Day: 11 June 2022

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prasanna Ranatunga on Friday (10), alleged that Buddhist Monks and Catholic Clergy were behind riots that erupted on 9 May, following the attack on peaceful protesters at Galle Face on the same day. Speaking in Parliament during Messages of Condolences for MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala who was killed by a mob during the unrest on 9 May, Ranatunga said speaking in Parliament during Messages of Condolences for MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala who was killed by a mob during the unrest on 9 May, Ranatunga said both…

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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been the Prime Minister 6 times in the past and yet he used the condolence motion day for the late MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala for his own political agenda, says Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam. He made this statement while speaking to The Morning today (10). “The Prime Minister knows the parliamentary law, he has been elected as Prime Minister in the past as well. He made allegations for his own political agenda and to stir up the minds of the people. This was…

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Says BASL did not give any assurance to President he could continue in office if agreed to abolish the Executive Presidency and the 19th Amendment President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe BASL President Saliya Pieris The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday refuted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assertion that it reached an agreement with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that if the 19th Amendment is restored the latter can continue.  BASL was responding to parts of a statement made by Prime Minister on June 8 in Parliament referring to the…

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ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has written to Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Stephen Twigg to investigate the murder of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Amarakeerthi Athukorale by a mob on May 09, Wickremesinghe told parliament on Friday (10). Speaking at a vote of condolence on Atukorale held Friday morning, Wickremesinghe said an impartial investigation was needded into the MP’s murder and the retaliatory violence that ensued on May 09 after supporters of ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa launched an unprovoked attack on peaceful protestors.

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ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka stocks fell for the week ended on Friday (10) and suffered second weekly slip as political and economic uncertainties weighed over gains in the last three straight sessions due to top corporate leader Dhammika Perera being appointed as an lawmaker, brokers said. Perera who was a chairman and director in a number of listed companies resigned from all the position on Friday before he was appointed as a ruling party national list legislator, a position which fell vacant after the resignation of former finance minister Basil…

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Alleges that TNA MP has attempted to justify attacks on MPs, their properties Calls on Speaker to initiate an inquiry if MP does not apologise and withdraw statement TNA MP denies allegations Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe TNA Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe yesterday requested the Speaker to hold an inquiry against TNA Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam for allegedly condoning the attacks on MPs and their properties that took place in mid-May. Speaking during the Vote of Condolence on slain SLPP Polonnaruwa District MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala, the…

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At the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris undertook an official visit to Singapore from 8-9 June. An official visit of a Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka to Singapore is taking place after four years.  During the visit, a bilateral meeting was held with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, following which Minister Peiris was hosted to an official lunch. Minister Peiris also met with Singapore’s Minister of Finance Lawrence Wong, who is due to assume the…

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Prior to the enactment of the 17th Amendment (17A) to the Constitution in September 2001, sins of commission and omission, committed by the Executive, were passed on to the Cabinet, as, “collective responsibility,” a convenient escape clause. 17A was passed when President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was in power. However, her successor President Mahinda Rajapaksa got 18A passed in Parliament in October 2010, thereby regained the lost Executive Presidential powers caused by 17A. But, in a game of musical chairs played by successive Governments, vis-à-vis the Executive since 1994, first, from threatening…

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Despite severe accusations that Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is ‘not focusing’ on the important topic of removing the powers of the executive presidency, he has taken firm focus on introducing the 21th Amendment to the Constitution and extracting good clauses from 19A and 20A. However, the seasoned lawyer argues that it is impossible to revoke the powers of the President since the Constitution is built on the Executive Presidency and the President can only be ousted by referendum and that there are a number problems in Parliament. Apart from that,…

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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, making a special statement on the economic situation of the country last Tuesday (7), requested the public to use fuel and gas as carefully as possible and warned that the next three weeks will be a tough time for the country when it comes to fuel supply. “The country spends D500 million per month on fuel. Some estimate that global oil prices will rise by as much as 40 per cent by the end of this year. In this context, the idea of introducing a coupon…

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