News
PAFFREL Chief warns parties to pick clean candidates for LG elections
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Political parties had to field clean, dedicated and educated candidates at elections; otherwise, the voters will reject them, says Executive Director of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi.
The PAFFREL Executive Director told The Island yesterday: “The upcoming LG elections will be a crucial election. In 2022, people experienced unprecednded hardships and they have realized that they had been taken for a ride for 74 years. People are angry with politicians, their actions, and attitudes. They are angry with political parties for following disastrous policies.”
Hettiarachchi said that if political parties failed to field good candidates at the coming election, the people would reject them.
“As the March 12 Movement we urge political parties to select good candidates. We also want the political parties to tell the people what criteria they used to elect the nominees. We will soon meet leaders of political parties and lobby them to nominate clean and dedicated people,” he said.
The Sri Lankan political system has given great powers to political parties and their leaders on choosing candidates, he said.
“In the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system under which local council elections are held, the political parties prepare both lists, i.e., those who contest elections and those who are appointed for the bonus seats. It’s their duty to select good candidates. Everyone knows what most people want. If a political party keeps on nominating crooks, people will have to forgo party loyalties and vote for a party that has fielded good candidates,” he said.
Latest News
Cabinet approves implementation of National Strategic Action tion Plan to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings – 2026- 2030
Sri Lanka has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention against Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially against Women and Children, which is a treaty for the enforcement of its provisions.
Accordingly, the National Task Force on Trafficking in Persons was established in 2010 for the coordination of institutions that are interested and actively involved in the prevention of
trafficking in persons. The aforementioned task force has been operating in terms of the action plan prepared for a definite period, and the period of the final national strategic action plan for the period 2021-2025 has ended on 31-12-2025.
Therefore, having reviewed the progress of the aforementioned action plan. The national strategic action plan for the period 2026-2030 has been prepared with the consensus and knowledge of all relevant parties, consisting of four approaches:
protection, litigation (complaints), and partnership.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister
of Defense, to implement the aforementioned national strategic action plan.
The situation report issued by the Disaster Management 1000hrs today [06th January 2026] confirms that 21,514 persons belonging to 6,592 family units who were displaced due to the floods and landslides are still at 225 safety centers.
Z total of 6,037 houses were destroyed while 108,476 houses were partially damaged due to floods and landslides.
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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya
The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya in force from 1200hrs on 06th January to 1200hrs on 07th January 2026.
Accordingly,
Level III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Udadumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.
Level II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Kandaketiya in the Badulla district, Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha and Mathurata in the Nuwara Eliya district.
Level I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Hali_Ela, Badulla, Passara, Lunugala, Welimada and * Meegahakiwula in the Badulla district, Doluwa in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district, and Bibila in the Monaragala district.
Cabinet approves implementation of National Strategic Action tion Plan to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings – 2026- 2030
21,514 persons remain at 225 safety centers as at 10AM today [06]
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya
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