News

Consensus on Speaker as Acting Prez, Ranil’s move to succeed GR rejected

Published

3 years ago

2022/07/11

Thilina Walpola

Prez to resign on July 13; agreement on all-party government

By The Island News Desk

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has assured the nation that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign on July 13. Speaker Abeywardene said that he had received such an assurance when he informed President Rajapaksa of decisions taken at a party leaders’ meeting chaired by him at the Speaker’s official residence Saturday (09) late afternoon. The announcement was made soon after mobs set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence at the Flower Road ablaze.

The Speaker chaired the meeting under police guard as protesters gathered outside his official residence. Several leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and senior representatives of some political parties attended the meeting while some joined via zoom.Former President and leader of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena, MP, declared that both President Rajapaksa and Premier Wickremesinghe had to step down. He warned that those who campaigned for genuine change of government wouldn’t tolerate Wickremesinghe’s continuation as the PM.If Wickremesinghe continues to be the PM, he will have to be sworn in as the Acting President. Speaker Abeywardena revealed that Premier Wickremesinghe, who participated at the meeting chaired by him, had proposed himself as the Acting President.

Consequent to what the Speaker called a lengthy meeting the following proposals were submitted to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (a) The President and the Prime Minister had to resign from their offices as soon as possible (b) according to the Constitution, the next step is to convene parliament within seven days and make a decision by consensus to appoint an Acting President (c) the establishment of an interim government headed by a new Prime Minister according to a in terms of consensus of the all-party representatives representing the current Parliament under the acting President (d) Thereafter, calling for an election within a certain period of time and giving the people the opportunity to elect a new parliament.

The Speaker said Premier Wickremesinghe had also proposed an alternative set of proposals namely (a) The President resigns immediately and the Prime Minister becomes the Acting President (b) the formation of an interim government under the leadership of a new Prime Minister. If that was not acceptable both the President and the Prime Minister should resign, appoint a representative from the Parliament as the Acting President, then appoint a new Prime Minister with the consent of all parties to pave the way for an interim government for a specified period.

The current Parliament is represented by 15 political parties. They are SLPP (145 members), SJB (54), ITAK (10), JJB (03), AITC (02), EPDP (02), UNP, SLFP, OPPP (Our Power of People Party), TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal), MNA (Muslim National Alliance), TMTK (Tamil Makkal Theshiya Kutani), ACMC (All Ceylon Makkal Congress), NC (National Congress) and SLMC (Sri Lanka Muslim Congress) represented by one MP each.

Matara District SLPP lawmaker Dullus Alahapperuma on behalf of the dissident SLPP MPs told The Island that both the President and the Prime Minister should resign to pave the way for swift implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Speaker Abeywardena.

MP Alahapperuma emphasised that had the President given up executive power at an earlier stage of the campaign his resignation, the transfer of power could have taken place smoothly. Unfortunately, the President had delayed his decision until it was too late, Alahapperuma said, urging the people to remain calm. Violence would only aggravate the current political-economic-social crisis and impede ongoing efforts to form a stable government, he added.

In a statement issued by a group of SLPP MPs headed by Alahapperuma as the Army vacated the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat (Old Parliament building) and Temple Trees, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was urged to quit forthwith.

A member of the group, Anuradhapura District MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana told The Island that although only16 signed the letter their group consisted of 47 SLPP members. The signatories to the statement are Dullus Alahapperuma, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Udayana Kirindigoda, K.P.S. Kumarasiri, Lalith Ellawala, Sudath Manjula, Upul Galappathy, Wasantha Yapa Bandara, K. Kodituwakku, Gunapala Ratnasekera, Akila Saliya Ellawela, Udayakantha Gunatilleke, Dilan Perera and Thilak Rajapaksha.

Several Viyathmaga nominees were among them.Prof. Jayasumana said that the group of 47 felt that the resignation of the President would enable both him and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP, to retain the honour of bringing the war to a successful conclusion. He alleged that a small group of people bent on remaining in power had convinced the President to reject repeated calls for his resignation.

SJB leader Sajith Premadasa declared that his party wouldn’t under any circumstances accept the continuation of UNP leader Wickremesinghe as the Premier. He said his party would not attend a meeting called by Premier Wickremesinghe on Saturday.

On Saturday, two SLPPers lawmakers, Transport, Highways and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera announced their decision to quit the Cabinet. SLFPer Amaraweera said that he would relinquish the portfolio as soon as he accepted a shipment of urea from India at the Colombo Port over the weekend.

