News
Sarath fires first salvo against plan to give police, land powers to provinces
By Saman Indrajith
President Ranil Wickremesinghe had no right to make use of his presidency to promise the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Parliament was told yesterday.
SLPP Colombo District MP Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Sarath Weerasekera said that the President had no mandate to promise the implementation of the 13th Amendment.
“He has not been given such a mandate. He has been made the President by the MPs who had been voted by 6.9 million people who are against the implementation of the 13th Amendment which leads to federalisation of this country. This 13th Amendment is not a solution for any problem that we had. It is something forced on us by India. There is no need of dividing this small country into nine separate administrative units,” Weerasekera said.
He said that hundreds of thousands of people have sacrificed their lives to maintain the unitary status of this country. “We cannot forget their sacrifice in the name of territorial integrity of the motherland. Those who had voted for the SLPP had that gratitude in their minds. They gave us two-thirds power, in Parliament, not to divide this country but to keep it a single nation. Now this latest threat to the unitary status has come up. It is envisaged to give police and land powers to the provinces. We would not let that happen,” Weerasekera said.
The second day of the “Vesak Bhakti Gee Saraniya”, held in parallel with the “Buddha Rashmi Vesak Kalapaya” jointly organized by the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple, the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office, commenced on Tuesday (13) at 6:30 p.m. under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat premises.
The evening featured musical performances by renowned vocalist Ilyas Beg and the Sri Lanka Air Force Bhakti Gee Troup, accompanied by the Air Force Band. A Vesak lantern exhibition was also held at the venue. The event was attended by the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya Temple Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, along with several senior officials of the Presidential Secretariat.
This Bhakthi Gee programme will continue today [May 14] and tomorrow at the same location. Additionally, a short-eats dansala is being held near the Presidential Secretariat for the benefit of the public visiting Colombo for Vesak, and will continue until May 16.
Meanwhile, a ‘Buth Dansala’ organized jointly by the Presidential Secretariat and the Sri Lanka Army was inaugurated yesterday near the Presidential Secretariat, with the participation of senior military officers. A large number of devotees from across the country attended the event.
In line with the ‘Buddha Rashmi’ and ‘Bauddhaloka Vesak Kalapya’, several Vesak programmes have been organized in the vicinity with the support of the Presidential Secretariat. These include the illumination of nearby government buildings and roads with decorative lights, and the display of Vesak lanterns, with the active participation of the Presidential Secretariat staff.
[PMD]
The French Navy Ship ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ which arrived in Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit (09 May 25), departed the island on Tuesday (13 May).
The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ visited some tourist attractions in the country. In addition, the Commanding Officer and a group of
crew members of the ship called on senior officers of the Sri Lanka National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) to discuss key hydrographic matters of bilateral importance.
News
“Clean Sri Lanka” joins hands to Improve facilities and sanitation at Kotmale Regional Hospital
Following the bus accident in the Garandiella area of Kotmale, a large number of injured individuals were admitted to the Kotmale Regional Hospital for treatment. In response, the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme has collaborated to improve the facilities and sanitation of the hospital.
Accordingly, the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme actively worked to clean the hospital ward complex and the hospital premises, aiming to create a comfortable environment for the patients’ treatment and to enhance other facilities.
A notable aspect was the voluntary participation of the local community in this effort. The “Clean Sri Lanka” secretariat appreciates the dedication shown by the doctors and hospital staff of the Kotmale Regional Hospital, who provided emergency treatment to those injured in this unexpected incident despite having access to limited resources.
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