Day: 5 January 2020

By Rajeewa Jayaweera – Rajeewa Jayaweera The latest news from the Foreign Relations Ministry relates to the sudden recall of High Commissioner Manisha Gunasekera, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK since October 2018. High Commissioner Gunasekera joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1996. She has among other posts, served as Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the Republic of Korea; Deputy Permanent Representative, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva; Director General (East Asia and Pacific), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka; Director General (Donor Coordination), Ministry of Economic…

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By S. Rubatheesan P.S.M. Charles, the newly appointed, first woman Governor of the Northern Province, who also happens to be a native of the region and a senior public servant, is looking forward to fulfilling people’s aspirations. P.S. M. Charles receiving a guard of honour She was born and bred in Ilavalai, Jaffna. Ms Charles was sworn in by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on December 30. She assumed duties on Thursday at the Governor’s Secretariat, where she was welcomed with a guard of honour by the provincial police. Her family was…

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Sri Lanka High Commissioner Manisha Gunasekera, a senior career diplomat, has been recalled to Colombo after serving for just over one year in London.  No official reason has been given for her sudden recall. Saroja Sirisena, also a senior career Foreign Service officer, who is now serving as Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienna, is tipped to replace her while Majintha Jayasinghe, who is currently ambassador in the United Arab Emirates, will now go to Austria to replace Ms. Sirisena.…

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President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ‘State of the Union’ address at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Friday was the way he wants the country run; business-like. He came in suit lest someone objected that there was a ‘Stranger in the House’ given the strict dress code within the Chamber — the sanctum sanctorum of the National Legislature. There was no pomp and pageantry of military honour guard and mounted police, only the homage to the Triple Gem sung by a bevy of girls who welcomed him. Having outlined the common need…

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by C.A.Chandraprema Parliamentrian Wijedasa Rajapakshe has presented to Parliament two Private Member’s Bills for the amendment of the Constitution styled the 21st Amendment to the Constitution and the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The JVP has its own Private Member’s Bill in the form of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Though many people are under the impression that there are 19 amendments to our present Constitution, the actual number of amendments is 18. The 12th Amenndment to our Constitution was a Private Member’s Bill presented by Dinesh Gunawardene in…

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The Government is to conduct a special survey on religious and historical sites located in the Northern and Eastern Province. The move comes with allegations being raised that illegal and unauthorised constructions of religious sites have been taking place in the North and East. The survey is to be carried out by the end of January, officials told The Sunday Morning. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural, and Religious Affairs Wijitha Nanda Kumar said that while this is not a new project, the Ministry along with the Department of…

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By Skandha Gunasekara The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLFP) has been violated, senior SLFP sources alleged. Sources charged that despite the MoU between the two groups stipulating that various positions including ministerial portfolios as well as positions within Parliament were to be fairly shared, the SLPP had failed to do so. Sources also pointed out that the post of Leader of the House of Parliament was to be given to an SLPP member while the post of Chief…

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