News
PC Elections Act should be amended to hold PC polls soon – Dinesh
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardena says that Parliament approval needs to be sought before holding the Provincial Council election.
Addressing the media in Trincomalee, Minister Gunawardena said that the government was holding discussions on how and when to hold the elections.
“The previous government changed the laws governing the Provincial Council elections. The Supreme Court wanted changes to the proposed laws. We have to address these issues before holding the election.”
The Provincial Council polls could be held safely under strict health guidelines, election monitors yesterday told The Island.
National Coordinator of the Centre for Monitoring Election violence (CMEV), Manjula Gajanayake said that practices like physical distancing and wearing masks had become a part of people’s lives and the manner in which the general election had been held was a good template to follow as regards the future elections.
“We have experience in holding elections amidst COVID-19 pandemic. If proper systems are in place, we should be able to hold provincial council elections in a few months safely,” he said.
Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Manas Makeen said the public had to be educated on how to behave during an election as a matter of priority.
“At the August 2020 general election, the polling centres adhered to proper guidelines on election day. However, during the campaign there were many instances where there was no physical distancing. But since COVID-19 guidelines are gazetted, PHIs should be able to enforce the health regulations.”
In February, Election Commission Chief, Attorney-at-law Nimal Punchihewa told The Island that the government could easily prepare the ground for the Provincial Council polls by effecting a simple amendment to the Provincial Councils Act.
In response to our query, whether the EC was making preparations for PC polls in the wake of its five members meeting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Punchihewa said that as the Provincial Council Elections Act had been amended during the previous administration, polls couldn’t be held in the absence of a delimitation process.
Therefore, the polls couldn’t be conducted in terms of the new Act in the foreseeable future, the EC Chairman said. The only feasible strategy was to introduce an amendment to suspend the new Act pending the conclusion of polls in terms of the previous Act, he added.
Asked how fast the EC could move in case they secured the parliamentary approval as suggested by him, Punchihewa said that arrangements could be finalised within 10 to 12 weeks.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Latest News
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
Two people killed in magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico
President Trump says the US has ‘captured’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country
Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters
US Coast Guard suspends search for survivors of Pacific boat strike
Venezuela’s capital hit by explosions, Caracas blames the US
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
‘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
-
Sports6 days agoGurusinha’s Boxing Day hundred celebrated in Melbourne
-
News4 days agoLeading the Nation’s Connectivity Recovery Amid Unprecedented Challenges
-
Features5 days agoIt’s all over for Maxi Rozairo
-
Sports7 days agoTime to close the Dickwella chapter
-
News7 days agoEnvironmentalists warn Sri Lanka’s ecological safeguards are failing
-
News5 days agoDr. Bellana: “I was removed as NHSL Deputy Director for exposing Rs. 900 mn fraud”
-
Opinion3 days agoRemembering Douglas Devananda on New Year’s Day 2026
-
News4 days agoDons on warpath over alleged undue interference in university governance