News
President must come out of his bunker and resign
Today the country is being run by a President hiding in a bunker and the impasse will continue till he comes out of the bunker and announces his resignation, the SJB says.
Chief Opposition Whip and SJB Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella addressing a press conference at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo on Friday said that there had been 14 governments since the time of independence in this country in 1948 and none of them led the country into a bankrupt situation similar to what prevails today.
“The President is not to be seen while there are protests and demonstrations in every nook and corner of the country. The rulers are hiding in bunkers. They must come out of the bunkers and address the problems or tender their resignations,” Kiriella said.
He said that the government no longer has the mandate it received in 2019. “How could a government that led the country to bankruptcy command a mandate? The President, the Prime Minister and the government should resign immediately. There is no solution but international assistance to come out of the present crisis.
“Yet no country nor international body would extend support as long as the incumbent rulers are clinging to power. There is no solution with plans for national, interim, probationary, caretaker models of government.
“We received only 23 percent of votes in the last election. People did not give us a mandate. That mandate was or us to be in the opposition.
“We must understand that. We fought to get the 19th Amendment enacted. The PM promised in parliament to restore it. Yet it was rejected at a subsequent cabinet meeting. This country cannot go further with this government or this president,” Kiriella said.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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