News

Ex-lawmaker and one-time Rajapaksa loyalist: Galle Face youth must form an anti-bankruptcy political front

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/18

Having displayed discipline, consistency and commitment, over the past nine days and nights, the historically unprecedented, surprisingly undaunted and notably non- violent ‘People’s Struggle’ at Colombo’s ‘Galle Face Green’ by the hitherto ‘unknown youths’ of bankrupt Sri Lanka, rallying in their teeming thousands has reverberated worldwide with a clear public outcry calling upon the Rajapaksa government to quit, without sitting over the destiny of 22 million Sri Lankans any longer, former UPFA MP M.M. Zuhair said in a statement issued yesterday (17). But the forsaken trustees of the country have firmly decided to stay put, ignoring the growing cry to quit the much loved island nation that they are accused of bankrupting, the ex-MP said.

The following is the text of the statement issued by Zuhair, one-time Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Tehran under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency: “The time has come for the youths to get ready to field an anti-bankruptcy political front at the earliest forthcoming elections and in particular the next General Elections targeting 150 out of the 225 seats in Parliament, which the suffering people will not grudge, given the history of alleged corruption and mismanagement notoriously known on both sides of the parliamentary floor.

In 1954, at the age of 31, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, a third generation immigrant from China and a law graduate from Cambridge, England, formed in down town Singapore the ‘People’s Action Party’, gloriously won the next general election and in 1959 became struggling ‘self-governing’ Singapore’s Prime Minister at the age of 35! In 1959, Singapore’s per capita GDP was US $ 400 but by 1990, when Lee Kuan Yew stepped down it grew to US $ 12,200 and by 1999 it grew to US $ 22,000! The Singapore story is the leadership given by a committed Singaporean youth in transforming a land of 640 sq km with no natural resources from third world to first!

The time has come for Sri Lanka, with immense natural resources unlike Singapore, to look for its own Lee Kuan Yew primarily at Galle face Green or at any of the sites of the peoples’ struggle in the country or elsewhere.

The greatest regret for the unknown youths would soon unfold when they realize this week that the parliamentary Opposition missed the best opportunity of moving a Vote of No Confidence on the government during the parliamentary week 5th to 8th April, which followed the Mirihana mid-night demonstrations of 31st March when what appeared to be a collapsing government virtually invited the Opposition to show 113 votes on the floor and to immediately take over the government! It was then much easier for the Opposition to cobble together the 113 votes including from the 42 frightened Pohottuwa Members who moved out of the government camp possibly fearing demonstrations outside their homes!

Meanwhile the Court order barring former Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal from leaving the country alerted danger signals. Soon thereafter the Chief Government Whip announced firmly in Parliament that the President will not resign, with ‘resistance’ becoming the better option to ‘abdication’! This was followed by the Prime Minister’s Speech to the Nation that conveyed the message that the government will go on with a newly reconstituted Cabinet. Poorly organized pro-government demonstrations also followed thereafter while Shantha Bandara from the Podujana Peramuna (SLFP) from the Kurunegala district rejoined the government, dealing a blow to the slow moving Opposition.

The new Cabinet is to be sworn in shortly. This, too, would make it more difficult for the Opposition to secure this week the required 113 votes for the Vote of No-Confidence on the government with the 41 MPs feeling more secure now than they did in the aftermath of the post 31st March Mirihana situation.

In the unlikely event of the Opposition pushing through the Vote of No-Confidence in Parliament this week, which is the first constitutional step for ousting an elected government and if they do form the government under a new Prime Minister, the next challenge will be to obtain the signatures of two thirds of the whole number of Members of Parliament, namely 150 signatures to oust the President from office under Article 38(1) (e) read with 38 (2) (b) (i) of the Constitution. Unless the President resigns amidst continuing political uncertainty and his teams’ inability to find urgent solutions to the peoples’ economic woes, the President cannot be constitutionally ousted by Parliament alone but that would require in addition the Supreme Court’s inquiry and report concurring on any of the allegations of violation of Article 38(2) by the President.

The Opposition’s failure to push through the No-Confidence vote during the April 5th to 8th parliamentary sessions , when the “iron was hot” was believed to be due to the Opposition’s lack of confidence in its own ability to solve the crushing economic threats to the country. That would leave the Galle Face youths having to confront higher stress levels over a longer unsustainable period of time.

With schools and offices reopening after the Sinhala and Tamil new year and if the government does not confront the peaceful demonstrators, Galle Face demonstrations can fizzle out within a month’s time. It is in the national interest that the demonstrators do enter into a non-violent political action front and form a new platform sooner than later to sustain the good will they have earned nationally and globally reminding their followers that immediate solutions to the economic bankruptcy will not be forthcoming both from the government as well as from the Opposition.

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News

INS Airavat makes port call in Colombo

Published

18 hours ago

2026/06/4

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Airavat arrived at the Port of Colombo for Operational Turnaround on 01 Jun 26. The visiting ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in compliance with time-noured naval traditions.

INS Airavat is a Landing Ship Tank, commanded by Commander IP Patil.

During their stay in the island, the ship’s crew is scheduled to take part in a series of professionally enriching events and camaraderie-building programmes organised by the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Indian naval personnel will also tour several historic and prominent tourist attractions across the country before the ship concludes her deployment.

