News
CBK lambastes Sirisena and Mahinda for current plight of SLFP
Former President and incumbent Patron of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said she would work with the younger generation to reinvigorate the SLFP that was weakened due to the conduct of former President and SLFP Chairman Maithripala Sirisena.
Kumaratunga said so yesterday (2) while making a special statement to mark the 69th anniversary of the SLFP.
Kumaratunga said she had been saddened by the present fate of the SLFP, which was formed by the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and later strengthened by Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
“I think I am also responsible for what has happened to the SLFP, today. It is not because of what I did, but because of what I did not do. I am the person who revitalised the SLFP, which was on a losing streak for 17 years. The SLFP was able to remain in power for 23 consecutive years because of what we started.”
Kumaratunga said that she had returned to politics in 2015 at the request of the late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, a number of political parties and civil society organisations, after a long absence from politics as she needed to put an end to the destruction of the country and where the SLFP was heading at that time.
“Many people today say that I joined the UNP. In 2015, we formed a massive alliance with a large number of civil society organizations and a number of Tamil and Muslim parties. That alliance included both the UNP and the SLFP.”
Although she and a group of others had presented a broader vision in 2015, Sirisena who came to power in 2015 completely had destroyed that programme, the former President said. Both leaders who came to power after her were responsible for what had happened to the SLFP, she said.
Kumaratunga went on to say, “One leader who came to power after me even put my life at risk. At a time when Velupillai Prabhakaran had warned that he would kill me, that leader removed my security within 24 hours. He did all that because I was the only living Bandaranaike family member who could rebuild the SLFP. Also, the Bandaranaike policies of the party were ruined due to various criminals who linked him to the SLFP,”
Further emphasising that a party like the SLFP could not be destroyed, Kumaratunga said that she was committed to strengthening the SLFP with the help of the youth.
News
Cabinet nod for MOU between Sri Lanka and Romania on the cooperation in the Labour Field
Romania, a country that has maintained diplomatic relationship with Sri Lanka for several decades in various fields, has become an increasingly popular destination among Sri Lankan skilled and semi-skilled Labour categories, especially in the fields of construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and services sectors.
At present, the recruitment of Sri Lankan workers to Romania is carried out by licensed private employment agencies under the
supervision of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau. However, since both parties have recognized the need of establishing a more organized and sustainable recruitment method due to increasing demand, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Government of Romania regarding cooperation in the field of the labour sector with the following objectives.
• Establishment of proper mechanism for recruitment and management of workers.
• Promotion of ethical and transparent recruitment practices.
• Protection of rights and welfare of the migrant workers.
• Facilitation of regular discussions between the formal and relevant authorities ofboth countries.
• Improvement of technical cooperation, skills recognition, and capacity building in the labour sector.
News
New circular to replace Management Services Circular No. 01/2019
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance,
Planning, and Economic Development to repeal Management Services Circular No. 01/2019 , dated 15-03-2019, issued regarding the implementation of development projects, and to issue a new management services circular including updated provisions instead.
News
Four Chief Prelates urge President to appoint NAO official as Auditor General
Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas, in a joint letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has expressed concern over the protracted delay in appointing a permanent Auditor General.
The Chief Prelates have said that the appointment of an outsider as the Head of the National Audit Office (NAO) responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in public finances will be inappropriate.
The Chief Prelates have said that they are of the view that Dharmapala Gammanpila, a senior officer with extensive experience within the Auditor General’s Department, is the ideal candidate for the top post. They have also emphasised that his appointment will strengthen the government’s efforts to promote economic prosperity.
Chulantha Wickramaratne, who served as AG for a period of six years, retired in April 2025. Following his retirement, President Dissanayake nominated H.T.P. Chandana, an audit officer at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, as the AG. The CC rejected that nomination. Subsequently, President Dissanayake appointed the next senior-most official at the NAO Dharmapala Gammanpila as Acting Auditor General for a period of six months. Then, the President nominated Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayarathne to serve in an acting capacity, but her nomination, too, was also rejected. Many an eyebrow was raised when the President nominated O.R. Rajasinghe, the Internal Audit Director of the Sri Lanka Army for the top post. That nomination too was rejected. As a result, the vital position remains vacant since 07 December, 2025.
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