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Even lower voter turnout predicted at upcoming polls

Published

2 years ago

2024/11/22

Thilina Walpola

Mnanjula

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Executive Director, Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake, attributes the low turnout at the 14 November election, to several factors contributed to this. “One of the reasons is that the election was held on Thursday. We usually have elections on Saturdays. Number of daily wage earners could not spare half a day on voting, many such people didn’t vote,” he said, calling on the government to ensure private sector employees were given paid leave on election days.

“We got thousands of complaints that workers are denied leave for voting. They are mostly from supermarkets, security firms, factories especially in Biyagama and Katunayake,” he said.

The voter turnouts at the next Provincial Council and Local Government elections were likely to be even lower, Gajanayake said. “Another causative factor is voter fatigue, as two elections have been held back to back. Many voters, particularly opposition supporters, feel the outcomes are already decided,” he added.

Gajanayake noted that all major political parties, except the NPP, showed signs of campaign fatigue, with most of them limiting their election rallies to indoor meetings. “This strain on parties and voters will be even more evident during local and provincial elections in early 2025,” he said.

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Ferry carrying 260 people capsizes off northern Cyprus coast

Published

45 seconds ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

A ferry carrying around 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus with a search underway for survivors, according to local media.

The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and started sinking a few kilometres off the coast of the island state on Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

[Aljazeera]

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Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)

Published

10 hours ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.

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Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast

Published

12 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.

The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.

Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.

“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.

The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.

Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.

Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels