News

SJB says country cannot go on much longer with ad hoc policies

Published

4 years ago

2022/03/13

SJB MP Harsha De Silva on Thursday made an impassioned appeal in Parliament to the Government to put aside political differences and work with the Opposition to pull the country out of its present economic predicament.”Tell the Finance Minister to come to Parliament and discuss with us in this House and put aside political differences and take decisions to overcome this situation,” he said. He urged the Government to listen to suggestions made by the Opposition and get together with them to save the country from bankruptcy.”As Sri Lankans, how can we say the country is bankrupt. We have our pride. Whether we are in government or in opposition, we are Sri Lankans. We were born in this country; we are living in this country, and we will die in this country. We don’t have other passports,” De Silva said.The SJB MP said a Government MP had objected to the use of the word bankruptcy to describe the present situation of the country but said there was no other way to say it.”I was in a queue for one and half hours to get diesel and still l could not get it. There is no diesel, no petrol, no gas, no electricity, no medicine, no milk. If this is not bankruptcy then what is bankruptcy?” he asked.The SJB MP said he, along with MPs Eran Wickramaratne and Kabeer Hasheem had met with CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal to discuss how this situation can be overcome. “Everything does not have to be politicised. We have undertaken the responsibility on behalf of the people. I appeal to the Government to accept our suggestions,” he said.De Silva said he had spoken in Parliament previously where he warned of the adverse impact of printing money and imposing protectionist policies. “We are part of the global economy, and we have to allow competition. We have to break down walls and build bridges,” he said.De Silva said the country cannot go on like this for much longer.”Please understand that the situation in the country today cannot be resolved by borrowing $ 100 million from here and $ 200 million from there. Please present the debt sustainability analysis to Parliament. Based on the details contained in that, we can discuss it in Parliament. We are willing to put aside political differences and work to save the country from the current crisis,” he added.

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Govt. determined to press ahead with 22A: Justice Minister

Published

8 hours ago

2026/08/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nanayakkara

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said yesterday that the government would proceed with both the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, because the government could not achieve its goal by increasing the retirement ages of a section of the judges.

The Attorney-at-Law declared that the government would go ahead with both Bills, whatever the obstacles. The Minister was responding to The Island query whether the government would go ahead with the Judicature (Amendment) Bill that hadn’t been so far challenged in the Supreme Court, pending the decision on the controversial 22nd Amendment facing tough legal challenge.

Nanayakkara emphasised the importance of the enactment of both Bills. The 22nd Amendment seeks to increase the retirement ages of Supreme Court judges to 67 from 65 and Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. The Judicature (Amendment) Bill seeks to increase the retirement ages of the High Court judges to 63 from 61, and that of the District court judges and and Magistrates to 62.

Minister Nanayakkara said that the enactment of both Bills simultaneously would make a significant contribution to improve the overall situation, particularly dealing with a backlog of 1.1 million cases.

Joint Opposition and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), too, acknowledged that petitions against the Judicature (Amendment) Bill were yet to be filed.

News

U.S. Ambassador designate to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer here

Published

8 hours ago

2026/08/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

U.S. Ambassador-designate Eric Meyer arrived in Colombo on the evening of August 22, 2026, to assume duties as his country’s next Ambassador to Sri Lanka., the embassy said.

Ambassador-designate Meyer expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to serve as the 29th U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, stating: “It is an honour to represent the United States in Sri Lanka. I look forward to building on the strong foundation between our two democracies to advance a U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership that creates new opportunities for American businesses, furthers our shared security interests, and delivers greater prosperity for both Americans and Sri Lankans.”

Prior to his assignment in Sri Lanka, he served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., at the U.S. Mission to Norway and, before that, as Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State.

News

GL alleges Justice Minister committed contempt of court by ruling out referendum

Published

8 hours ago

2026/08/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. G.L. Peiris, flanked by former parliamentarians Patali Champika Ranawaka and Dr. Suren Ragavan addresses the media at ex-President Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Joint Opposition yesterday questioned Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara’s recent declaration that a referendum wouldn’t be held to decide the fate of the 22 Amendment.

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris took exception to Nanayakkara’s statement. Addressing the media at former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris said that the Supreme Court was still in the process of receiving petitions against the 22n Amendment to the Constitution.

In fact, petitions could be filed over a period of two weeks from the day the amendment bill was presented to parliament, Prof. Peiris said. Minister Nanayakkara tabled the bill on 18 August.

The convenor of the Joint Opposition asked how Minister Nanayakkara predicted that there wouldn’t be a referendum even before the end of the two week period allocated for the public to submit petitions. The Supreme Court decision would be made known to the Speaker within three weeks, Prof. Peiris said, declaring that the Justice Minister shouldn’t consider the Supreme Court as a rubber stamp of the government.

The former parliamentarian emphasized that the NPP government couldn’t under any circumstances intervene in the process undertaken by the Supreme Court. Referring to the growing number of petitions filed against the 22 Amendment, Prof. Peiris said that all petitioners agreed that the matter should be decided at a referendum.

Prof. Peiris alleged that the Justice Minister ruling out a referendum was contempt of court. He reiterated the call for all sitting Supreme Court judges to hear the petitions. Commenting on three Amendments before the Supreme Court namely the 22 Amendment to extend the retirement ages of superior court judges, Judicature (Amendment) Bill to extend the retirement ages of High Court, District Court and Magistrate court judges and amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act, Prof. Peiris alleged that the government was creating an environment to divide the available Supreme Court judges to deal with all three, simultaneously.

Prof. Peiris said that this was done deliberately to manipulate the process to facilitate the government initiative. Although the Supreme Court consists of 17 judges, including the Chief Justice, four vacancies remained for several months.

The ex-minister appreciated the clergy representing all faiths declaring opposition to the 22 Amendment.