is now clear Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be the new President of Sri Lanka.In the spirit of democracy and goodwill, I called and wished my friend the best in the arduous road ahead," he said. more..

Sep 22 (AD) Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake officially announced the counting of second preference of the two leading candidates of the 2024 presidential election, in view of the prevailing situation of the vote results. Mr. Ratnayake stated that accordingly, all the other candidates except for the National People’s Power (NPP) candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya candidate Sajith Premadasa will be disqualified from the race. more..

Sep 23 (DM) The long awaited 2024 Presidential Election is done and dusted. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) of the National People’s Power became the Ninth President of Sri Lanka. He gained a lead over his fellow aspirants, but it was below the magical figure of 50%+1 votes required for an outright victory in the first round of counting. Sajith Premadasa of the SJB, his closest challenger was unable to overtake the frontrunner that lead to a counting of preference votes. more..

Sep 23 (ST) By the time this newspaper hits the streets and is read at homes today, there will be some indication of the choice the people have made to lead the country; whether it is more of the same; a change of pillows or going into unchartered waters. The real winner, however, is Democracy. Credit for a peaceful election (yesterday was coincidentally, the UN Day for Peace) and the run-up to it must go to the Elections Commission and all govt agencies, from thousands of public servants, more..

Sep 23 (ST) The Jaffna High Court on Friday dismissed a defamatory case filed by Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda against the local Tamil daily Uthayan for republishing a WikiLeaks article on its platform. Minister Devananda filed the case in 2011 seeking Rs 1 billion as damages for republishing the WikiLeaks entry, which claimed that his party EPDP worked hand in hand with the Security Forces. more..

Sep 23 (DM) The people have made their choice; in a democracy, we must respect that decision with dignity, although for the first time in four decades, a winner has been declared in a SL Prez Election with less than half the population voting in favour. The focus should not be on percentages and statistics but rather on the fact that the people have exercised their right to vote, and the outcome reflects their will. Democratic principles demand that we uphold the legitimacy of the results, more..

Sep 23 (DM) By the time this column is published, the whole country would know who the next president of SL is, unless a standoff emerges with all three candidates running neck to neck and preferential votes coming in as the deciding factor. I have less and less reason to like our politicians and their plans to salvage us, which is why I focus on international issues in this column. But, given that this election is likely to shape my own life to a greater degree than any previous one, more..

Sep 23 (ST) Easily, it was the most expensive and vigorous by three frontline candidates among 38 of them. Yet, there was an apparent lack of public interest. Unlike previous occasions, signs that a prez election was ahead were not openly manifest. A handful went from house to house to canvass support and distribute leaflets. A 56-day campaign saw cheering crowds transported in buses to bolster rallies. more..

Sep 23 (TM) Sri Lanka has decided. Yesterday (22), voters of the island nation spoke loudly calling for a change in the way Sri Lanka has been governed. Irrespective of who they voted for and what ideology they represented, collectively Sri Lanka has called for a change in the status quo. A majority of Sri Lankans have placed their faith in Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), the Presidential candidate of the leftist JVP-led NPP to lead the country for the next five years. more..

Sep 23 (ST) My dear Sri Lankans, I am writing to you at a crucial yet most exciting time. As you read this, most of you would have voted and would be in front of your television sets now listening to the results as they trickle in, electorate by electorate, district by district, until the final outcome is known. We can be happy that, at least in the lead up to the election, there were very few incidents of violence. The campaigns, contentious as they were, were fought from political platforms & with slogans, more..

Sep 23 (FT) In a landmark decision, the Cabinet approved the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap for Sri Lanka bill marking a significant step forward in SL’s journey to modernise its cross-border trade processes and align with global trade facilitation standards. The roadmap now serves as the country’s official strategy for driving comprehensive trade reforms, aimed at streamlining trade procedures and enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in international markets. more..

Sep 23 (CI) Rachin Ravindra led New Zealand's charge as they scored 194 runs in the final two sessions of day four in pursuit of their target of 275, but a fast-deteriorating Galle surface and relentless pressure from Sri Lanka's spinners meant they have only two wickets in hand to notch the remaining 68 runs. At stumps, Ravindra was unbeaten on 91, but he was fast running out of company; Ajaz Patel just about managed to more..

Sep 23 (CT) Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on 21 Sept 2024. Leading candidates have launched their election manifestos, promising to bring the country out of the current political and socio-economic crisis and make Sri Lanka prosperous. Rich countries have achieved material well-being with new technological developments while developing countries have yet to attain decent livelihoods. SL has achieved many things for its credit since its independence in 19y declared Prez on Sunday night after a preferential vote count, which was a novel experience. Wave of popular support Dissanayake claimed to be riding was not as huge as it was made out to be; however, its outcome was quite impressive, especially for a person who could obtain only 418,553 votes (3.16%) in 2019 prez more..

Sep 23 (ST) Sri Lanka Men’s football team has moved up to the 200th position in the FIFA World Rankings after almost eight years, breaking free from a long stay at 205th. The team had slipped to 205th in June 2024 after reaching 204th in Nov 2023. Previously, SL was ranked as low as 207th in April 2023, before making its way back to the top 200. This recent rise is attributed to their victory against Cambodia, which also marked their first win without any losses in several matches. more..

