News

Survey claims Lankans deeply reject most politicians

Published

3 years ago

2023/04/1

Sri Lankans continue to have deeply unfavourable views of most politicians a year after the economic and political collapse in early 2022, and despite progress in recent months in stabilising the economy and in negotiations with the IMF, a survey by the Institute for Health Policy has found.

The survey conducted between Sept. 2022 and Mar. 2023 found that almost all politicians tracked by SLOTS had negative favourability ratings, and most had ratings below -30, which make most Sri Lankan politicians as or more unpopular than French President Macron today.

The most popular politician tracked by SLOTS is Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle, former State Minister for COVID-19. She had an average net favourability rating of +7, but this was still substantially down from late 2021 when it was typically +50 – +70. The only other politicians who had positive or neutral net favourability ratings, were also professionals and from both the government and opposition: Professor Channa Jayasumuna (+1), Harini Amarasuriya (-8), and Ali Sabry (-10).

The most unpopular politicians tracked were from the Rajapaksa family, all of whom had net favourability ratings less than -50, with Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa being the most unpopular with ratings of -73 and -65.

Other politicians had ratings of -10 to -50, with government politicians generally doing worse than opposition ones, with the exceptions of Pavithra Wanniarachchi (-18) and Kanchana Wijesekera (-32), although both had significantly negative ratings.

Dr Rannan-Eliya, Executive Director of IHP and lead investigator, commented that “These results suggest that the whole political class is discredited. However, it is notable that the politicians with better ratings tended to be professionals or politicians with a reputation of speaking hard truths to the public—Dr Sudarshini in the case of COVID-19, or Ali Sabry about the economic crisis and the need for painful measures. I think that most politicians don’t want to say difficult things because they think it would make them unpopular, but the public seems to appreciate politicians who try to be honest, even if it means admitting difficult things.”

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SSP Amarasinghe new Director CID

Published

10 seconds ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

Shani elevated as DIG in charge of CID

SSP Roshan Amarasinghe had been appointed Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Police Media Division said.

The appointment had been made on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in view of service requirements, police said.

Amarasinghe was promoted following the elevation of former CID Director Shani Abeysekara to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).

Police said Abeysekara would continue to oversee the CID.

SSP Amarasinghe previously served as Director of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID).

News

Pillayan others further remanded

Published

1 min ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, and two military intelligence informants, were further remanded until September 15 over their alleged involvement in the killings of five people, in Batticaloa, in 2008.

The order was issued yesterday by the Acting Magistrate of the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court after the three suspects were produced before court, via Zoom, from prison.

The case relates to several incidents reported in 2008, including the shooting deaths of two people, one of them a police officer, in Kallady; the killing of two people, including a member of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), in Kattankudy; and the abduction and murder of a businessman in Vavunathivu.

Pillayan and the two military intelligence informants were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in November 2025, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The CID later filed charges against four suspects, including a person reportedly residing in London, before the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court, on June 17, 2026.

An open warrant was reissued for the London-based suspect, who is reportedly absconding, while the case was postponed until September 15.

News

Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis

Published

9 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.

There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.

In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.