News
Legislature might lose respect, powers, warns former Prime Minister
Day not far off when people set Parliament on fire – MP Rahman
By Saman Indrajith
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday warned that there was a great danger of parliament losing both its respect and powers in the coming days if it failed to reach a consensus to find solutions to problems faced by the people immediately.
Wickremesinghe called on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to summon at least party leaders for a discussion on the grave danger posed by Parliament.
“Showing off the numbers would not help find solutions. The government could not name a person for the Deputy Speaker from their side. If they had done so, the entire country would have seen the number of MPs it has in parliament now. The problem the people faced is not who has a majority. We must find solutions to their problems soon. Otherwise, we all will have to face the consequences,” Wickremesinghe said.
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman said that the day would not be much longer when the people come together to set Parliament on fire because parliament cannot find solutions to their problems. “Parliament has to meet behind barricades and iron fences with the rounds of police and security force members. We have faced this situation because people’s voice is no longer represented in this House. What is the use of a parliament that meets in fear of people invading it at any time? People have taken to the streets. The President cannot go to his office. Nobody knows where he has gone into hiding. Ministers cannot go on the roads. The Prime Minister has to cancel his events and ceremonies. They cannot see the faces of people. This House no longer is a house of representatives of people,” Rahuman said.
Meanwhile, Police Headquarters sources said that the roads and byroads leading to Parliament would be closed till Saturday. The roads were closed yesterday, and the closure would continue till Saturday morning. Accordingly, the roads to Parliament from the Polduwa Junction to Jayanthipura Junction and the byroads from Jayanthipura Junction to the Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha would remain closed.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Venezuelan security forces detain journalists as armed police patrol streets
Selfies and smiles: South Korea seeks ‘new phase’ in ties with China
M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News21 hours agoBroad support emerges for Faiszer’s sweeping proposals on long- delayed divorce and personal law reforms
-
News2 days agoPrivate airline crew member nabbed with contraband gold
-
News21 hours agoInterception of SL fishing craft by Seychelles: Trawler owners demand international investigation
-
News4 days agoHealth Minister sends letter of demand for one billion rupees in damages
-
Opinion6 days agoRemembering Douglas Devananda on New Year’s Day 2026
-
Features2 days agoPharmaceuticals, deaths, and work ethics
-
News7 days agoLeading the Nation’s Connectivity Recovery Amid Unprecedented Challenges
-
Latest News2 days agoCurran, bowlers lead Desert Vipers to maiden ILT20 title