News
Nominations close at noon Friday: National Lists of NPP, SJB, NDF and SLPP
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The accepting of nominations for the 2024 General Election, which began on October 4, concluded at noon on Friday, October 11 and Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake confirmed that nominations were received at the District Secretaries’ offices across 22 electoral districts.
Notably, registered political parties were exempt from deposit requirements for contesting in the elections. However, independent groups were required to submit a deposit of Rs. 2,000 per candidate. By October 10, a total of 147 political parties and 104 independent groups had submitted their nominations.
The upcoming poll will see the election of 225 Members of Parliament, with 196 members chosen from the 22 electoral districts and 29 appointed via the national list based on the votes each party or group secures.
The JVP led NPP on Friday released its list of candidates nominated as national list members of parliament (National List MPs) for the 2024 General Election.
The full 29-member list: Bimal Rathnayake, Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Dr. Anura Karunathilake, Professor Upali Pannilage, Eranga Udesh Weeraratne, Ret Maj Gen Aruna Jayasekara, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma,
Janitha Ruwan Kodituwakku, Punya Sri Kumara Jayakody, Ramalingam K. Chandrasekar, Dr. Najith Indika, Sugath Thilakaratne, Lakmali Hemachandra – Attorney-at-Law, Sunil Kumara Gamage, Gamini Rathnayake , Professor Ruwan Chaminda Ranasinghe, Sugath Wasantha De Silva, Keerthi Welisarage, Chamila Kumudu Peiris, Abdul Fatha Mohamed Ikram, Ranjan Jayalal Perera, Mohamed Nazeer Ikram, Martin Nelson, Romesh Mohan De Mel, Benita Prishanthi Hettithanthri, Pubudu Nuwan Samaraweera, Sarath Lal Perera, Anura Hettigoda Gamage and Hemathilaka Gamage.
Main opposition SJB’s 29-member national list has been officially handed over on Friday by Party Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar and General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara. The list contains the names of Ranjith Maddumabandara, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Dullas Alahpperuma, Sagaran Vijayandiran, Nizam Kariapper, Sujeeva Senasinghe, G L Peiris, Sudarshini Fernnadopulle, Upul Jayasuriya, Mahim Mendis, Upul Bandara Dissanayake, Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, Lihini Fernando, Ravindra Samarweera, Athulasiri Samarakone, Kennedy Degaulle Gunewardena, Lalith Prasanna Perera, Vishaka Kamalee Suriyabandara, Mahesh Senanayake, Ravi Jayawardena, Thisath Devapriya Bandara Wijegunawardena, Lankeshwarage Mitrapala, Palanivelu Parameshwaran, Balakrishnan Sivanasan, Ganapathy Nagulesvaran, Chandima Wijegunewardena, Mohamed Hasim Mohamed Roomy, Muhammadu Ismail Muttu Muhammadu and Indika Bandaranayake.
The SLPP on Friday released its list of candidates nominated as national list members of parliament (National List MPs) for the 2024 General Election. The full 29-member list is as follows: Namal Rajapaksa, Gamini Lokuge, C. B. Ratnayake, Ven.Uthurawala Dhammarathana Thero, Tissa Vitharana, Jayantha Ketagoda, Sagara Kariyawasam, Thisakutti Arachchi , Ven. Tebuwana Piyananda Thero Tebuwana, Muhammad Fadil Marjan Asmi, Renuka Perera, Wimal Geegange, W. Dayarathna, Anusha Damayanthi, Jagath Wellawatta, Wasantha Handapangoda, Viraj Perera, Athula Priyadarshana De Silva , Manjula Wellalage, Ravihara Kulathunga, Damith Hettihewa, Ranjith Bandara, Vidura Perera, Pasan Kasthuri Fernando, Sarath Keerthirathna, Sudath Rohana, Mahinda Pathirana, Rathna Dharmapriya Daya Pathirana and Samantha Indika.
