UNP Kandy District Leader and Senior Vice President Naveen Dissanayake has called for the reunification of forces aligned with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, arguing that a new political direction for the country can only emerge through such an alliance.

Addressing a meeting of UNP district electorate organisers and party activists at the Sri Pushpadana Society Hall in Kandy on Tuesday, Dissanayake said the country’s political landscape required the combination of “the head of Ranil Wickremesinghe and the body of Sajith Premadasa” to create a formidable political force capable of challenging the government.

He said the opposition could not effectively respond to emerging political developments without uniting with the majority of those who had previously belonged to the UNP.

“If we can come together with those who were once part of our own party, the road to victory will be much easier,” Dissanayake said.

He stressed that building a strong opposition and eventually forming a government would require both factions to work under a common political platform.Dissanayake also revealed his ambition to contest for the position of Chief Minister of the Central Province in the future, noting that such a goal could only be achieved if the two political camps contested elections under a single nomination list.

Describing Wickremesinghe as the only leader capable of guiding the country forward, Dissanayake said a combination of Wickremesinghe’s experience and vision with Premadasa’s grassroots appeal would create a powerful political movement.

“If we combine Ranil’s intellectual vision with Sajith’s grassroots strength, we can successfully embark on this new political journey,” he said.

The senior UNP figure also urged party organisers to strengthen the party’s district-level organisational structure in preparation for future elections.

Emphasising the importance of reconnecting with voters, he said political leaders must engage directly with the people and regain public confidence.

“Power in politics is the power of the people. Political leaders must go among the masses and earn their trust,” he said.

Among those attending the meeting were former Central Provincial Councillor Shanthini Kongahage, former Provincial Councillor J. M. Lafir, former Kandy Mayor Kesara Senanayake, Hewaheta UNP Organiser Aruna Ravishankar and former Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman D. M. Wijerathne, along with party activists.

By SK Samaranayake

The Colombo High Court yesterday postponed until July 9 the hearing of the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The case was taken up before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.

Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara informed court that a revision application filed by the defence had been taken up before the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka on June 3 and fixed for hearing on June 16.

He said that the complainant had informed the Court of Appeal that no evidence would be led in the High Court proceedings until the revision application was heard and determined, and requested that the case be adjourned without summoning witnesses.

Allowing the request, Judge Ranatunga postponed the case until July 9 and ordered the witnesses to appear in court on the next hearing date.

The Attorney General has filed indictments against Rajapaksa alleging that he acquired five plots of land valued at more than Rs. 73 million through unlawful means, thereby committing an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.The case is scheduled to be called again on July 9.

More than one in five schoolchildren in Sri Lanka were affected by malnutrition, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Anil Jasinghe said yesterday, warning of a growing dual burden of undernutrition and obesity in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Wednesday to mark National Nutrition Month, Dr. Jasinghe said children suffering from early-life malnutrition were also at risk of developing obesity later in life.

Citing recent survey findings on children under and over the age of five, he said stunting stood at 10.1 percent while underweight prevalence was recorded at 16.1 per cent. Overweight levels among children remained relatively low at 0.5 percent.

“These figures indicate that nearly one-fifth of our children are affected by malnutrition,” he said, adding that malnourished children often transitioned into overweight and obese categories in adolescence and adulthood.

Dr. Jasinghe also pointed to rising obesity levels among adults, noting that 47 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men were currently affected.

He warned that if current trends continue, obesity rates could further escalate in the coming years, posing significant public health challenges.

Health officials say the findings underscore the need for urgent interventions to improve nutrition, dietary habits and early childhood health outcomes across the country.