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Eran quits COPE

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/19

Eran

SJB Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne resigned from COPE yesterday (18). He served on COPE in previous Parliaments and was reappointed a member of the watchdog committee after the recent prorogation of the House.

Wickramaratne said in a release: “COPE was established to ensure the observance of financial discipline in Public Corporations and other semi-governmental bodies in which the government has a financial stake. By appointing a ruling party member as its Chairman, the committee fails to meet its objectives of keeping a check on the executive arm of the government. To this end, the 2015-2019 government followed a best practice of appointing the Chairmen for the two key Committees COPE and COPA from the opposition.

“The duty of the Committee is to report to Parliament on accounts examined, budgets and estimates, financial procedures, performance and management of Corporations and other Government Business Undertakings. Forty five years since its establishment, COPE has come to be a redundant committee. Mismanagement and corruption have largely gone unchecked due to limitations in Standing Orders. Standing Order should be widened, where irregularities and frauds when in light, should reach the Attorney General direct and CIABOC proceed to act. The government blocks the process by limiting Standing Orders, thereby the effectiveness of COPE is now in question.

“Appointees to COPE as part of its 31-member team or Chairperson, must not be associated with allegations and/or convictions. A committee that has an overview of checks and balances must have clearly outlined qualifications and disqualifications for its members.”

Eran Wickramaratne is of the view that it is high time the scope of COPE, expand Standing Orders were revisited, enabling the committee to do impactful work and foster good governance practices moving forward.

“It is evident that the present government, which lacks legitimacy, compounds the fact by appearing to cover up and defend mismanagement and corruption by the more recent appointments, MP Wickremaratne has said.

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Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) donates LKR 25 million to the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/24

Priyan

The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.

The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.

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Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/24

Thilina Walpola

Karu Jayasuriya

Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.

In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.

He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.

Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.

He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.

News

Johnston, two sons and two others further remanded over alleged misuse of vehicle

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/24

Thilina Walpola

Former Minister Johnston Fernando and others being escorted out of the Wattala Magistrate Court premises yesterday

Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.

Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.

In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during

Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.

After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.