News
Election monitors threaten legal action in case of LG polls postponement
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The People’s Action For Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) will go to Court if the government attempts to postpone polls, its Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi says.Hettiarachchi yesterday said that the Elections Commission had to announce a day for the Local Council elections by the end of the first week of January.
“According to the election laws, and the Constitution, the Commission has to hold elections and gazette the names of those who were elected to the local councils, by 19 March,” he said.
The PAFFREL Executive Director said that it was obvious that the government was trying to postpone elections.
“The government is claiming that the country will be adversely affected if elections are held now. I can’t think how being democratic and transparent would be bad for the country. If anything, the image of the country will improve greatly in the international system,” he maintained.
Hettiarachchi said the Elections Commission has shown interest in holding the election. Already, the Commission has appointed district returning officers and has gazetted their names.
“The Commission has also met the district returning officers. However, we are also seeing the government coming up with various ploys to delay elections. We met Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, two weeks ago, and we told him if you delay elections we will go to Court. The PM said the polls would not be postponed. We will see what the government tries to pull off in the coming weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Manas Makeen, said that the Local Council elections must be held in the first quarter of 2023.
“We are opposed to delaying elections and we will work with other election monitors to thwart any attempts to delay elections,” he said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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