News

Sumanthiran blames it all on President

Published

4 years ago

2022/05/20

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran told Parliament on Wednesday that although the Parliament should be dissolved, the MPs would vote against a motion to dissolve it, hoping that such tactics would help them outlast the people’s discontent.

Sumanthiran said that during recent Parliament sittings there had been examples of those delaying tactics.

“For almost 40 days, people have been on the road, saying “Gota Go Home”. But those who call themselves people’s representatives who come and sit here are deaf, they cannot hear that. They can’t even agree to take up for discussion a matter that people have been shouting from the streets. This is unprecedented in this country. For over a month not just in one place, but in several places.

MP Sumanthiran said that as the people’s representatives, those in Parliament should be prepared to discuss the issues and concerns raised by the people. However, those in Parliament were ignoring the people and that showed that the parliament also had lost its legitimacy, he said.

“It is not only the President who lost his legitimacy; this Parliament also has lost its legitimacy. Parliament must be dissolved, but again when it will be put to a vote here, and MPs who are holding on to their positions will vote against that motion to dissolve Parliament. The MPs think that delaying tactics will allow them to carry on. However, this is not possible and the Parliament is pushing the people of this country to seek other remedies. That is the danger of not giving the voice of the people an expression here. This danger you don’t seem to understand,” he told Parliament.

The TNA MP said that the President had declared a state of emergency. Article 155 (4) 2 of the Constitution said that ‘if the Parliament is at the date of the making of such proclamation, separated by any such adjournment or prorogation as will expire within 10 days, a proclamation shall be issued for the meeting of the Parliament within 10 days”.

However, since Emergency was declared on 06 May, 11 days had elapsed since the next Parliament meeting took place, Sumanthiran said.

“There’s a gap of over 10 days, the Constitution very specifically says that if it is separated by longer than 10 days another proclamation shall be issued summoning parliament. That wasn’t done. Article 42, which I read earlier in the day, says the President is responsible to this Parliament not only for his duties, performance, powers and functions under the constitution or written law but also for the law for the time being relating to public security. He has failed, even in the most recent exercise of his powers under the public security ordinance. Where the constitution says he shall make another proclamation summoning parliament, he hasn’t done that. He has not done that. So that is just the most recent one,” he said.

The TNA MP said that they condemn the counter violence against the politicians of whichever side. However, they also condemn the violence that started it all on the morning of 09 May, he said. The beginning of the violence lies at Temple Trees, he said.

“The Attorney General has named 22 people. Because until then the police won’t act. The Attorney general whom we have criticized as being partial, as being the person withdrawing the cases against politicians on the government side, is now trying to redeem himself. How many of them are members of this house? All on the government side. The attorney general whom you appointed who has been acting on your side, now he is naming Government members and he has said “arrest them” including the senior DIG for Colombo for allowing this to happen. But eventually the buck stops with the president. He was in-charge. He was in-charge of the security. He held the post of defence minister and that of internal security,” the TNA MP said.

Sumanthiran said some government MPs claim that the police did not intervene when their houses were attacked, that the police looked the other way and that the police did not even record the numbers of the motorcycles used by the assailants.

“Now who was in-charge of the police at that time? Your own President! Your President! And when we moved to discuss a matter – a motion of censure of the President, you protect him. You blocked that motion. How is this possible? The very person who allowed your house to be destroyed, the very person who allowed attacks by all those assailants on peaceful demonstrators at Galle Face the other day. It took more than an hour for those assailants to walk from Temple Trees to Galle Face after destroying the shelters that had been put up by the demonstrators outside Temple Trees. What was the President doing? For one full hour? He was just watching. Must have thought, jolly good, let them destroy Gotagogama also. I’ll take two for the price of one! After they did the Temple Trees he must have thought, bonus for me also let me get this also out, otherwise how do you explain? President who is functioning from the President’s house, not seeing for over an hour these assailants coming and mercilessly attacking unarmed, peaceful protestors,” he said.

Sumanthiran said that the one who allowed that attack, more importantly the one who allowed attacks on MPs’ own houses, is the President. The President destroyed the economy of this country. After carrying out a number of initiatives that the Opposition parties warned against, Gotabaya in his address to the nation said he had made wrong decisions and that he was sorry, the TNA MP said.

“When you say I made wrong decisions the next line must be “therefore I resign.” That is the democratic tradition. My decision on “chemical fertiliser was wrong” he says, my decision in delaying going to the IMF was wrong he says. So, resign! Take responsibility! Why only the Central Bank Governor and the secretary to the Treasury? The final decision was by the President. Now that is one thing, what happens about all this violence? And the government members unashamedly are standing here complaining about the violence against them without condemning the person who is responsible for that violence. Without condemning the person who allowed that violence to happen against themselves,” he said. (SI)

All News Advertisement

News

SJB: Govt. trying to reappoint Jayakody, who resigned from Cabinet amidst coal scam

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/16

Thilina Walpola

MP S.M. Marikkar

Marikkar claims coal losses more than twice Treasury bond scam

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The SJB has accused the NPP government of trying to create an environment conducive for the re-appointment of Kumara Jayakody who resigned on 17 April 2026 over a coal scam perpetrated in 2025.

Colombo District MP S.M. Marikkar Tuesday (13) alleged that Jayakody’s successor Anura Karunathilaka was spearheading the efforts at the behest of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Addressing the media at the Opposition leader’s Office at No. 30, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 07, Marikkar said that the NPP was busy propagating a lie that the losses amounting to Rs 15.68 bn could be entirely recovered by way of penalties and funds held as deposits in line with the supplier. The Opposition MP placed the amount held by the government at Rs 16.48 bn.

