News
Dullas chides silence of Election Commission when govt. floats doubts about polls
Sri Lanka is probably the only democratic country where people wonder if elections would be held in an election year, Nidahasa Janatha Sabawa (NJS), leader MP Dullas Alahapperuma said.
Sri Lanka is also the only country that postponed an election under the pretext of bankruptcy, he added.
“From my experience, an election boosts an economy.”
Alahapperuma said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe was a minister in a government that postponed a general election through a referendum. This was the worst episode in Sri Lanka’s electoral history.
“If he thinks he can pull off this trick this time, it’s a grave mistake. The 1982 referendum was held at a time when the people and the media were weak. ITN and Rupavahini were the only TV stations. There was SLBC and four papers. The entire country depended on those sources for information. This is completely different with social media.”
Alahapperuma said the Constitution says that the tenure of the President is five years and article 31 (3) states that “the poll for the election of the President shall be taken not less than one month and not more than two months before the expiration of the term of office of the President in office.”
“This is clear. This is not the same with Provincial Council elections. There is a timeline here. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in as President on 19 November 2019. Therefore, the election must be held between 18 October and 18 September 2024. The President has no right to make statements about when to hold elections. He just must hold them in a period stipulated by the Constitution.”
The NJS MP said that the Elections Commission must not remain silent when politicians make statements about when the presidential election will be held. The silence of the Commission encourages speculation and feeds into the uncertainty in the society.
“The President’s Media Division (PMD) is issuing a statement on the expenses for the election. The Parliament has the authority on public finance. How can the PMD, or the Cabinet spokesman, determine the amount of money earmarked for elections.”
President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has taken a number of initiatives that they thought would weaken the general public and instil fear among its critics, he said.
“Ranil Wickremesinghe presented a proposal called ‘Regaining Sri Lanka’ in the early 2000s. This proposal was rejected by the people, as evidenced by the election results. He was then rejected by the people at the 2020 general election. Now he is President and is implementing the ‘Regaining Sri Lanka’ programme. Ironically he is supported by MPs that belong to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party, a man who played a major role in undermining Wickremesinghe’s agenda,” he said. (SI)
There has been a noticeable increase in the spread of Chikungunya in the city of Colombo, Kotte, and the suburbs of Colombo, according to the Health Ministry.
As of 14 March, the Weekly Epidemiological Report says 173 chikungunya cases have been reported from Colombo, Gampaha, and Kandy.
Acting Consultant Community Physician of the Ministry of Health Dr. Kumudu Weerakoon said that the Chikungunya virus had spread to Sri Lanka in 1960.
Meanwhile, Dr. Deepal Perera, Consultant Paediatrician at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, Colombo, told The Island yesterday that there had been an increase in the number of children affected by Chikungunya.
“To tackle this situation, it is extremely important to keep your homes, doorways, and school premises clean regularly,” he said.
“If a child has fever lasting more than two days, darkening around the nose, or joint pain, these could be symptoms of Chikungunya. In such cases, take the child to a doctor. Chikungunya is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The joint pain can persist for months. Therefore, we strongly urge both children and adults to take all precautions to avoid contracting Chikungunya.”
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva
‘Genocide Memorial’ in Canada
Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown has slammed SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa over the latter’s recent statement regarding the monument that was inaugurated in Canada commemorating the victims of the final stages of the North East conflict.
In a statement on ‘X’, Brampton Mayor, Patrick Brown said, “The Rajapaksas’ opposition to the Tamil Genocide Memorial is the surest signal that we are on the right path recognising the innocent civilian lives lost at the hands of this family.”
Patrick Brown further said that if confident that no genocide occurred, the Rajapaksa family should fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court rather than obstructing justice and hiding from prosecution.
“This is their Nuremberg moment, and instead of facing accountability, this family hides in luxury protected by the Sri Lankan state. It’s shameful. The crimes against humanity committed by the Rajapaksa family rival Pol Pot, Slobodan Milosevic, Heinrich Himmler, and Flicien Kabuga. It’s a badge of honour that they object to our Canadian Tamil Genocide Memorial,” he added.
His remarks came in response to SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa’s recent statement that it was concerning that Canada has inaugurated a Tamil
Genocide Memorial when, under international law, no genocide has been proven or can be proven against the Sri Lankan military in its conflict with the LTTE terrorists.
“The so-called Tamil genocide monument appears to be a politically driven move by the Canadian government, which has long been influenced by certain factions within the Tamil diaspora. Rather than working towards peace and unity, these groups have fueled division for their own interests,” MP Rajapaksa said, in a statement on ‘X’.
Custodial death of domestic worker
The Colombo High Court yesterday fixed July 21 as the date for the pre-trial conference on a case filed against three police officers attached to the Welikada Police over the custodial death of a domestic worker in 2023.
When the case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuwida, Defence counsel informed court that they had not received some of the documents submitted in relation to the case. The judge instructed the State Counsel to ensure that the necessary documents were made available to the defence.
After considering all facts presented, the judge scheduled the pre-trial conference for July 21.
The victim, 41-year-old R. Rajakumari, a resident of Badulla, was arrested on May 11, 2023, following a complaint by her employer, Sudharma Nethicumara, alleging the theft of gold jewellery.
Rajakumari later died while in custody at the Welikada Police Station. Her family raised concerns over the circumstances that had led to her death, alleging that she may have been assaulted.
Later a disciplinary action was initiated against seven officers attached to the Welikada Police. A Sub-Inspector, two sergeants, and a constable were interdicted, while another constable and two Women Police Constables were transferred for the same reason.
BY AJA Abeynayake
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