Connect with us

News

Opposition boycotts President’s tea party, barring Eran and Welgama

Published

on

Opposition MPs, except SJB MPs Eran Wickremaratne and Kumara Welgama, boycotted the tea party hosted by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after delivering his presidential policy statement in Parliament yesterday.

Opposition party members did not attend the party held at the Parliament restaurant as a sign of protest against the President, an opposition MP said. He said that many other opposition MPs proposed to boycott the event while others suggested that they should all dress in black but several leaders argued that they should be present in the House to respect the tradition. “We respected the tradition, not the man. Some of those who proposed did not attend the session,” the opposition MP said.

Around 20 opposition MPs in the opposition ranks were absent, while MP Radhakrishnan was seen wearing a black suit (SI)



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

The government’s aim is to bring about a new transformation in the country, grounded in research, evidence, and data. – Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Published

on

By

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized the government’s commitment to reshaping the nation’s trajectory during her address at the Digital Library Conference 2024, organized by the National Science Foundation and held on Friday [6th of December] at the Colombo Medical College.

While addressing the audience the Prime Minister stated “We believe that investment in research and development is critical for the government’s development agenda. Our aim is to redirect the country onto a new path, one based on research, evidence, and data, rather than continuing in the same direction as the past 75 years.

One of the greatest challenges we’ve faced in recent years is that, particularly at the highest levels of decision-making, choices are often not informed by science, evidence, or data. This must change. Moving forward, it is essential that decision-makers and the research community collaborate more closely to ensure informed and effective governance, prime minister further added.

The event was attended by the Chairman of the National Science Foundation, Professor Saman Seneweera, Director General Dr. Sepalika Sudasinghe, Head of the National Science Library Resource Center, Manjula Karunaratne, and a group of researchers, librarians and scholars.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Continue Reading

News

U.S. delegation meets with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to strengthen bilateral cooperation

Published

on

By

U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Mr. Donald Lu, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Parliament of Sri Lanka on Friday [06]. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations, addressing Sri Lanka’s economic challenges, and exploring opportunities for educational and governance collaboration.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, highlighting the importance of aligning the education system with economic needs to foster a skilled workforce. Discussions also addressed Sri Lanka’s IMF program and the role of international partnerships in stabilizing the economy.

The U.S. delegation included Ms. Anjali Kaur, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Mr. Robert Kaproth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. Department of Treasury, and  Ms. Julie Chung, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan representatives included Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Ms. S. Vijitha Basnayake, and Ms. Shobini Gunasekara. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to mutual goals in education, gender equality, and economic equity.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Continue Reading

News

Supreme Court issues interim injunction on liquor licence fee hike

Published

on

By A.J.A Abeynayake

The Supreme Court (SC)issued an interim injunction yesterday (06) preventing the implementation of the Gazette Notification issued by the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, to increase the annual fees for liquor licences.

The notification, Gazette No. 2024/1, was challenged by the Sri Lanka Liquor Licence Holders Association through a fundamental rights petition. The petition was considered by a bench consisting of Justices Dilip Navaz, Kumuduni Vikramasinghe, and K. Priyantha Perera.

The petitioners’ legal representatives, President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris and Sanjaya Jayawardena, presented arguments in the case. After considering their submissions, the Court granted permission to proceed with the petition.

The petitioners argued that the significant increase in the licence fee by more than 50% — raising the annual fee to Rs. 20 million — would cause them severe injustice and violate their fundamental rights. The petition also named several respondents, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

The petitioners were represented by Attorney-at-Law Neelshanta Siriwimanna, and President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris and Sanjaya Jayawardena. On behalf of the respondents, Deputy Solicitor General Rajiv Perera appeared representing the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and other respondents.

The petitioners also requested that the SC to order the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance to issue a directive in line with the provisions of the Gazette Notification issued in 2017, regarding the collection of licence fees.

Continue Reading

Trending