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Harsha repeats allegation that Ranil was only interested in undermining Sajith
By Saman Indrajith
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presidential campaign was primarily aimed at undermining the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa, according to MP Harsha de Silva.
Dr. de Silva told The Island that a significant number of Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s voters were former supporters of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. “This indicates that the majority of the floating vote shifted to President Dissanayake.”
Dr. de Silva said many Sri Lankans were disillusioned with established political parties, and the SJB had not been perceived as a new political force, despite being formed after the 2019 presidential election.
“Most of us are former UNP MPs, and people saw us as an extension of the establishment. They viewed Anura Kumara and his NPP as a break from tradition,” he said.
Dr. de Silva pointed out that during the 2020 general election, the NPP had garnered around 3% votes, securing three parliamentary seats. He noted that many believed they would not receive enough votes to defeat more established opponents.
Commenting on Wickremesinghe receiving over two million votes, De Silva observed that at least a million UNP voters had abstained from voting at the 2020 general election. However, Wickremesinghe’s presidency had re-energised those voters, he added.
“If we assess the ground reality, we were all part of the same group. In recent years, this group of voters has fluctuated between the UNP and the SJB. This time, the vote split, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake benefitted,” he said.
Dr. de Silva expressed hope that the two parties could reconcile their differences by 11 October. He revealed that several UNP and SJB stalwarts had attempted to bring the two sides together in the last three weeks.
“Many senior UNP figures have indicated they will not contest the general election, and I am confident that a significant number of UNPers will want to contest under the SJB. Whereelse would they contest? Under the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol? That worked only because of Ranil. No one will vote for the gas cylinder on 14 November. The SJB is more popular than the UNP, and its leader is running for Prime Minister. It is true that Premadasa set certain conditions for UNP supporters who wished to join the Samagi Jana Sandanaya,” Dr. de said.
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Landslide Early Warnings Issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Ratanapura, Badulla , Nuwara Eliya ,Kalutara, Kurunegala and Matara
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organization has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Ratanapura, Badulla , Nuwara Eliaya ,Kalutara, Kurunegala and Matara valid up to 5.30am tomorrow [12].
Accordingly,
Level II landslide early warnings have been issued to the divisional secretaries divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka in the Colombo district, Elpitiya, Neluwa, Baddegama and Nagoda in the Galle district, Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Bulathsinhala, Horana, Walallawita, Mathugama, Dodangoda and Ingiriya in the Kalutara district, Warakapola, Ruwanwella, Dehiowita, Yatiyanthota and Bulathkohupitiya in the Kegalle district and Eheliyagoda and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.
Level I landslide early warnings have been issued to the divisional secretaries divisions and surrounding areas of Ella, Hali Ela and Passara in the Badulla district, Yakkalamulla and Niyagama in the Galle district, Beruwala and Palindanuwara in the Kalutara district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Akuressa in the Matara district, Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya district, and Kalawana, Kuruwita, Elapatha and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura district
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Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle
Warning for strong winds and rough seas issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 07.00 a.m. 11 October 2024 for the period until 07.00 a.m. 12 October 2024 for the sea areas off the coasts extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle
PLEASE BE AWARE
The sea areas off the coasts extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle will be very rough at times with very strong gusty winds up to (60-70) kmph
The wave height (about 2.5–3.0 m) (this is not for land area) may increase in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Hambantota via Galle and Matara.
Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the above seas, until further notice.
Admiral Steve Koehler, a four-star U.S. Navy Admiral and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, paid a courtesy call on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (10) morning . This visit marks the highest-level U.S. military engagement with Sri Lanka since 2021.
During the meeting, Admiral Koehler reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka, emphasizing a shared commitment to promoting an enduring, resilient, free, and open Indo-Pacific region. Discussions focused on addressing rising security challenges in the Indian Ocean, enhancing maritime domain awareness, and improving disaster response capabilities.
Admiral Koehler pledged the U.S. commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in combating transnational threats such as drug smuggling and terrorism. He praised Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts in combating drug smuggling and assured continued U.S. assistance in manpower training in the naval sector.
Landslide Early Warnings Issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Ratanapura, Badulla , Nuwara Eliya ,Kalutara, Kurunegala and Matara
Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle
U.S. Pacific fleet Commander meets President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
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