News
SLPP rebels vow to scuttle New Fortress deal
By Sirimantha Rathnasekera and Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
No one should abuse the mandate that 6.9 million people had given to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday, addressing the media at Pita-Kotte, together with the representatives of constituents of the ruling SLPP coalition.
Weerawansa added that they would do whatever it took to ensure that the aspirations of the people were met.
“The Cabinet paper authorising New Fortress company to supply LNG was not discussed at the Cabinet. We are against this deal because we are ministers, and can’t ignore our conscience,” Weerawansa said.
The Minister added that although Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the President, others were misusing his mandate to their advantage. “I don’t know whether Dullas Alhapperuma lost the Ministry of Power portfolio because he was considered an obstacle to the New Fortress deal. But there is a reason for us to think so. According to the agreement, we will have to purchase LNG from the US company and pay for gas whether we use it or not.”
Minister Weerawansa added that the government had been elected for five years, and it was not possible to support an agreement beneficial to a nation that had been an enemy of Sri Lanka. “There are two other agreements signed with New Fortress Energy and the country has to be ready to oppose them too,” he said.
“We don’t want to topple the government or bring the Opposition to power.
We want the government to act in accordance with the mandate given by the people,” Minister Weerawansa said.
Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Minister Udaya Gammanpila said that the agreement with the US energy company was highly problematic.
“This is a company that did not bid for supplying LNG. For the first time in Sri Lankan history a company that didn’t take part in the tender process has won a contract. This did not happen even under the governments of JR, Premadasa, CBK or Ranil Wickremesinghe.”
Minister Gammanpila said that the energy security and sovereignty of the country would be undermined by the agreement.
“The US said that it would impose sanctions on the country if we did not punish our war heroes or agree to federalism. Now, we are enabling the US to control one-third of our energy needs. What if the US turns off the power and demands that we punish our war heroes or make a federal Constitution? There is the real danger,” he said.
Minister Gammanpila added that the agreement at issue would also ruin the prospect of extracting natural gas off Sri Lanka’s shores.
“This will also lead to a diplomatic crisis. Chinese and Pakistani companies too have made bids. But we have given the tender to a complete outsider. We have chosen to embrace an enemy. This is a serious problem. We will lose our good friends.”
State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera, representing the SLPP, said that all patriotic forces were against the agreement with New Fortress Energy.
Leaders of constituents including Vasudewa Nanayakkara, Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera, ALM Ataulla, Tiran Alles, Dr W. Weerasinghe and Gevindu Kumaratunga were also present.
… reminds AKD led over 560 protests during Yahapalanaya
Former Yahapalana Minister and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (19) alleged that the JVP, which carried out over 560 protests during the 2015-2019 period, was now bent on preventing the Opposition from exercising its democratic right to protest.
Recalling the declaration made by the JVP at the height of the violent protest campaign in July 2022 that it would set the Parliament ablaze, the former parliamentarian lashed out at the JVP-led administration for using the police excessively to curb political opposition. Ranawaka said this while addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office .
Commenting on the protest campaign launched by the Maha Sangha, demanding presidential pardon for General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagotaatte Gnanasara, the ex-Colombo District lawmaker alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used a combination of police, investigative units and JVP cadres to break up the monks’ protest. The government went to the extent of compelling the JVP/NPP-run Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to deprive the peaceful protesters of basic toilet facilities, he alleged.
The government’s actions proved that only those with prior approval from JVP Pelawatte headquarters could launch protests in Colombo, its suburbs or in the provinces. The police have become a political tool in the hands of the JVP, the ex-Minister said. (SF)
By SK Samaranayake
Six people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding bulker lorry carrying cement and concrete ploughed into several vehicles and a shop on the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road at Kurugoda, Akurana, yesterday (19).
Four of the victims, two women and two men, died on the spot in the accident which occurred around 10.30 am, according to Alawathugoda Police.
Police said the bulker, travelling at high speed from the Matale direction, collided with three three-wheelers, two motorcycles and two lorries before veering off the road and crashing into a commercial establishment.
Five of the injured were rushed to the National Hospital of Kandy, where hospital sources said two remained in critical condition.
The bodies of the four victims were placed at the Akurana Hospital, where two others, who suffered minor injuries, were also receiving treatment.
The driver of the bulker was arrested by the Alawathugoda Police Traffic Division and is to be produced before court.
Investigations are being conducted under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
owledging that there had been an administrative lapse on the part of the President’s Office in 2019 when Maithripala Sirisena granted presidential pardon to Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Convener of Janathawadi Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (19) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rectify whatever those shortcomings and release the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena.
Addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickrekmesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris emphasized that it was not fair to hold Ven. Gnanasara accountable for lapse or technical fault of others at the Presidential Secretariat during President Sirisena’s tenure.
Prof. Peiris was flanked by UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.
The fresh appeal was made on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara in the wake of President Dissanayake and JVP heavyweight Anura Kumara Dissanayake ruling out fresh presidential pardon for the monk. Minister Lal Kantha declared that the government couldn’t under any circumstances meet the continuing monks’ protest demanding Ven. Gnanasara’s release. President Dissanayake dismissed repeated appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release when he addressed the NPP really in Badulla.
Sirisena granted presidential pardon in May 2019 even before he completed a year of his six-year term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court during proceedings of the media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda’s 2010 January disappearance in the Homagama Magistrate’s court.
At the onset of the regular weekly briefing, Prof. Peiris said that he would report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (20) morning as requested by the commission. “The CIABOC wanted to record my statement regarding a meeting I chaired at the ministry after the conclusion of the war in 2009 pertaining to an ongoing investigation.”
Commenting further on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara, the former parliamentarian said that President Sirisena intervened following a spate of requests made on behalf of BBS General Secretary by the Mahanayakes, Anunayakes and other Maha Sangha.
The Supreme Court on 10 September, 2026 rescinded the presidential pardon granted in late May 2019.
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Northern, North-central, Central, Eastern, North-western and Uva provinces
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Ranawaka accuses govt. of using JVP cadres and police to suppress political opponents
Six killed as speeding bulker crashes into vehicles, shop in Akurana
Prof. Peiris, summoned by CIABOC, appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release
Tusker Agbo found safe and in good health
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