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Bid to axe PUCSL head: Govt. all out to secure 113 votes
by Saman Indrajith
Government leaders are all out to secure 113 votes to ensure the passage of a motion to remove Janaka Ratnayake from the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), which he currently heads.The vote is scheduled to be taken on Wednesday (24) evening after a full-day debate from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
“In accordance with Sri Lanka Public Utilities Commission Act No. 35 of 2002 on Wednesday the 24th of May from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm the address for the removal of Mr. J. W. M. J.P. K Ratnayake, the incumbent Chairman and the member of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, from the membership of the said Commission in terms of Section 7 of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Act is also scheduled to be taken up for debate,” Parliament has said in a media statement.
The government claims to have 120 MPs on its side in the 225-member House but 10 of them are currently overseas. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered that none of the MPs leave the country and those who are overseas return in time for Wednesday’s vote.
The government has approached the TNA for support, according to sources.SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam, last Thursday, said that SLPP did not approve of Ratnanayke’s conduct and would support the motion.
Party sources however said that some 20 SLPP MPs had met with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa and expressed their opposition to voting against Ratnayake, appointed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They said Ratnayake had opposed power tariff increases and public opinion would turn against the government in case of his removal.
The government has sought Basil Rajapaksa’s help to muster enough votes to remove Ratnayake. Basil is currently in Dubai.The SJB and JVP have already announced that they will vote against the government’s move.
Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella, addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo, said the SLPP had announced its readiness to vote in favour of the proposal presented to Parliament to remove Ratnayake from the PUCSL. He said the main Opposition group would back Ratnayake, who had resisted attempts to increase electricity tariff unfairly. The motion to remove Ratnayake was similar to the one that was used to sack former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, Kiriella said.
The JVP-led NPP announced, on Saturday, its decision to vote against the government’s plans to remove Ratnayake from the PUCSL.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said: “We won’t protect any individual as such. We support the position Ratnayake has taken vis-a-vis the government’s plans to increase electricity tariff. The government attempted to increase electricity tariffs going by the IMF conditions. That was very unfair. The PUCSL chairman opposed it. The government could pressure the other members of the PUCSL to toe its line. Now, it is only this chairman who is standing between the government and its plans to increase the electricity prices unfairly. Therefore, the government is trying to remove him by passing a motion to that effect in Parliament. We will go all out to defeat this move.”
PUCSL Chairman Ratanayake has written to General Secretary of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake seeking the latter’s approval to watch the debate from the public gallery. He has said: “I request you to allow me and my two sons to witness the proceedings of Parliament from the gallery on 24th May 2023, as the debate in relation to the removal of me from the position of Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to be taken up on that date.”
The Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka Dr. Siri Walt paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on the 17th of February at the Temple Trees.
Welcoming the Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka the Prime Minister briefed the Ambassador on her recent visit to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting noting that the series of high-level bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the Forum, along with two important industry visits provided valuable insights for Sri Lanka’s economic engagement.
The discussion focused on Switzerland’s vocational education and training (VET) system, with particular interest in exploring possible cooperation and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
The Prime Minister also conveyed her appreciation for the assistance extended by the Government of Switzerland following Cyclone Ditwah. She emphasized Sri Lanka’s need for enhanced technical assistance during the ongoing rebuilding phase, especially in relation to the reconstruction of bridges and railway infrastructure.
Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Switzerland, and to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
First Secretary (Political) of the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo Ms. Justine Boillat, First Secretary (Migration) of the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo Ms. Andrea Kienast and the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatt and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Foreign Employment, Tourism.attended the meeting.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Latest News
Advisory for low pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka
Advisory for low pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 03.00 pm on 18 February 2026
Multiday boats fishermen and naval community are warned that the low-pressure area still persists over the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka. Under the influence of this system, heavy showers or thundershowers, Strong winds about (50-60) kmph, and rough or very rough seas can be expected in these sea areas.
The Meteorological Department is constantly monitoring the behavior of the system.
The naval and fishing communities are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.
Canada, said to be the home to the largest Tamil Diaspora community, has expressed concern over the delay in holding Provincial Council (PC) elections. Canadian High Commissioner Isabelle Martin, on Monday (16), took up the issue with Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Professor Chandana Abayaratne.
Sources quoted Prof. Abayaratne as having told the Canadian HC that the delay was not deliberate on the part of the government. The Minister blamed, what the sources called, certain legal, technical and delimitation issues for the delay.
India compelled Sri Lanka to enact the 13th Amendment to the country’s Constitution to enable the setting up of the Provincial Council system, in line with the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, which Sri Lanka signed under duress in July 1987.
Prof. Abayaratne has assured the Canadian HC that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, too, recognised the importance of strengthening the Provincial Council system as a solution to ethnic issues and that urgent steps would be taken in that regard.
During the discussion, matters relating to strengthening political, economic and social relations between the two countries were discussed.
In May 2020, Canada declared that Sri Lanka had perpetrated genocide during the war against the LTTE. Canada also sanctioned former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa in January 2023 over alleged war crimes.
The Canadian HC also explained her country’s ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy and how Sri Lanka could benefit from it.
In particular, Canada’s “Pathways to Peace” project will support reconciliation between nations, and to improve communication by encouraging the learning of mutual languages as a second language, and it was also agreed to provide more opportunities for Sri Lankan students to pursue higher studies in Canada.
The Canadian delegation also expressed its willingness to provide the necessary technical assistance to solve the drinking water problems in Puttalam, Mannar and the North-Eastern provinces under technical cooperation, and to implement the relevant projects after a preliminary study.
by Shamindra Ferdinando
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