News

BASL asks govt. to abandon plan to raise retirement ages of CA and SC judges

Published

22 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

… tells Prez such arbitrary change neither necessary nor desirable

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to abandon the controversial plan to increase the retirement age of the judiciary, including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

In a statement issued by the BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and its Secretary Nalin de Silva, the BASL pointed out that the proposed increase of the retirement age of the judiciary would undermine the independence, integrity, dignity, and public confidence in the Judiciary, which is essential for the maintenance of the Rule of Law and democratic governance in Sri Lanka.

The text of the BASL statement: “The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as “BASL”) notes with grave concern reports in the public domain that the Government is considering the introduction of an amendment to the Constitution to increase the age of retirement of Judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

It is the considered view of the BASL that the age of retirement of the judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court which has stood at 63 years and 65 years respectively from the promulgation of the 1978 Constitution, should not be changed arbitrarily and that such a change is neither necessary nor desirable.

To do so will result in the loss of public confidence in the integrity of the legal system and of the Government’s commitment to preserve and protect the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Members of the public are likely to question the motives of the Government in bringing in a Constitutional amendment solely for this purpose.

Your Excellency is no doubt aware that the cadre of the Judges of the Court of Appeal was increased from 12 to 20 Judges (including the President of the Court of Appeal) and that of the Supreme Court from 11 to 17 Judges (including the Chief Justice) by the 20th Amendment to the constitution certified on 29th of October 2020. With such enhancement, workwise, there cannot be a real requirement to extend the retirement ages of these judges.

Your Excellency is aware that altering the retirement age of judges of the apex courts would have to be done through a Constitutional amendment. For many years Sri Lanka’s Constitution has been subject to ad hoc amendments, sometimes in order to cater to the political needs of the government in power and often contrary to the interests of the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the judiciary.

Extending the retirement age of the sitting Judges of these Courts at this point of time is likely to be viewed by the public as a blatant attempt to interfere with the judiciary. We believe that to go ahead with such an ad hoc move will also be an affront to the Honourable Judges of those courts.

If the Government goes ahead with such a move it will set a dangerous precedent for future Governments too to introduce ad hoc amendments to the Constitution in respect of the functions of the Judiciary.

The independence of the Judiciary and the public confidence reposed in it, are indispensable pillars of the Rule of Law and the democratic framework of our Republic. In that regard, it is of paramount importance that the Judiciary must not only remain independent in fact, but must also be seen by the public to be wholly independent, impartial, and free from even the slightest perception of influence, favour, accommodation, or impropriety.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka is therefore constrained, in the discharge of its duty to uphold and safeguard the Rule of Law and the independence of the Judiciary, to respectfully express its serious concern regarding any such proposed amendment, which is neither in the interests of the Judiciary and nor of the people.

In the circumstances, the BASL respectfully urges Your Excellency not to proceed with any proposed constitutional amendment seeking to increase the retirement age of the members of the Judiciary including Judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

We remain confident that Your Excellency will give due consideration to the importance of preserving and protecting the independence, integrity, dignity, and public confidence in the Judiciary, which is essential to the maintenance of the Rule of Law and democratic governance in Sri Lanka.”

Govt. declines to respond

A member of the Cabinet yesterday declined to comment on the BASL’s letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Minister said that he wouldn’t comment for the time being.

News

New US tariffs proposed on 60 countries, including Sri Lanka

Published

22 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

12.5% additional duties on goods imported from Colombo

The US has proposed additional duties of 10% or 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, including Sri Lanka, over their alleged failure to curb trade in ‌goods made with forced labour.

The proposal made by US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office in terms of Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation to be released, news agencies reported, pointing out that the Trump administration was seeking to rebuild its emergency tariffs, which were struck down by a US Supreme Court decision in February.

The USTR said it determined that it would impose 10% duties related to ⁠the forced labour investigation on imports from Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Britain.

The trade agency said it would impose additional duties of 12.5% on the remaining 45 countries that were investigated.

“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field.”

According to the trade agency, the USTR found that Sri Lanka has failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition.

The USTR noted that the results of its investigation indicate that the acts, policies and practices of Sri Lanka related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition are unreasonable and burden or restrict US commerce.

Accordingly, it has proposed to impose 12.5% additional duties on goods imported from Sri Lanka.

The USTR said it also was proposing a textile mechanism that would allow for a certain volume of apparel and textile imports ‌to ⁠enter the US at a reduced tariff rate, though the duties and volumes were not disclosed.

The announcement comes ahead of the July 24 expiration of a 10% temporary tariff imposed by the Trump administration on February 20, the day the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

On Monday, the USTR proposed ⁠a 25% duty on many Brazilian goods as a result of a Section 301 investigation into the country’s digital trade practices and preferential tariffs. The trade agency is also expected to soon unveil the findings of another major Section 301 probe into ⁠the buildup of excess industrial capacity in 16 trading partners, including China.

In the forced labour findings, the USTR said it would exempt from the tariffs a number of products, including energy, rare earths and certain ⁠other metals, beef, coffee, certain fruits and vegetables, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals and aircraft parts.

The USTR said it would accept public comments on the proposed tariffs and other remedies through July 6, with a public hearing scheduled for July 7.