News

Church of Ceylon calls for the resignation of Prez, PM

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/10

In a statement issued yesterday, the Church of Ceylon joined the Catholic Church and several Buddhist prelates in calling for the resignation of the president and prime minister. A statement signed by the Right Reverend Keerthisiri Fernando, Presiding Bishop of the Church of Ceylon and the Right Reverend Dushantha Rodrigo Bishop of Colombo, said that the President has to take personal responsibility for driving this country to a state of bankruptcy. “We wish to remind the President that a term of office can only be legitimate if the people still have confidence in the individual. The overwhelming call for his resignation from Religious leaders, to Civil society and the average man and woman on the street is a clear reflection that he has no mandate to govern this country anymore…The Prime Minister who never had the legitimacy to hold office. It is clear that there is no plan and no action to revive the economy other than the people having to tighten their belts and die in queues.”

Full text of the statement: We note with deep concern the deterioration of the state of our economy and the sheer sense of apathy with which those in power are approaching the plethora of problems faced by the people of our land. It has been nearly two months since a new Prime Minister was sworn in, much against the wishes of the people and ignoring the advice of Religious Leaders and civil society. The Cabinet that took office thereafter has failed to take any meaningful steps to alleviate the suffering of our people or secure any assistance from any party to improve the state of the economy. The present illegitimate Government is only capable of providing a commentary on the deteriorating state of the country from time to time and warning the people to prepare for worse. There is no plan of action, no clear roadmap or strategy for short, medium- and long-term recovery. It has now come to an absurd point where even the Ministers of this administration are openly calling for the resignation of each other. Clearly, there is no legitimacy for this Government even from within its own ranks.

We are extremely concerned that our people are dying on the streets languishing in fuel queues for days waiting to get a meagre supply of Petrol or Diesel. The supply of Gas and Kerosene for cooking is now a thing of the past. Many small and medium scale industries and businesses have collapsed pushing thousands of people to be out of employment. Our schools remain closed indefinitely causing irreparable damage to the future of our country. We are alarmed that the Police and Armed forces are now using excessive force on unarmed civilians in order to quell the state of chaos which is clearly not their own making. The increasing rate of suicide and crime is indicative of the extent of desperation to which our society has plunged. It is no longer possible for this so-called Government to remain aloof and indifferent to the call of our people. Any Government which cannot command the confidence of its own people will not stand a chance in commanding the respect of outside governments or funding agencies. Furthermore, it is ridiculous to expect outside agencies to bail out Sri Lanka when those who are responsible for corruption and mismanagement are still in control of the country. The lackadaisical attitude of such agencies in responding to the suffering of our people is a clear message that cannot be ignored.

Therefore, we reaffirm our call for the following:

1. The immediate resignation of the President who has to take personal responsibility for driving this country to a state of bankruptcy. We wish to remind the President that a term of office can only be legitimate if the people still have confidence in the individual. The overwhelming call for his resignation from Religious leaders, to Civil society and the average man and woman on the street is a clear reflection that he has no mandate to govern this country anymore.

2. The Immediate resignation of the Prime Minister who never had the legitimacy to hold office. It is clear that there is no plan and no action to revive the economy other than the people having to tighten their belts and die in queues. The past two months has demonstrated the inept inability and incapability of the present administration to grapple with the burning issues of our land. The fact that the situation has only got worse is clearly a testimony to this fact.

3. The formation of a truly representative interim administration which can regain the confidence of our own people and that of the international community. Such administration will be called to manage the present crisis swiftly while devising suitable short, medium and long-term strategies for economic revival. We are convinced that our country has much potential to rise and bounce back strongly if there is agreement on a common framework for governance and support for a realistic plan for economic recovery. Afterall, the vast majority of our people are intelligent, honest and hardworking men and women who have seen their dreams shattered overnight due to no fault of theirs. We must seek leadership which is capable of rallying our people at this time.

