News

PC system to be amended or abolished?

Published

5 years ago

2020/08/27

Sahan Weerasooriya

… NJC among those pushing for doing away with 13th A

By Shamindra Ferdinando

State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government Affairs, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera has called for a comprehensive examination of the Provincial Council system.

Depending on the report, State Minister Weerasekera would recommend to the Cabinet whether to amend the PC system or do away with it, a spokesperson for the Ministry told The Island.

The State Minister has called for a report on the PC system from Ministry officials with the focus on funds made available over the past three decades and how it benefited the public.

Sri Lanka established the Provincial Council system in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, introduced in keeping with the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord.

State Minister Weerasekera issued directives as regards studying the PC system on Monday (25) close on the heels of Jaffna District lawmaker and leader of the Thamil Makkal Theshiya Kuttani C.V. Wigneswaran warning, in Parliament, not to touch the 13th Amendment as it was introduced in terms of an agreement with India.

A spokesperson for the National Joint Committee told The Island that the government couldn’t afford to continue with the utterly useless Provincial Council system which was nothing but a white elephant.

The spokesperson, while noting that Justice Minister Ali Sabri PC is on record as having said recently that the PC system, set up on the basis of an understanding with India, wouldn’t be abolished, pointed out that India never disarmed all terrorist groups as promised. The LTTE survived for nearly 20 years after India pulled out her troops deployed here in March 1990, the NJC official said. Therefore, there was no obligation on Sri Lanka’s part to continue with a costly administrative structure forced on us, the spokesman said.

The official pointed out that the new administration should decide on the matter without further delay.

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News

Minimum purchasing price of Samba and Kiri Samba paddy incresed

Published

7 mins ago

2026/01/13

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the decision of the Food Policy and Security Committee to maintain the minimum purchasing price of 1 kg of Nadu paddy of prescribed standard at Rs. 120 and to increase the minimum purchasing price of 1 kg of Samba from Rs. 125 to Rs. 130 and the minimum purchasing price of Kiri Samba from Rs. 132 to Rs. 140.

News

Govt. extends ban on LTTE

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

The NPP government has issued a new extraordinary gazette renewing and extending Sri Lanka’s long-standing ban on the LTTE and several Tamil diaspora organisations and individuals, continuing to designate them as “terrorists”.

The gazette, published recently, replaces a previous gazette issued in May 2025 and reaffirmed the proscription of a wide range of Tamil political and advocacy bodies operating around the world, alongside dozens of named individuals. The government alleged both the organisations and individuals listed are involved in “terrorism-related activities”.

The organisations blacklisted by the Sri Lankan government include:

• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

• Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO)

• Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC)

• World Tamil Movement (WTM)

• Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)

• World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF)

• National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT)

• Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO)

While the majority of the designations mirror those contained in the May 2025 gazette, the latest document updates identification details and addresses for a number of individuals and introduces at least one additional organisation to the list. All entries have been reissued under new reference numbers for 2026, though the underlying allegations and framing remain unchanged.

Successive governemnts have maintained a sweeping proscription regime against Tamil diaspora groups and individuals. A ban can make it a criminal offence for Sri Lankan citizens to maintain contact with these organisations or their members, severely restricting political engagement and stifling links between the diaspora and the Tamil homeland.

The original mass listings were introduced in 2014 under the administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Despite repeated outcry, subsequent governments have continued to uphold and renew the proscription regime, even after the Rajapaksas were voted out of power.

News

Police obtain court order banning Wimal’s protest

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa addresses a gathering outside the Education Ministry on Monday before launching a protest demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as Education Minister over the inclusion of a link to an adult content website in the Grade 06 English module. (Pic by Thushara Atapattu)

Police yesterday (12) obtained an injunction order from the Kaduwela Magistrate’s court against the protest launched by National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa opposite the Education Ministry, Isurupaya, at Battaramulla.

Police informed Weerawansa of the court order. In line with the court order, the police informed Weerawansa that the road near the Ministry should not be obstructed and that no sound amplification equipment be used while the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination is in progress. The examination, put off due to Cyclone Ditwah, recommenced yesterday.