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Covid robs the country of outspoken politician, Mangala Samaraweera

Former lawmaker and outspoken politician Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera yesterday (24) died of Covid-19. Samaraweera was 65 at the time of his death.
Mangala entered Parliament for the first time in 1989 from the SLFP. He served as a Cabinet minister under several governments.
Nominated by the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) to contest the last general election from the Matara District, Samaraweera quit it at the last moment. He addressed his last media briefing on 25 July at ‘Freedom House’ at T.B. Jayah Mawatha as the leader of an organisation called ‘True Patriots.’
Samaraweera fell sick soon thereafter and initially they didn’t suspect it was Covid-19. Asked whether Samaraweera had received the Covid-19 vaccine, sources said the former minister did.
Samaraweera was the son of Mahanama Samaraweera, Cabinet minister of Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government, and Khema Samaraweera.
Mangala may have had his shortcomings like any human being, but whatever he did was done with plenty of panache and commitment. In certain ways he was ahead of his times and very innovative. He took up challenges in his stride.
Samaraweera led ‘Mothers’ Front’ with the then Hambantota District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, against the deaths squads during the second JVP uprising.
Samaraweera returned to parliament at the next general election in 1994 and was accommodated in the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s Cabinet as the Post and Telecommunications Minister. Samaraweera also served as the Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Public Utilities in the same Cabinet following a cabinet reshuffle and was later given the Deputy Minister of Finance portfolio.
Subsequent to the SLFP’s defeat at the general election in 2001, Samaraweera was made the Chief Opposition Whip and the Treasurer of the party. Following their return to power at the 2004 general election, Samaraweera received Ports, Aviation and Media portfolios in the new cabinet of President Kumaratunga.
In the run-up to the 2005 presidential election, he gave up media portfolio while retaining Ports and Aviation portfolios. Samaraweera played a significant role in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign and was rewarded with an additional foreign affairs portfolio. However, following a dispute with the Rajapaksas, Samaraweera was replaced in January 2007 as foreign minister and UNPer Rohitha Bogollagama given that vital portfolio during the Eelam War IV.
President Rajapaksa retained Samaraweera as the Ports and Aviation minister. But, Samaraweewa along with Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathy Sooriyaarachchi were sacked from the party on February 9, 2007. Samaraweera formed a new political party, the SLFP (Mahajana) wing but gave it up to join the UNP.
Later, Samaraweera joined the UNP and played a crucial role as an Opposition member and following the 2015 general election received the appointment as the foreign minister. Samaraweera along with the then PM Ranil Wickremesinghe paved the way for the signing of Geneva Resolution in early Oct 2015. Two years later, President Maithripala Sirisena in agreement with Wickremesinghe switched portfolios held by Samaraweera and finance minister Ravi Karunanayaka.
Following Sajith Premadasa’s defeat at the 2019 presidential election, Samaraweera pledged his support to the rebel group who took over the registered political party and re-registered it as the SJB.
Samaraweera strongly pushed for media freedom and was instrumental in allowing television stations to carry local news bulletins in 1994. (SF)
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Sun directly overhead Hatthikuchchi, Kalankuttiya, Halmillewa, Ipalogama, Palugaswewa and Habarana at about 12:11 noon. today [10]

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 14th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (10th) are Hatthikuchchi, Kalankuttiya, Halmillewa, Ipalogama, Palugaswewa and Habarana at about 12:11 noon.
News
LG elections to be staggered

Signs are clear that the local government (LG) elections, originally scheduled for 06 May, will have to be held on a staggered basis, as nomination lists in respect of about 200 out of 339 LG institutions have been challenged before the Court of Appeal, according to sources.
Those who have filed cases in the Court of Appeal seek writs against holding the elections. The final date for filing cases is 21 April.
By yesterday only 113, out of 339 local government bodies, had been cleared for the 06 May elections, with no rejections of nomination lists, or objections, sources said. The nomination lists for 226 local government bodies have been rejected, and candidates on these rejected lists are entitled to file cases against the Election Commission (EC) until 21 April.
The Court of Appeal (CA) has ordered that some of the lists rejected by the Election Commission be accepted. However, the EC is planning to challenge all CA orders before the Supreme Court.
When contacted for comment, Director General of the Election Commission, Saman Sri Ratnayake, told The Island that all arrangements had been made to hold the elections on 06 May, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 2017.
“We will hold elections to the local government bodies for which there are no legal barriers, and this will depend on the final decision of the courts,” Ratnayake said, adding that elections to other local government bodies would be held on later dates.
By Saman Indrajith
News
Sri Lanka and Australia reaffirm commitment to deepening defence ties

Sri Lanka and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence ties and exploring new avenues for cooperation in areas such as maritime domain awareness (MDA), training exchanges and capacity-building initiatives.
A number of key matters of mutual interest, particularly in the area of defence and security cooperation were deliberated when the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekara at his office in Colombo on Tuesday (April 8).
The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The Deputy Minister has expressed his appreciation for Australia’s continued support in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and defence capabilities.
Highlighting a recent example of this collaboration, Major General Jayasekara acknowledged the significant contribution made by the Australian government through the donation of a state-of-the-art Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder to the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS). He noted that this advanced equipment has brought a transformative enhancement to Sri Lanka’s capacity for surveying harbours, coastal areas and strategic waterways, thereby contributing to both national security and regional maritime stability, the statement added.
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