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2024 presidential election: Catholic Church says it will not endorse any candidate

Published

1 year ago

2024/08/26

Thilina Walpola

Cyril Gamini

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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Advisory for low pressure area over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory at 11.30 pm on 05 January 2026 regarding a low pressure area over South-east Bay of Bengal Sea area.

The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the Bay of Bengal, to the southeast of the Sri Lanka has intensified into a low-pressure area.

Hence, showery condition over the island, particularly
in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance from January 8th.

The Meteorological Department is constantly monitoring the behavior of the system.

The general public are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regards.

News

US raid on Venezuela violation of UN Charter and intl. law: Govt.

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Herath

Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday (05) told a media conference at his Ministry that the UN should deal with the US for violating international law.

Herath, who is also a senior member of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) party’s National Executive Council, in addition to being a member of the JVP politburo, emphasised that member states couldn’t violate UN Charter and international laws.

The Minister said so when The Island sought the government’s position on the abduction of legally elected Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a lightning raid carried out amidst heavy air strikes on that country. We raised the issue at hand pointing out that there were persistent allegations regarding US and Indian interventions in the 2022 regime change operation here and that the NPP finalised defence agreements with Washington and New Delhi.

Minister Herath said that Sri Lanka backed the ongoing UN Security Council bid to deal with the developing situation in Venezuela.

Herath was flanked by Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra and Deputy Tourism Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe.

Minister Herath said that the UN Security Council was scheduled to take up this issue today. The US is one of the five members of the UN Security Council.

In terms of the UN Charter, UN members are to refrain from the “use of force” against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Another permanent member of the UN Security Council, France, broke ranks with the Western block to condemn US action. France unequivocally declared that the US operation was a “violation of sovereignty.

Minister Herath didn’t respond to the query whether he discussed the issue at hand with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

While pointing out that Sri Lanka had been subjected to foreign interventions, The Island sought the position the JVP in respect of US President Donald Trump threatening to move against Mexico, Cuba and Colombia as the party always took a strong stand against US actions. Declaring that his response would be for the government and not the JVP, Minister Herath said that there was a way to deal with situations through the UN.

Minister Herath strongly defended recently signed agreements with India and US pertaining to defence. Stressing that both agreements were beneficial, Minister Herath pointed out that they weren’t defence agreements but security cooperation arrangements.

The US and Sri Lanka signed a Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2025, formalising defence cooperation under the State Partnership Programme (SPP) with the Montana National Guard. The MoU with India was signed in April, 2025. It was among seven MoUs.

Referring to devastating Cyclone Ditwah, the Minister said that India provided material support under the MoU signed in April whereas the US provided 10 helicopters to the SLAF recently.

Responding to a query on US-Sri Lanka tariff negotiations, Minister Herath said that about 95% of the negotiations have been finalised.

At the onset of the briefing, Minister Herath and Deputy Ministers Prof. Ranasinghe and Arun Hemachandra explained how the tourism sector and expatriate Sri Lanka work force contributed to the national economy.

Referring to Central Bank figures, they declared that tourism had brought in USD 3.2 bn whereas expatriate workers contributed USD 7.19 bn up to November last year. Once the Central Bank made available December figures it could reach USD 7.8 bn, they said. Tourism and expatriate work force together brought in as much as USD 11.6 bn, they declared, expressing hope 2026 would definitely be better.

Although the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah caused concerns that it may cause a significant drop in tourist arrivals, a steady flow of visitors paved the way for a comfortable 15% increase in arrivals by end of 2025, they said.

Minister Herath said that the government was happy that the country recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals this year.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Ban on foreign research vessels: FM promises decision within two months

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said that the government would announce its decision on the ban on foreign research vessels entering Sri Lankan waters.

Addressing the media at the Foreign Ministry, Minister Herath, in response to a query, said that they were in the process of addressing the issue.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a moratorium on the entry of foreign research vessels during 2004. Although the NPP government, in December, 2004, declared its position would be made known soon, the decision was not taken during last year. Wickremesinghe took that decision under intense Indian and US pressure to deny entry of Chinese research vessels (SF)