News
JVP: Expat Lankans will stop remittances unless govt. solves their problems
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP-led Sri Lankan expatriate association, Ethera Api, yesterday warned that the Sri Lankan migrant workers were poised to decide whether they would continue to send their earnings home or not if the government continued to ignore their grievances.
JVP Politburo member and Chairman of the Ethera Api Sunil Handunnetti told the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte that the government had withdrawn most of its employees in high commissions, embassies, etc., in foreign countries due to the pandemic outbreak and there were no lobour or welfare officers in those offices to attend to grievances of Lankans living abroad. “The government goes begging for dollars world over but has no concern about the migrant workers who send home around 7,000 million US dollars a year. Even amidst pandemic, the migrant workers have sent home 3,324 million US dollars during the first six months of this year. On average, they send home around 550 million a month. Yet the government has no concern for their issues. The government has no mechanism to look after the family members and children of those migrant workers. There are many migrant workers who cannot obtain vaccines because they do not have documents. The government should have put in place a mechanism via the diplomatic missions abroad to provide an opportunity for the Lankans living there to obtain vaccines. They are fed up calling for the attention of the government. They will soon make a decision whether they would continue to send money to this country in future,” Handunnetti said.
Ethera Api Treasurer Attorney-at-Law Janaka Adhikari said that the diplomatic missions abroad had failed to provide for many Lankans stranded in foreign countries due to the pandemic. An official of the Foreign Employment Bureau says that they spent between Rs 13 and 15 million to provide food for Lankans who lost their jobs abroad. We demand to know details of the countries and number of migrant workers supported in that manner.”
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold
Fatima Sana and Umm-e-Hani secure bronze for Pakistan in Asian Games
India bat first in Asian games womens cricket final
Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Govt. confident of 2/3 majority despite NPP split speculation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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