The New Democratic Front (Gas Cylinder) on Friday released its national list, featuring several prominent political figures. Former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena tops the list, solidifying his key position within the party. Former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has also been named, along with former minister Tiran Alles and Ravi Karunanayake. The full list Dinesh Gunawardena, Shyamila Perera, Mohamed Faizer Mustapha, Tiran Alas, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Jayantha Weerasinghe, Sendhil Thondaman, Suren Raghavan, Ronald Chithranjan Perera, Ravi Karunanayake, Thalatha Athukorala, Kanishka Suranimala Rajapaksha, Muhammed Mustapha Anwar, Nissanka Nanayakkara, Sagala Abeywickrama, Siripala Amarasinghe, Veerakumara Dissanayake, Rashdan Rahuman, Nimalka Fernando, Damayanthi Jayasekara, Newton Peiris, Leslie Devendra, Mahinda Senarath Bandara, Adambawwa Uthuma Lebbe, Mohamed Musammil, Wellalage Bandula, Sirimasiri Hapuaarachchi, Piumi Senarath Samarathunga and Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Iran has sought the Indian intervention, at the highest level, to provide lifesaving support to the crews of empty Iranian vessels stranded just outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical mile territorial waters off Galle.
Sources familiar with the issue said that Iran had brought the developing situation to the attention of New Delhi as the crews of almost 20 vessels, included Indian nationals. Sources stressed that the group of vessels that unloaded crude oil a couple of months back were now stranded within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The US Navy torpedoed an unarmed Iran frigate, returning from India, on 04 March, 2026, about 19 nautical miles off the Galle coast. The unprovoked attack killed nearly 100 Iranians.
The Iranian Embassy in Colombo has inquired from the Indian High Commission of their response to the situation, sources said. The US has issued a global warning against providing food, water, medicine and other services to the Iranian vessels. The outcome of Iran-India talks on the issue at hand was not known, though sources asserted India may not throw its weight behind Iranian efforts to address the issue.
Responding to The Island queries, sources said both Sri Lanka and India were in a dilemma due to the US warning. India couldn’t ignore the plight of the Indian crew members and the Iranian vessels in its backyard.
The Sri Lankan government remains tight-lipped about the vessels stranded in its EEZ. Our efforts to elicit a response from relevant authorities were in vain. In addition to Indians, there are Bangladeshis among the crew members. Iran has explicitly stated the responsibilities of the countries concerned to provide assistance in terms of international law.
The Iranian position was articulated by its Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dr.Alireza Delkhosh, recently. In a special statement, Ambassador Delkhosh emphasised that in terms of the Convention on the Law of the Sea (Article 98) as well as SOLAS and SAR
Conventions, Sri Lanka couldn’t refrain from providing the needs of the Iranian vessels stranded in its EEZ.
SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem lambasted the NPP government in Parliament for failing to provide assistance to the Iranian ships. The former Minister alleged that the government was simply carrying out dictates of the US. He strongly criticised the way Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath was handling the issue.
MP Namal Rajapaksa, who is in remand custody over the controversial Airbus deal, was further remanded until October 27 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (13).
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama made the order after considering submissions by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and lawyers representing Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to sustain its recovery over the next two years, although growth is projected to moderate amid mounting global uncertainties, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest World Economic Outlook.
In its World Economic Outlook 2026: Resilience Under Strain, Urgent Choices, the IMF projects Sri Lanka’s economy to expand by 4% in 2026, slowing to 3.7% in 2027, following estimated growth of 5% in 2025.
Inflation, meanwhile, is forecast to rise to 5.3% in 2026 and 5.4% in 2027, reversing the average deflation rate of 0.5% recorded in 2025.
Unemployment is expected to remain steady at 3.9% throughout the forecast period.
The projections come amid growing pressure on the global economy from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, elevated energy prices, geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions.
Sri Lanka’s external position is also expected to weaken, with the current account balance projected to shift from a surplus of 1.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 to deficits of 0.5% in 2026 and 0.3% in 2027.
The IMF’s outlook points to continued economic expansion in Sri Lanka, but with slower growth, rising inflation and a narrowing external surplus giving way to current account deficits over the forecast period.
Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
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