All News Advertisement

Latest News

70,297 persons still in safety centers

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/16

Priyan

The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 06:00AM on 16th December 2025 shows that 70,297 persons belonging to 22,338 house holds are still being housed at 731 safety centers established by the government.

The number of deaths due to the recent disastrous weather stands at 643 while 183 persons are missing.

News

MEPA to crack down on marine polluters

Published

10 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

… Warns would-be polluters of criminal prosecution, hefty fines and even blacklisting

The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) has warned that ship owners, operators and local entities responsible for marine pollution will face criminal prosecution, heavy financial penalties and possible blacklisting, MEPA Chairman Samantha Gunasekera said yesterday.

Gunasekera told The Island that Sri Lanka would no longer tolerate negligence and regulatory breaches that threaten the country’s marine ecosystems, coastal livelihoods and national economy.

“Any party that pollutes our seas—whether foreign vessels or local operators—should be prepared to face the full force of the law,” Gunasekera said. “There will be no room for excuses, delays or backdoor negotiations when marine pollution is involved.”

He said MEPA has intensified surveillance of major shipping routes, ports and environmentally sensitive zones amid rising maritime traffic through Sri Lankan waters, which remain among the busiest in the Indian Ocean.

by Ifham Nizam

News

SC delegation, headed by CJ Surasena, observes Indian Supreme Court in action

Published

10 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

A 10-member delegation from Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice P. Padman Surasena, with Indian judicial officials

A 10-member delegation from Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice P. Padman Surasena, departed to New Delhi on the 11th of December, 2025, for an official visit to the Supreme Court of India as part of the ongoing official visit by the delegation to India.

The group was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the Court’s main hall, led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. CJI Kant told the assembled Judges that “the Indian judiciary was honoured to host” their Sri Lankan counterparts, expressing hope that the visit would be “meaningful and very constructive” and underscoring the “close emotional bonds” between the two countries.

The focal point of the programme was a special sitting of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Surasena joined CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on the bench, presiding over the Court as a guest Justice. He was accompanied by nine other Supreme Court justices from Sri Lanka, who took seats in the well of CJI Kant’s courtroom to observe the day’s proceedings.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh formally greeted the delegation and praised Justice Surasena’s reformist efforts. Singh recalled the Sri Lankan Chief Justice’s own maxim, “If you want something you have never had, then you have got to do something you have never done”, highlighting the bold changes Surasena had introduced to modernise Sri Lanka’s Court system. Singh noted that these initiatives, particularly court digitization, were aimed at eradicating “the persisting problems of law delays” and streamlining case backlogs.

The Sri Lankan Judges spent the morning observing live Supreme Court proceedings in CJI Kant’s courtroom. This first-hand exposure to Indian court operations formed a key part of the programme’s judicial engagement. During the hour-long session, the visiting justices witnessed a range of cases on the Supreme Court’s roster, with Justice Surasena and the delegation following arguments from the front. The experience was designed to be immersive and following the hearing the Sri Lankan Judges were briefed on India’s own initiatives towards a digitalised court system, e-filing and case management systems.

The official programme then shifted to capacity-building and information exchange. In the early afternoon, Indian Supreme Court officials gave the Sri Lankan delegation detailed briefings on India’s technological initiatives. Court registrars demonstrated the e-filing system and other e-initiatives implemented by the Supreme Court of India. Additional presentations outlined the Court’s new case management systems and administrative reforms. These sessions highlighted how digital tools and better case-listing procedures have been used in India to increase efficiency. The Sri Lankan judges asked questions about India’s experience with electronic court records and the integration of technology in daily judicial work, reflecting their own interest in similar reforms back home.

The visit underscored the growing collaboration between the Indian and Sri Lankan judiciaries. Throughout the proceedings, both sides emphasised their shared legal traditions and mutual respect. As Chief Justice Surasena noted during the sitting, India is Sri Lanka’s “closest neighbour,” and historic links, even dating back to ancient epics, form the backdrop for today’s judicial dialogue. CJI Kant remarked that having the chief justices of two vibrant democracies together on the bench was a “significant moment” for the rule of law.

The Sri Lankan delegation continued its programme in Delhi on 12 December with a visit to the Delhi High Court and its International Arbitration and Mediation Centres. The exchange visit is expected to deepen judicial cooperation and provide practical insights for both courts. Officials on both sides say the engagement aimed at sharing best practices in court administration, reinforce legal ties and support ongoing reforms aimed at reducing case backlogs and delays.