An Expert Panel appointed to review and recommend reforms to the electoral system has been given two months to complete its work, the Department of Communication of Parliament said.

A special meeting was held in the House on Monday (24) to discuss the future work of the Panel, which is tasked with reviewing electoral laws and proposing reforms, excluding matters relating to Provincial Council elections.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government and Chairman of the relevant Parliamentary Select Committee, Prof. A.H.M.H. Abeyaratne.

The discussions focused on the role of the Expert Panel, key areas requiring review and the next steps in the electoral reform process.

The Panel will examine 31 proposals submitted by the public and various organizations on electoral reforms. Research and studies conducted by universities and research institutions will also be considered.

According to parliament, the review will examine shortcomings in the existing electoral system and, where necessary, consider recommendations for a new electoral system and electoral culture.

The broader objective is to provide Parliament with policy and legislative recommendations aimed at establishing a more credible, democratic and efficient electoral system that meets the country’s current needs and the expectations of the public.

Police have recorded a statement from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the arrest of his secretary Sugeeswara Bandara over allegedly receiving two salaries under the expenditure head of the President while working as a Project Director at the Presidential Secretariat during the tenure of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Police arrested Bandara on 18 June this year. Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena after having rejected his bail application yesterday further remanded him until 9 September. Sugeeswara Bandara is the leader of Nawa Janatha Peramuna.

The Central Crime Investigation Bureau is conducting investigations into allegations that state vehicles were misused and employees were deployed for political activities while Bandara held the aforesaid positions.

Previously, investigators informed the court that an amount of Rs. 1.93 million had been allegedly misused while Bandara was a secretary to the President, and Rs. 4.26 million was allegedly misused while he was serving as a Project Director.

Officers informed the court that the alleged offences fell under Section 5(1) of the Public Property Act and relevant provisions of the Penal Code.

Fishermen from Rameshwaram have announced a series of protests, demanding the immediate release of Tamil Nadu fishermen, currently detained in Sri Lankan custody, along with their apprehended fishing boats.

The Indian media reported that the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of representatives of mechanised boat fishermen’s associations held at the Rameshwaram fishing harbour, in Ramanathapuram district.

In line with the decision, the fishermen will launch an indefinite strike from August 30, followed by a continuous hunger strike, at Thangachimadam, from September 1.

The fishermen have called for the immediate release of all Tamil Nadu fishermen, held in Sri Lankan prisons, and the return of their fishing boats apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities. They have also demanded that compensation be provided for the mechanised fishing boats confiscated by Sri Lanka, similar to the relief payments provided by the previous administration.

The fishermen further urged the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to resume the India–Sri Lanka fishermen’s talks, which, they said, have not been held for nearly a decade.

The planned protests come amid continuing tensions over the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities for poaching, often using banned fishing methods, like bottom trawling.