News
Delayed PC polls: Election monitors warn Govt. of international implications
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The postponement of the Provincial Council (PC) elections had created issues for Sri Lanka, internationally, Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Manas Makeen told The Island yesterday.
“This is something that Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian Minister of External Affairs, hinted at when he was here. Postponing PC elections has given external actors an opportunity to exert their influence here. PCs are a part of our law and either we abolish this system or hold elections.”
Makeen said that election monitors had met the Election Commission last week and the delay in holding PC polls was an issue all monitors raised. “When the new Election Commission was appointed its members Prime Ministry Mahinda Rajapaksa, who asked them to hold elections as soon as possible, and that’s the right position to take. And we at CaFFE hope that the PC elections will be held soon.”
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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