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DEW warns govt. hasn’t really taken into consideration global or domestic situations into consideration

Published

4 years ago

2022/11/15

Budget 2023: mixed reactions

Jathika Jana Balavegaya (JJB) MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday (14) said that the maiden Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance Minister didn’t address the daunting challenges faced by the country in the wake of unprecedented post-independence economic crisis.

Dr. Amarasuriya asserted that President Wickremesinghe had failed to respond to the growing political-economic-social crisis. The JJB parliamentary group, affiliated to the JVP, consists of three lawmakers.

Former Minister and ex-General Secretary of the Communist Party DEW Gunasekera said that he was thoroughly disappointed and quite surprised.

The veteran politician said that the UNP leader, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, should have used the opportunity to analyze, discuss and recommend remedial measures against the backdrop of the world economic crisis. The Communist Party is represented in Parliament by Matara District MP Weerasumana Weerasinghe.

Unfortunately, no serious effort had been made at all to redirect the bankrupt country towards the correct path, Gunasekera, a one-time Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), said.

He said that the public should keep in mind that Wickremesinghe was elected President in late July this year to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 5-year term. The former MP stressed that the Budget proposals didn’t meet the expectations of those who really comprehended the developing crisis.

The outspoken Marxist politician said that the worst problem was nothing but the refusal of those in the government and the Opposition to acknowledge the crisis the country was in.

Chief Government Whip and Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, in a statement issued yesterday, however, praised the Budget. The Gampaha District SLPP strongman declared that Budget proposals meant to rebuild the country, hence the decision to adopt a new approach.

Minister Ranatunga said: “This Budget was presented under extremely difficult conditions. The proposals were based on discussions the government had with the International Monetary Fund and other lending agencies.” According to him, the public weren’t further burdened and necessary steps taken to consolidate the economy. Ranatunga represents the SLPP, the largest party in Parliament that backed Wickremesinghe at the presidential contest on July 20

Dismissing Opposition criticism of the 2023 Budget proposals as irrelevant, lawmaker Ranatunga said that the government required public support to overcome the current crisis.

SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that as he would open the debate on the Budget on Tuesday (15) he wouldn’t comment. (SF)

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Related Topics:DEW Gunasekera Dr Harsha De Silva Dr. Harini Featured Prasanna Ranatunga

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

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Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

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Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.