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Kiriella accuses President of using decentralized budgets and bar licenses as political bribes

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Lakshman Kiriella

By Saman Indrajith

The Opposition last week alleged in Parliament that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is using decentralized budgets and bar licenses as bribes to lure MPs from opposition parties to support his presidential campaign.

SLPP dissident MP for Kurunegala District, Dayasiri Jayasekera, raised a point of order stating that some opposition MPs have been promised decentralized budgets and other incentives in exchange for their support of the government. Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP, Lakshman Kiriella, further claimed that 500 bar licenses have been distributed under similar conditions. “These licenses, including those given to opposition MPs, were granted in exchange for their pledge to support the President and the government. The President preaches Buddhist doctrines in Parliament while distributing bar licenses.”

“I have been in Parliament for 35 years. Never have we had to beg for decentralized budgets meant for MPs to carry out work in their electorates. Previously, every MP received their allocation, regardless of their stance on the government. Now, these allocations are being distributed selectively. I urge the Chair to rule that every MP should receive their decentralized budget,” Kiriella insisted.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena assured that he would investigate the matter.

Kiriella: “Please do not delay. You keep postponing these issues. Why can’t you make a ruling? This amounts to bribery.”

Speaker Abeywardena: “How can I make a ruling without full information? Let me investigate.”

SJB Gampaha District MP, Harshana Rajakaruna, informed Parliament that the government had two methods for distributing decentralized budgets to MPs. “The majority of opposition MPs have not received these funds. They have only been disbursed to a select few opposition MPs, who each received between 200 to 300 million rupees. MPs like Mujibur Rahuman, Buddhika Pathirana, and myself have not received anything, while those supporting the government have received hundreds of millions. This misuse of public funds breaches MPs’ privileges. We know some recipients are now unable to criticize the government. The President’s intention in disbursing these funds was to silence them,” Rajakaruna asserted.

Chief Government Whip and Minister, Prasanna Ranatunga, denied the existence of a decentralized budget distribution but acknowledged that some MPs proposed projects based on rural committee discussions for village development. These proposals were forwarded to the President for approval and funds allocation. “Most MPs do not attend rural committees, so they do not have such project proposals,” the Minister clarified.



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Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]

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The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued  landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED  warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district

LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna  in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of  Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla  in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.

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618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]

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The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.

The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have  been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81

100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at  990 safety centers established by the government.

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Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact

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The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.

Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.

Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.

Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.

“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.

The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.

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