Four persons died in a head-on collision involving a car and a bus at Murasumoddai on the Paranthan-Mullaitivu road yesterday. Police said at the time of the accident, five persons were travelling in the car, of whom four died.

In another accident, one person died and six others sustained injuries when a three-wheeler collided with a car at Oyamaduwa, Anuradhapura. Police identified the dead person as the driver of the three-wheeler.

Member of Parliament Rohini Kaviratne has been appointed the Chairperson of the Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya, the women’s wing of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The official appointment letter to Ms Kaviratne was handed over by the Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa yesterday in his office.

The General Secretary of the SJB, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, was also present during the handover. MP Kaviratne, known for her vocal advocacy for women’s rights and education in Parliament, is expected to lead the party’s women’s front in its future political and social initiatives.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva announced that 17 out of the 18 court cases filed against the party have now been concluded, with only the case involving Dayasiri Jayasekara remaining.

The Chairman made these remarks in Kandy on Friday (09th) after paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic and calling on the Most Venerable Mahanayake and Anu Nayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters.

“We are currently rebuilding the SLFP. Setting aside all differences, we are moving forward by uniting everyone. As part of this reorganisation, we have appointed MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, a skilled parliamentarian, as the National Organiser,” de Silva said. He expressed confidence that the remaining legal hurdle would soon be cleared, strengthening the party’s position for the upcoming Provincial Council election.

Addressing the media, the newly appointed National Organiser, MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, struck a defiant note. “It is difficult to rise once you have fallen, but we are back on our feet. Once we rise, it will be hard to knock us down again. In 1994, when we formed a government, this position was held by Anuruddha Ratwatte. Now that responsibility has been given to me. Wait and see what I achieve in the next six months,” he said.

The delegation included former ministers Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Mahinda Amaraweera, Duminda Dissanayake, Anuradha Jayaratne, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, and former Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa.

By S.K. Samaranayake