News
Kiriella piqued by Speaker ignoring him
By Saman Indrajith
SJB Kandy District MP and Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, yesterday, said that the Speaker of the House had not recognised him when he had attempted to raise a point of order, prior to the swearing in of MP Premalal Jayasekara on Tuesday.
MP Kiriella: “Yesterday I tried to raise a point of order on behalf of the Opposition. It was not about anything personal. However, the Speaker did not recognise me. The Secretary’s office too ignored me; they didn’t even look at me. It was only after the swearing in was complete that I was allowed to raise the point of order. That is wrong. The tradition of the House is when the Chief Opposition Whip raises a point of order, you have to give him an opportunity to speak. After I spoke you could have taken whatever the decision. You gave me the chance only after the swearing in. That is against the Parliament tradition.”
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said: “Swearing in of any MP is a solemn moment.
It is not appropriate to raise questions.
MP Kiriella: “You did not know what I was going to say. It was a point of order.”
However, during the incident Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena pointed out that as per the Standing Orders, the MPs could not raise points of order when the Speaker was making an announcement.
The Speaker questioned what kind of a point of order could be raised when an MP was taking oaths.
SJB MP Harin Fernando expressed his concerns about the Opposition’s protest against MP Jayasekara taking oaths on Tuesday (08). “We did not talk about a judgment. It was you who read out the judgment. All I did was to read out the rest of the judgment to the House. After that, Minister Mahindananda requested you to remove those parts from Hansard. I don’t think that is necessary. We spoke as per the Standing Orders. We hope you will protect all MPs in the House. We hope that what we spoke in the House concerning this matter would not be removed from the Hansard.”
A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.
Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.
Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.
Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.
(PMD)
News
CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.
Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).
Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.
(PMD)
Latest News
Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.
During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.
As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.
The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority
CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum
Steps initiated to safeguard Sri Lanka’s Maritime Heritage
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