Sep 23 (DN) Dinesh Chandimal the number three batter who scored 61 and opener Dimuth Karunaratne who added 147 for the second wicket after Sri Lanka had lost Pathum Nissanka early for 2 at the second innings against New Zealand on the third day and this partnership is very vital for SL to put pressure on opponents. Dimuth Karunaratne the most experienced opener was not among the runs at previous England test series and even the this New Zealand test first innings he couldn’t stay long more..

Sep 23 (Island) The victory of Maris Stella College, Negombo at the Athletics Championship of the Western Province Schools Games came as a surprise. With Lyceum International fielding as many as eight junior national champions in the girls’ category, it was a foregone conclusion that they would win the overall girls’ championship. But Maris Stella’s overall boys’ title triumph was out of the blues. Maris Stella are in the possession of one of the best pole vaulters to emerge from more..

Sep 23 (TM) SLPP, SJB & SLFP stated that they would not support any potential Govt led by NPP. With the election of NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the Prez, attention has now shifted to how the NPP will form a govt, especially given that the Party currently has only three representatives in the Parliament. When queried SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam as to whether they would consider more..

Sep 23 (FT) The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of SL (FCCISL) extended its heartfelt congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his historic victory in the Prez election. It said AKD’s achievement represents a pivotal moment for SL, and “we, as the representatives of the nation’s business community, are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead under his leadership.” “As Prez, we trust that you will inspire the nation with your commitment more..

Sep 23 (ST) SL’s drive towards agricultural modernisation has brought to the fore children of farmers to be trained to man the smart technology – drones for paddy cultivation. Sons and daughters of farmers have been trained under a public private partnership (PPP) initiative to man the latest technological data driven smart agriculture drones in the process of paddy cultivation. This popular smart technology will help to make data driven decisions to optimise resource utilisation to obtain more..

Sep 23 (FT) The popular Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) will assume duties as SL’s ninth Executive Prez today following a landmark victory in Saturday’s election, defeating incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. The victory, AKD’s first in three attempts, reflected his meteoric rise, which many doubted originally. NPP leader secured over 40% of the votes or over 5.6 million more..

Sep 23 (TM) Noting that the PM and the Cabinet of Ministers should be appointed before MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who won the Prez Election, dissolves the Parliament, the Parliament’s Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera said that there is no issue with the minimum number of Cabinet Ministers. She said that the Parliament could be dissolved at any time after four and a half years after it is elected–meaning even as soon as Dissanayake is sworn in as the President. more..

Sep 23 (NW) Indian High Commissioner met new President elect Anura Kumara Dissanayake with a message from Indian leadership. “HC @santjha called on 🇱🇰 President-elect @anuradisanayake. Conveyed greetings from India’s leadership and congratulated him on winning the people’s mandate. 🇮🇳 as 🇱🇰’s civilisational twin is committed to further deepen ties for the prosperity of the people of our two countries” Indian High Commission in Colombo tweeted. more..

Sep 23 (EN) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) of SL has congratulated NPP leader Anura Dissanayake on being elected as the country’s new president. The trade body highlighted the importance of the apparel sector, a key driver of SL’s export-led growth, and expressed its support to the prez and his team. “We look forward to working closely with the new Prez and the Govt to ensure the continued success of the apparel sector,” Secretary General of JAAF Yohan Lawrence said. more..

Sep 23 (Island) Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne said that the Parliament would meet on Oct. 8 as decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business. That decision was made at a meeting chaired by Speaker on Sept 3 and announced on the following day, Kularatne said. He said so when inquired about growing speculation regarding the imminent dissolution of Parliament following the announcement of the final results of the Prez more..

Sep 23 (TM) Following the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna led National People’s Power (NPP) victory in the 2024 Prez Election, the party announced that its immediate priority would be to have President-elect and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake take oaths and establish an interim caretaker govt that will be responsible for overseeing the administration of the country until a General/Parliamentary Election can be held. more..

Sep 23 (TM) A request is made for the recognition of the Tamil people and the consideration of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution from the next Govt, said Opposition MP C.V. Vigneswaran, while speaking on behalf of the Tamil common candidate, P. Ariyanethiran. “The Tamils in the North and the East preferred independent Prez candidate and former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa to the NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake. more..

Sep 23 (FT) Samagi Jana Sandanaya MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Champika Ranawaka have lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that some vote-counting officials had violated the election law. They claimed that some vote-counting officials began calculating second preference votes, prematurely, before receiving official authorisation. They claimed that a prominent group was behind this violation, raising concerns about the integrity of the counting process. more..

Sep 23 (DM) Leader of the National People's Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday vowed to bring in economic stability as his first priority and said his victory was a victory of the people. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mirror soon after he was informed of his victory as the new President of Sri Lanka, Dissanayake said that people were awaiting a change for a long time and his victory was an advantage to the people who were expecting him to bring in a change. more..