4. The urgent enactment of Constitutional reforms to prune down powers of Executive Presidency and reintroduce Independent Commissions. Strengthening the role of Parliament and securing the independence of other institutions which are essential to maintain checks and balances in governance are essential for this nation to progress with dignity. Such reforms should be the result of consensus drawn from all sectors of the people and should necessarily safeguard the interests of all communities.

5. The immediate reopening of schools by providing necessary facilities and prioritized support to function as normal as possible even with difficulty.

We call on the police and armed forces to act with discernment and restraint in the next few days as the people are agitating for their lives and livelihood to be restored. We wish to remind the tri forces and police that their own families have not been spared from suffering and that the future of their own children are also at stake due to the current state of affairs.

The suffering masses will have no option but to intensify their struggle since they are not heard by those selfishly clinging on to power. As a Church, we will support and stand by our people as they engage in peaceful demonstrations commencing from the 8th instant, calling for meaningful change in the direction of our country. We continue to pray for our land and for wisdom to navigate through these difficult times.

All News Advertisement

News

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

GL / Harshana

Opp. lashes out at Justice Minister for disparaging remarks about CLA

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Joint Opposition yesterday (09) tore into Justice and National Integration Minister Harsha Nanayakkara over some disparaging remarks about the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) in Parliament on Tuesday (08).

The Convenor of the Opposition grouping, former Law Professor Peiris questioned Minister Nanayakkara’s declaration that the CLA was a private club that granted membership on payments received. Emphasising that the CLA consisted of those in the legal profession in Commonwealth countries, Prof. Peiris told the weekly media briefing at the Flower Road Office of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe that the views expressed by the organisation couldn’t be discarded under any circumstances.

Prof. Peiris dealt with Nanayakkara’s response to the CLA’S concerns about several issues, including the composition of the five-member panel of judges. “How could Minister Nanayakkara dismiss concerns raised by CLA on the basis of the paid-membership of the organisation?” Prof. Peiris asked. If membership became an issue, the government would have to reconsider Sri Lanka’s UN membership, the ex-External Affairs Minister said, pointing out that the country had to make regular payments to retain membership of other UN agencies, as well.

Prof. Peiris said that indefensible attacks on international organisations could cause irreparable damage to the country. Appreciating the CLA’s report on the Supreme Court proceedings on the 01 and 02 September, Prof. Peiris stressed the importance of what he called total transparency in the judicial process. He said that whatever the outcome of a particular legal process, it couldn’t be done behind the backs of the public.

Referring to legal processes regarding the 6th Amendment and 13th Amendment, in 1983 and 1987, respectively, Prof. Peiris said, on both occasions the then Chief Justices Neville Samarakoon and S. Sharvananda constituted benches consisting of all Supreme Court judges.

But, the incumbent CJ Preethi Padman Surasena, in spite of the majority of petitioners demanding all available 13 justices to hear the case, decided to leave out those on the seniority list from second position to fourth position.

The government got offended because the CLA pointed that out for the whole world to take notice, Prof. Peiris said. The former parliamentarian noted that the CJ hadn’t even give a reason for declining the widespread call to involve all available 13 judges. According to him, there had been instances where CJ’s appointed seven justices to hear a particular case. Prof. Peiris cited the 2018 bench of seven judges that heard the petitions against President Maithripala Sirisena over the dissolution of Parliament and a panel constituted in 2023 to hear the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage that claimed the lives of 270 people.

The issue at hand is that the five-member panel of judges hadn’t been selected on the basis of seniority, Prof. Peiris said, once the SC determination was sent and released through the Speaker, they would meticulously examine that to make their position known to the people. Prof. Peiris said that what they really wanted to know was that if seniority hadn’t been the basis for selection what the criterion was.

News

Sri Lanka reiterates its territory won’t be used against India

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh listening attentively to President Dissanayake (pic courtesy PMD)

The Indian Defence Ministry in a statement issued yesterday (09) quoted President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as having assured visiting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that Sri Lanka would never allow its territory to be used for activities inimical to India’s security interests.

