The proposals for the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, brought forth to clip the powers in the presidency, have been published in a gazette notification issued on Wednesday (June 29). Earlier this week, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to gazette the new constitutional amendment and to present it to the Parliament. The amendment, which had been referred to as the 21st Amendment so far, is in fact the 22nd Amendment, as another draft 21st Amendment has already been gazetted. Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was given on…
Read MoreDay: 30 June 2022
Anti-government protesters removed from Galle fort
Sri Lanka’s police and army have removed anti-government protesters from the fort ramparts overlooking the ground at Galle, on each of the first two days of the ongoing Test against Australia. The public is ordinarily allowed to hold banners and placards as they view the match from the fort. These are mostly related to cricket.However, these protesters had held placards asking for the resignation of Sri Lanka’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and have as a result been removed, even though the ramparts are public space. Among the authorities’ concerns had been…
Read MoreRajapaksa is hospitalised at a private hospital
BY Ruwani Fonseka Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Yoshitha Rajapaksa today (30) refused to comment on the reports of the former Prime Minister being hospitalised. When The Morning reached out to several private hospitals, they were unwilling to disclose if the former Prime Minister was admitted at their facilities due to patient confidentiality reasons. However, a source close to The Morning claimed that Rajapaksa is currently hospitalised at a private hospital after undergoing a surgery last night. Meanwhile, taking to a twitter post, Spokesperson to the Former…
Read MoreMay 09 retaliatory attacks: Dinesh suspects a wider conspiracy
Dr. Godahewa, Zuhair disturbed, disappointed By Shamindra Ferdinando Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday (29) said that the police or the intelligence services hadn’t at least bothered to inquire from him the alleged use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) by those who mounted a wave of violence against marked out individuals, looting and arson right across the country in the wake of the 09 May incidents in the Kollupitiya and Fort police areas. The Leader of the House said so when The Island asked him…
Read MoreSri Lanka eyes trimming presidential powers amid unrest over economic crisis
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday proposed amending the constitution to trim presidential powers and beef up anti-corruption powers to help shore up stability and defuse unrest provoked by the country’s worst financial crisis in decades. The South Asian island of 22 million people is close to running out of fuel and has struggled for months to find enough U.S. dollars to pay for essential imports such as food, cooking gas and medicine. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who critics blame for the financial crisis for having given key posts…
Read More