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‘We formed a new political party because the UNP was not listening to us’  – SJB MP Mayantha Dissanayake

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5 years ago

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By Saman Indrajith

The main opposition SJB, which marks its first anniversary tomorrow (15) expressed optimism of forming the next government within three and half years as the trust people placed on the incumbent government is eroding fast.

In an interview with The Sunday Island, parliamentarian Mayantha Dissanayake, the leader of SJB’s youth wing ‘Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya’, said the primary reason for forming the SJB was because “we felt that as a country we have to unite. There are political forces in the country that came into existence — some came to power by dividing the nation, while others were either very nationalistic or racist”.

He further said: “They wanted to get what could be termed the ‘populist vote’ and come to power. We felt that we have to be a uniting force in the country. We felt that we have to create a political force as Sri Lankans to be Sri Lankans. What is the Sri Lankan dream, what are the aspirations of young Sri Lankans in this country?”.

“We must be able to attract expatriate Sri Lankans to come back to the country. We felt there has to be a political party, a political force that is able to unite us as Sri Lankans without racism”, the MP stressed.

He added: “In those ideals, we felt that we have to have a political party that would do that. We wanted to create a party with the true ideals of the UNP. “We also felt that the UNP had drifted away from its true ideals and original vision. We wanted a political party. We also felt that UNP sitting MPs needed a young and dynamic leadership. We felt that leader is Sajith Premadasa, a true Sri Lankan, who loves the country, loves the nature and who wanted to something for Sri Lanka.

“We thought it was high time as the Grand Old Party was not listening to us in that light. So we felt we must create a new political party. That was the birth of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya”.

Dissanayake said the government has been in power for almost one and half years. The promises given and the aspirations of 6.9 million people who had voted for the government have not been fulfilled. It is really sad and pathetic situation politically where this country is heading. This government has fallen short of expectations. In fact they sold a nationalistic dream. They sold a fable, a myth, that this country was in danger and for national security Gotabaya Rajapaksa should come to power and has to be the President. That was the myth and the dream that was sold.

However, unfortunately the government has not fulfilled any of the pledges given economically. As a country, we are far worse than where he had been one and half years ago. Internationally, we are far worse than we were then. Forests are being cleared on an unprecedented scale. The President has given powers to District Secretaries through a circular on clearing forests. The original circular to preserve the forests was issued by former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, he noted.

Earlier, Mahinda Rajapaksa asked the people to tighten their belts. The cost of living is skyrocketing. The rupee value against the dollar is depreciating on a daily basis. Where is this country heading? In spite of the people’s aspirations, the promises and pledges, the government has failed, the MP said.

“It’s not just one leader or leadership of the party that make all the decisions. We make collective decisions so we are looking at how can build the economy and how we will be addressing the aspirations of people”, he continued.

He said economically, the country is in a bad way. The government is printing money, saying there’s a cash flow problem. Actually it is a much worse than a cash flow problem. We are unable to borrow money from foreign sources that we have been borrowing.

There is no government to government development taking place now. The government is borrowing commercial loans which they cannot repay. So the economic situation is really dire, he warned.

“In terms of international relations, we are alone and highly dependent on China. We promise China many things at the cost of angering our biggest neighbor India. Then we have made many promises to India to balance China. By that we have angered other neighbouring countries. The government cannot really balance. Sri Lanka has been always balanced with regard to regional countries and super powers. I think the decisions are made in an ad hoc manner. In international relations, one cannot ad hoc in foreign policy. There should be a strong foreign policy on how we are going to deal with India, with China and with the Americans, Russians etc”, Dissanayake continued.

“We are also in a bad situation with regard to human rights charges against us in Geneva. The government has not sent anyone to Geneva. What I had heard is that the Sri Lankan delegation was to leave for Geneva but one of the prominent members of the delegation was denied a visa because of his human rights record. Therefore the entire delegation could not go. Therefore there is not anybody from the government in Geneva right now apart from our ambassador there to handle and negotiate. This situation could have been handled in a more professional manner if we had a better foreign policy”, the MP said.

All that Geneva is asking for is to be truthful about allegations on human rights violations. The easiest and the quickest solution for that was the LLRC report completed during the time of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. If we implement the recommendations of the report and take steps in the right direction, this problem would have been solved in a rather efficient and quicker manner. You must give the devil his due, he added.

