News

SJB questions NPP over MPs’ perks and privileges

Published

1 year ago

2024/12/2

Thilina Walpola

…flays govt. for diverting members’ salaries to a special account

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Having repeatedly accused previous governments of showering perks and privileges on lawmakers, the newly elected NPP government is continuing with the practice, says SJB MP Ajith P. Perera.

Kalutara District SJB leader Perera has challenged the NPP to reveal any perk or privilege that their parliamentary group had decided to forgo in keeping with the pledges they made during the presidential and parliamentary elections. Perera said so in response to The Island queries regarding the ongoing exchange between the NPP and the main Opposition SJB over perks and privileges enjoyed by members.

Referring to a statement Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera made during a recent press briefing held in parliament, Perera pointed out that the NPP leaders had harped on waste of state funds on maintaining lawmakers. But the Secretary General categorically had declared that none of the MPs’ perks and privileges had been done away with, Perera said.

A vast majority of those who voted for the NPP at presidential and parliamentary elections had expected the NPP MPs to serve on a voluntary basis and refuse heavily subsidised meals provided in parliament, etc., the Kalutara District MP said.

The NPP won 159 seats, including 18 National List slots whereas the SJB managed to secure only 40; it had 54 seats in the previous Parliament.

Recalling that the JVP used to claim that salaries of its MPs had been directed to one account and allocations made thereafter depending on members’ requirements, Perera asked whether the ruling party with 2/3 majority in parliament could do the same.

Ajith

Responding to another query, Perera said that the practice adopted by the NPP meant that public funds were to be transferred to an account maintained by a political party. The party would be receiving quite a large amount of money as the monthly take home salary of an MP was approximately Rs 300,000 though the basic salary remained Rs. 54,285.

MP Perera said that NPP’s promise to do away with what it called a privileged class of politicians had boomeranged on the ruling party. “People have already realised that the NPP never meant to implement what it promised,” MP Perera said.

Those who questioned the maintenance of the MPs’ housing scheme at Madiwela should know that the NPP MPs would use them, MP Perera said.

The NPP had the public believe that their MPs would not occupy the Madiwela houses, Perera said.

Out the 108 Madiwela housing units, 80 have been allocated to NPP MPs and 28 to Opposition members. MP Perera said that he was not aware of the exact allocation but knew that houses had been allocated to the NPP MPs.

MPs living 40 km away from parliament are entitled to the Madiwela houses. Although the Madiwela complex consists of 115 units, 0nly 108 are available for the MPs as seven of them have been allocated to the police, fire brigade and other services providers.

Perera said that the forthcoming Local Government election would provide an opportunity to the electorate to express their dissatisfaction at the NPP’s broken promises. He said that the reduction of Octane 92 petrol by Rs 2 a litre in the recent price revision had exposed the duplicity of the ruling party again. The NPP had also failed to grant electricity consumers the promised relief, he said.

Our efforts to contact JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, NPP General Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, MP, and Cabinet spokesman and media minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa for comment failed as they did not answer their phones.

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News

Govt. extends ban on LTTE

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

The NPP government has issued a new extraordinary gazette renewing and extending Sri Lanka’s long-standing ban on the LTTE and several Tamil diaspora organisations and individuals, continuing to designate them as “terrorists”.

The gazette, published recently, replaces a previous gazette issued in May 2025 and reaffirmed the proscription of a wide range of Tamil political and advocacy bodies operating around the world, alongside dozens of named individuals. The government alleged both the organisations and individuals listed are involved in “terrorism-related activities”.

The organisations blacklisted by the Sri Lankan government include:

• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

• Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO)

• Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC)

• World Tamil Movement (WTM)

• Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)

• World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF)

• National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT)

• Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO)

While the majority of the designations mirror those contained in the May 2025 gazette, the latest document updates identification details and addresses for a number of individuals and introduces at least one additional organisation to the list. All entries have been reissued under new reference numbers for 2026, though the underlying allegations and framing remain unchanged.

Successive governemnts have maintained a sweeping proscription regime against Tamil diaspora groups and individuals. A ban can make it a criminal offence for Sri Lankan citizens to maintain contact with these organisations or their members, severely restricting political engagement and stifling links between the diaspora and the Tamil homeland.

The original mass listings were introduced in 2014 under the administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Despite repeated outcry, subsequent governments have continued to uphold and renew the proscription regime, even after the Rajapaksas were voted out of power.

News

Police obtain court order banning Wimal’s protest

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa addresses a gathering outside the Education Ministry on Monday before launching a protest demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as Education Minister over the inclusion of a link to an adult content website in the Grade 06 English module. (Pic by Thushara Atapattu)

Police yesterday (12) obtained an injunction order from the Kaduwela Magistrate’s court against the protest launched by National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa opposite the Education Ministry, Isurupaya, at Battaramulla.

Police informed Weerawansa of the court order. In line with the court order, the police informed Weerawansa that the road near the Ministry should not be obstructed and that no sound amplification equipment be used while the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination is in progress. The examination, put off due to Cyclone Ditwah, recommenced yesterday.

News

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expresses optimism that Sri Lanka is on the right path to progres

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

FM Herath with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath held productive discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi today (12/01), during the latter’s brief visit to Sri Lanka.

The meeting aimed at further strengthening bilateral engagement and advancing the Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries. Both Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and time-tested cooperation between Sri Lanka and China rooted in centuries of exchanges and consolidated since the establishment of diplomatic relations seven decades ago. The discussion also focused on enhancing partnership in the areas of trade, investment, development cooperation and tourism.

Minister Herath extended deep appreciation to the Government and the people of China for the steadfast support extended to Sri Lanka following cyclone Ditwah and requested further support for the second phase of resettlement, relocation and rebuilding, particularly for the restoration of affected infrastructure including identified roads, railways and bridges that are vital to connectivity, economic recovery and daily lives of people. Minister Wang assured China’s fullest support for this initiative and expressed confidence that Sri Lanka will continue its rapid recovery under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. He also welcomed the people-centric policies of the Government and expressed optimism that Sri Lanka is on the right path toward fulfilling aspirations of its people.

Minister Herath expressed appreciation for China’s constructive role in international fora and reiterated Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the One China Policy and China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Both Ministers also recalled the successful high level exchanges in the recent past, including visits of the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to China in 2025.