News
Gazette issued naming former Sri Lanka PM as MP; opposition sees underhand deal
ECONOMYNEXT – Ten months after Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections, a gazette notification naming former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the routed United National Party (UNP)’s single national list MP was issued June 18.
Wickremesinghe had previously declined a unanimous request from the UNP working committee to take up the seat, calling for a younger member to represent the party in parliament instead.
A source close to Wickremesinghe told EconomyNext on April 15 that Wickremesinghe didn’t deem it appropriate for him to enter parliament through the national list as he was decidedly defeated at the polls.
The party nominated Wickremesinghe for the position June 16 morning.
The UNP suffered the party’s worst defeat in its history at the August 2020 parliamentary elections, failing to secure even a single seat barring the one national list seat. The exodus of a faction led by then UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa contributed significantly to the party’s spectacular defeat.
Meanwhile, the SJB, Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, claims Wickremesinghe’s entry to parliament is the result of a deal made with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
SJB parliamentarian S M Marikkar told reporters June 18 morning that 60 backbencher MPs of government will likely rally behind Wickremesinghe, but that will not help him become opposition leader.
“The opposition leader is from the party with the highest number of opposition MPs and is appointed through a letter signed by that party’s general secretary,” said Marikkar.
Asked about the party’s stance on defeated candidates entering parliament through the backdoor, UNP general secretary Palitha Range Bandara said: “This isn’t about party policy. It’s about what the country needs at this juncture, at a time when the Treasury says we don’t have enough foreign exchange reserves to last us three months. So you can imaging the state of the economy.”
“People are facing economic hardships. We have to decide who the suitable person for is for this and we discussed as a party and the working committee decided unanimously to send to parliament a person that not just the party needs but the entire country needs,” he added.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to the project to provide technological solutions to prevent wild elephants from being hit by trains was signed yesterday (01) afternoon at the President’s Media Centre, under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Coordinated through the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, the project is being implemented as a public-private partnership, with the Railway Department, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Conservation Department working together, with full financial support from People’s Bank.
The system consists of three-beam detection, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, automatic temperature sensors and a tamper alarm system to detect animals weighing more than 20 kilogrammes and unauthorised interference. Signal lights (red/yellow/green) installed on either side of the railway tracks, together with a special screen installed inside the locomotive cab, will alert the driver in advance to the exact location of an elephant.
A demonstration test of the system was successfully conducted at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage premises in the presence of the relevant officials, following which a report on the system was prepared.
The system will be implemented as a pilot project from next month at 13 locations where wild elephant accidents are frequent. A newly developed website is also scheduled to be launched to enable the progress of the project to be viewed live.
Additional General Manager of Railways P.D.S.B. Chandrasena, Director General of Wildlife Conservation M.S.L.R.P. Marasinghe, Conservator General of Forests S.C. Palamakuumbura and Chairman of People’s Bank Chandana Guniyangoda signed the relevant MoU. Officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, including Presidential Additional Secretary (Clean Sri Lanka) Engineer S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, as well as senior officials from the Railway Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Conservation Department and People’s Bank, were also present.
[President’s Media Division]
The Commissioner General of Examinations has announced that the results of the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination have been released online, and can be viewed on the department’s official website: www.doenets.lk
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed Sri Lanka on Monday, 31 August, to undertake an official visit to Bhutan to participate in the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, scheduled to be held in Bhutan.
During her visit, Prime Minister Dr Amarasuriya participated in the opening plenary of the Summit on 1 September, where she delivered a keynote address under the theme “Rising to the Moment: Igniting Consciousness to Address the Polycrisis.”
The Prime Minister will also engage in discussions with international leaders and representatives on strengthening cooperation towards sustainable food systems, food security and resilient communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
MoU signed for technology to prevent wild elephant-train collisions
Grade 5 scholarship exam results released
Prime Minister participates in Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Bhutan
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