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President’s speech on LG elections 85% false – Polls monitors

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/25

By Rathindra Kuruwita

At least 85 percent of the speech President Ranil Wickremesinghe made in Parliament on the local council elections, on Thursday, was misleading and it was an attempt to influence the courts, Sri Lankan election monitors said yesterday.

D. M. Dissanayake, Head of Operation at the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said the Elections Commission had taken steps to hold elections on 09 March, as per the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262). By stating that the Commission had not acted properly, the President had shown his ignorance, Dissanayake added.

On Thursday, addressing the Parliament, President Wickremesinghe said the Election Commission had not taken an official decision on a date to hold the local council polls.

“According to the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, it is the returning officers, of each district, that announce the election. They do so after accepting nominations. This time as well, the returning officers announced that the elections will be held on 09 March by issuing gazettes. It is obvious that the President has gone before Parliament and made a lot of false statements. This is a serious matter,” he said.

Dissanayake said that while the President had sought to mislead the people and there was nothing anyone can do because he had legal immunity. “He made this speech in parliament. So, automatically, he is protected by parliamentary privileges. Moreover, after the 19th Amendment, we can only file fundamental rights cases against the President. He is shielded despite the serious nature of his speech,” he said.

The President mentioned that on 14 December, 2022, he had summoned the Election Commission and informed them that this election can’t be held due to the economic situation of the country. Wickremesinghe added that he had met the EC again with the Attorney General on 05 January, 2023.

Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake, said that both these meetings had been called by the President to intimidate the members of the Elections Commission.

“The President also brings in the AG for one of these meetings and he really tried to see whether the commissioners were divided. They were not friendly chitchats. The responsibility of the Elections Commission is to hold elections and it is also the responsibility of the President to do, according to our Constitution,” he said.

The President also mentioned that the Elections Commission should have asked Parliament for money to hold elections as finances is the responsibility of the Parliament. However, there is no mechanism or precedence for the Commission to approach Parliament, Gajanayake said.

“The Constitution says the President must facilitate elections, but during the past few months, Wickremesinghe had done everything in his power to obstruct elections,” he said.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

5 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

News

CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

5 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

6 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]