“The previous government, the yahapalana government handled the international relations far better than this government. I am not saying that they were perfect. But they were far better than what this government is doing. And I think in a future government headed by our party we would with our experiences and our knowledge our contacts and our history we would do a much better job in our international relations than this government”, he noted.


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Our objective is to ensure that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption operates as an independent institution, free from any external influence – PM

Published

18 hours ago

on

2026/03/19

By

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government’s objective is to ensure the environment for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption [CIABOC] to function as an independent body, without influence from anyone, including Members of Parliament and Ministers.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the debate on the interim resolution concerning the determination of salaries and service conditions of the officers and employees of the Commission under the Anti-Corruption Act.

The Prime Minister stated:

“Honourable Speaker, I consider the proposal presented today on determining the remuneration and service conditions of the officers and employees of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to be highly important. Although the Anti-Corruption Act was passed in 2023, we only began to truly feel the presence of an active Commission from 2025.

Since then, we have had to experience a number of challenges in operationalizing the Commission. In particular, there were several obstacles, including limitations in recruiting officers, which hindered the Commission from functioning as required. It was necessary to establish several practical conditions, such as granting the Commission the freedom to determine allowances for its staff, to formulate the rules and regulations required for its operations, to recruit personnel, and to submit budget estimates relevant to its annual plans. At the time the new Director General assumed duties, there were over 4,000 investigation files within the Commission where investigations had been completed but cases had not yet been filed. Moreover, there were only about 31 legal officers.

Follow the adoption of this proposal, the Commission will be granted the authority to recruit officers, determine necessary allowances, and make independent decisions regarding financial matters. This will enable the Commission to effectively fulfill its intended mandate. This proposal plays a significant role in building a new political culture in our country, one that is anti-corruption and committed to a transparent public service that is free from bribery”.

Further commenting, the Prime Minister also addressed the country’s response to the ongoing global energy crisis.

“In the current global context, our economy and energy sector are facing multiple challenges. These conditions are constantly evolving and difficult to predict. However, it is our responsibility as a government to recognize these changes and manage their impact on our economy.

Following that, the Cabinet has decided to appoint four special committees. Accordingly, one committee will focus on ensuring the uninterrupted provision of essential services to the public; while another will make decisions on maintaining public services through energy management within the public sector; a third will work with the Procurement Commission to identify new methods of energy procurement in addition to existing mechanisms; and a fourth will examine the social impacts arising from this situation, including its effects on vulnerable groups, and recommend fair solutions, relief measures, and welfare services.

This is a situation that we, as a country, must face collectively. The public service, the private sector, the political leadership regardless of party differences and the people of our country must come together to overcome this, just as we have faced previous challenges. We are confident that, we will be able to successfully face this situation through proper leadership and management, and by making timely decisions.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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Heat Index at ‘Caution Level’ in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts

Published

18 hours ago

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2026/03/19

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Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 18 March 2026, valid for 19 March 2026

The general public are cautioned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.

Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.

Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.

Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.

Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Pay hike demand: CEB workers climb down from 40 % to 15–20%

Published

18 hours ago

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2026/03/19

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A salary increase in the range of 15 to 20 percent is currently under discussion within the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), though no official decision has yet been taken, The Island reliably learns.

A senior electrical engineer who is is privy to ongoing salary negotiations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal had been put forward as a reasonable and necessary measure, rather than a rigid demand, in light of the prolonged delay in salary revisions. Earlier they have been asking for a staggering 40% salary increase.

“We are not insisting on this as a primary demand or condition. What we are requesting is for the authorities to seriously consider the possibility of granting an increase,” he said.

He emphasised that CEB employees had not received any salary increment since 2024 due to the ongoing reform and restructuring process, leaving staff to cope with rising living costs without adjustment.

“Under normal circumstances, the next salary revision would only be due in January 2027. That creates a significant and unfair gap. This proposal is, therefore, a justified attempt to secure at least a reasonable percentage in the interim,” he said.

The engineer warned that continued inaction could have serious implications for staff morale and operational efficiency at a time when the power sector is undergoing critical reforms.

Sources said that while internal discussions have pointed towards a 15 to 20 percent increase, the matter has not yet been formally taken up at policy level.

However, pressure is mounting on authorities to reach a timely and equitable decision, as frustration grows among employees over the absence of salary adjustments for nearly three years.

By Ifham Nizam

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