News
2024 presidential election: Catholic Church says it will not endorse any candidate
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Catholic Church wouldn’t endorse the candidature of any contestant at the Sept. 21 presidential election, top spokesperson Rev. Father Cyril Gamini said yesterday (25).
The Church spokesman said so when The Island sought an explanation regarding major candidates meeting Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Bishop Harold Anthony Perera and other members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Rev. Father Fernando said that their stand in respect of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage is clear. Even six years after the heinous crime, justice hadn’t been served, the spokesperson said, adding that the Church expected whoever won the Presidential Poll to address their grievances.
Near simultaneous suicide attacks claimed the lives of over 270 people while nearly 500 received injuries.
Since the handing over of nominations on Aug. 15, Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JJB), Sajith Premadasa (SJB), Namal Rajapaksa (SLPP) and Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC (National Democratic Front) met the Archbishop of Colombo at the Bishop’s House whereas President Wickremesinghe called on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference over the weekend.
Responding to another query, Rev. Father Fernando asserted that the Catholic Church instead of meeting selected candidates, the Archbishop felt the need to provide an opportunity for those contestants interested in making representations depending on the availability of time.
Altogether, 39 contestants submitted nominations. The majority of them are contesting as independents.
Rev. Father Fernando emphasiSed that they didn’t have absolutely any intention of promoting the candidature of any particular contestant. “The unpalatable truth is that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa conveniently failed to implement the major recommendations of his own Commission pertaining to the Easter Sunday carnage.
His successor President Ranil Wickremesinghe, too, didn’t pay attention to their primary demand that the recommendations be implemented,” Rev. Father Fernando said.
Referring to the developing political-economic-social crisis, on behalf of the Church Rev. Father Fernando urged the electorate to be extremely cautious at to how they voted at the first post-Aragalaya national election at a time the country was at a crossroads.
In addition to the Easter Sunday issue, the Church raised several other issues with the presidential candidates, the priest said. The issues pertained to Catholic education at schools, protection of Muthurajawela wetland sanctuary, Express Pearl ship disaster, unbearable cost of living, unemployment, privatization of public assets and adherence to democratic principles had been taken up, the spokesperson said, declaring the Catholic Church remained vigilant and ever ready to intervene on behalf of the hapless people.
The Church spokesperson said that the way successive governments had addressed the Easter Sunday investigation forced them to believe the powers that be lacked the political will to punish those responsible for the attacks.
Asked to explain, Rev. Father stressed that those who deliberately or due to negligence on their part facilitated the Easter Sunday conspiracy had to be dealt with. Similarly, those who had planned and executed the terror project should be apprehended and brought to justice, Rev. Father. Fernando said.
Perhaps, the government should reveal the status of the investigations also taking into consideration the disclosure made by the UK’s Channel 4 network last September, Rev. Father Fernando said.
The spokesperson noted that the Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who had been Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS) at the time of Easter Sunday attacks, was only sent on compulsory leave last month pending the conclusion of a disciplinary inquiry. The Police Department owed the country an explanation as to why much required disciplinary investigation hadn’t been conducted so many years after the tragic incident, the priest said. In the absence of such an investigation, the officer who had been named by the Presidential Commission on Inquiry (P CoI) moved up the ladder to become the Department’s No 2 in charge of administration.
Rev. Father Fernando noted that the SJB had been part of the UNP at the time of the Easter attacks and father of two suicide bombers in the National List of the JVP at the 2015 parliamentary polls. The SLPP, too, hadn’t taken meaningful measures so far to prove its sincerity, the spokesperson said.
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane
The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.
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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.
The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.
Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .
The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.
The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.
Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,
“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.
At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.
Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:
“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”
The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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The deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours
A RED warning for a deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka has been issued at 01.00 a.m. on 09 January 2026 for the period until 01.00 a.m. 10 January 2026 by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, of the Department of Meteorology.
The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka (At 01:00 a.m. on Jan 9th, 2026 located about 200 km East of Pottuvil) is very likely to intensify further and move west-northwestwards towards the coast of Sri Lanka between Pottuvil and Trincomalee in the evening today (9th January 2026.) The system is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm
during the next 24 hours.
Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance.
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