The text of the Indian press release: “Visiting Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo on September 09, 2026. The two leaders held substantive discussions on issues covering the entire spectrum of the multi-faceted partnership between the two nations, characterised by traditionally warm relations and mutual trust.

The two sides reaffirmed that as civilisational twins, close neighbours and maritime partners, India and Sri Lanka would continue to work together for their development and welfare of the people while working jointly to ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region. The senior Indian Minister conveyed greetings on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and underlined that the citizens of the two countries share deep friendship based on strong historical & civilisational links and people-to-people exchanges.

Extending a warm welcome to Mr. Singh, President Dissanayake recalled his interactions with PM Modi and reiterated that Sri Lanka would never allow its territory to be used for any activities inimical to India’s security interests.

President Dissanayake expressed his gratitude for the relief assistance provided by India as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu during Cyclone Ditwah and the comprehensive rehabilitation package extended by New Delhi to facilitate reconstruction and rehabilitation work across different parts of the island. The powerful Indian Defence Minister emphasised that as a closest friend and neighbour of Sri Lanka, India considered it not a favour, but a responsibility to provide assistance as the first responder and would continue to do so in the future as well.

Both leaders virtually inaugurated three Bailey Bridges constructed by the Indian Defence Forces. The two sides also exchanged MoUs on upgradation of L70 Guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force, and cooperation between National Cadet Corps (NCC) & National Defence Colleges (NDC) of both the countries. The MoU on Upgradation of six L70 guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force falls under a Government of India grant. The upgradation of these air defence guns will significantly strengthen the air defence architecture of critical assets in Sri Lanka. These air defence guns were earlier provided to the Sri Lanka Air Force by India.

The MoU on academic cooperation between NDC, India and NDC, Sri Lanka will facilitate knowledge sharing which will be a significant step in further strengthening the academic bonds between both the sister institutes. The MoU on NCC cooperation will formalise the NCC youth exchange programme between India and Sri Lanka. This exchange programme provides a valuable opportunity for NCC cadets from multiple countries across the world to come to New Delhi every year and participate in NCC events.”

News

UK-led Core Group calls Jaffna mass graves a ‘stark reminder’ but stops short of calling for international accountability

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Eleanor Sanders

Mass grave excavations in Sri Lanka are a stark reminder that thousands of cases of enforced disappearance remain unresolved, the Sri Lanka Core Group has told the UN Human Rights Council, urging Colombo to translate its stated commitment to reform into concrete progress, while again stopping short of calling for the international accountability that Tamils have long demanded.

The statement, delivered in Geneva, on Tuesday (08), during the Council’s 63rd session by the United Kingdom’s Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders on behalf of Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the UK, welcomed, what it called, the High Commissioner’s balanced assessment of the human rights situation on the island.

The group acknowledged that Sri Lanka had faced considerable challenges recently, including severe weather events and global energy shocks, and welcomed positive developments, including the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 and engagement on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“However, much further action is needed to build confidence in accountability and reconciliation efforts,” Sanders said. “Progress in several emblematic cases has not yet been accompanied by a comprehensive,

victim-centred accountability process to address past violations. Mass grave excavations are a stark reminder that thousands of cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved. And reports of intimidation, harassment, and restrictions affecting civil society, journalists and victims’ groups, including in the North and East, still raise concerns.”

The group urged progress on democratic governance, including advancing legal and institutional reforms, resolving land-related issues, ensuring respect for human rights in detention institutions and strengthening independent institutions.

The statement follows a familiar pattern. In June, the group acknowledged “developments in certain mass grave investigations” and urged that excavations meet international standards, and in March it called for the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. At the 58th session it welcomed a series of measures Tamils regarded as superficial. Neither this statement, nor its predecessors, names Chemmani, calls for international oversight of the excavation, or addresses the demand for a referral to the International Criminal Court.