Marrikar claimed that the NPP’s propaganda project to whitewash Jayakody was meant to bring Jayakody back into the Cabinet of ministers in January next year. The top SJB spokesman said that the findings of the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development report on the losses suffered by the use of substandard coal had been used to back the government move.

The inquiry was held into procurement for 2025/2026 seasons made from Trident Chemphar, an Indian company whose selection was questioned by the National Audit Office in a special report submitted to parliament before the vote on no faith motion against Jayakody.

Marikkar said that the NPP in its haste to build a case for Jayakody’s return to the cabinet had conveniently forgotten that six of the 25 shiploads of coal ordered from Trident Chemphar were never delivered. In a desperate bid to cover the shortfall, the government paid Rs. 2,284 million above the market price in emergency procurement. As the SOC had rejected the tests conducted by an Indian company and ordered fresh tests on substandard coal, an additional Rs 26.6 mn had been paid to an Australian lab, MP Marikkar said, explaining other losses caused by the corrupt deal.

Marrikar explained how the procurement of substandard coal altogether cost the taxpayer nearly Rs 20 bn while the government engaged in a project to clear Jayakody. The former minister is also indicted in the Colombo High Court in an earlier corruption case.

Marrikar emphasized that the government should accept responsibility. Comparing the action taken in respect of 2015 and 2016 Treasury bond scams and the coal scam, MP Marikkar said that the losses caused by Trident Chemphar fraud was double the Treasury bond scam. A future government would investigate the coal scam and punish all those responsible. The NPP under any circumstances couldn’t bring back Jayakody to the cabinet as he was directly responsible for the fraud, the Colombo District lawmaker said.

At the time the UNP perpetrated Treasury bond scams, Marikkar represented the UNP parliamentary group which made desperate bids to protect the bond thieves.

The SJBer refused to answer questions regarding any other issue. Marikkar reacted angrily when a journalist sought to raise a group of SJB MPs meeting the Most Ven Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwathu Chapter in Kandy. Then the MP accused a section of the media of trying to suppress the coal scam by raising other issues. Marrikar vowed that they wouldn’t allow Jayakody’s return to the cabinet. The NPP government’s reputation had been devastated by the coal scam and current efforts to cover up the direct involvement of Minister Jayakody would not succeed, he said, warning the NPP should be prepared to face the consequences.

News

India busts Pakistani salt smuggling via Sri Lanka

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/16

Thilina Walpola

India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a transnational smuggling network that illegally imported more than 7,300,000 kilos of Pakistan-origin rock salt by routing shipments through Sri Lanka and using forged trade documents to conceal their origin, India Today reported yesterday.

Four people had been arrested in connection with the case, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

Under Operation Deep Manifest, the DRI detected 295 containers carrying 7,311 metric tons of industrial and Himalayan rock salt, with an estimated value of Rs. 104.5 million in Sri Lankan currency.

The consignments were routed through Colombo port in Sri Lanka, while fabricated certificates of origin and invoices issued by United Arab Emirates-based entities were allegedly used to disguise the goods as originating elsewhere.

The imports violated India’s prohibition on goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, the ministry said.

Acting on specific intelligence, the DRI conducted a coordinated operation between September 26 and October 11, searching premises linked to the suspected network in Gandhidham, Adipur, Veraval, Panipat, Pune, Patiala, Delhi and Mumbai.

The investigation found that nine importers had brought in the 295 containers through Mundra and Kandla ports since March 2026.

Of the total consignments detected, five containers carrying 140 metric tons of industrial and Himalayan rock salt, valued at Rs. 8.48 million in Sri Lankan currency, were seized at Kandla port. The agency also seized sales proceeds worth Rs. 7.3 million in Sri Lankan currency held in the importers’ bank accounts.

News

Monks brave heavy rains to press for Gnanasara Thera’s release

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/16

Thilina Walpola

… stage sit-in protest near Presidential Secretariat

by Nishan S. Priyantha

Buddhist monks who marched to Colombo demanding the release of imprisoned Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera continued their sit-in protest outside the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, as discussions between their representatives and Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake were underway.

The protesting monks said they would not leave the site until the authorities gave a positive response to their demand for the release of Gnanasara Thera. The discussions were continuing at the time this edition went to press.

The monks arrived in Colombo despite heavy rain, completing the six-day “Nidahase Pada Yathra” (Freedom March), which began in Kandy on October 10. The final leg of the march commenced from Kadawatha yesterday morning, proceeding through Kiribathgoda, Peliyagoda, Maligawatta and Maradana before reaching the area near the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face.

Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera, commenting on the protest, urged the government to take immediate steps to secure Gnanasara Thera’s release, saying the participating monks expected a favourable response to their demand.

“Today is our final day. The Maha Sangha came from all four directions not to return empty-handed. We strongly urge the government to grant freedom to Gnanasara Thera, which is the expectation of all, including the respected chief prelates,” he said.

Ven. Sumangala Thera said the monks were prepared to meet President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at any location designated by him, including Pelawatte, Parliament or the President’s House.

“We are waiting to receive that message. If that does not happen, we are prepared to come wherever the President is. We are prepared to settle this matter one way or another today,” he said, warning that if their peaceful appeals continued to go unanswered, the monks would consider alternative ways of conveying their demands to the government.

The march, which began in Kandy on October 10, passed through Kadugannawa, Kegalle, Warakapola and Nittambuwa before reaching Kadawatha on October 14. The procession was organised to demand the release of Gnanasara Thera and advocate for the religious rights of Buddhist monks.

Heavy police security was deployed around the Presidential Secretariat and nearby roads as the monks gathered in the area. Galle Road near the Secretariat was also closed to traffic during the march.