News

FSP lambasts Budget as extension of IMF austerity agenda at the expense of people

Published

2 years ago

2025/02/19

Jayagoda

Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda has strongly criticised the 2025 Budget, presented by President Anura Dissanayaka, calling it an extension of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) austerity agenda and a continuation of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic policies.

“When President Dissanayaka arrived in Parliament to present the Budget, he carried it in a paper folder instead of the traditional briefcase. The truth is, there are no ‘secrets’ in this Budget that require a briefcase—it simply presents the same austerity programme imposed on Sri Lanka by the IMF and follows the policies that defined Wickremesinghe’s rule over the past few years,” Jayagoda said.

Jayagoda argued that Wickremesinghe had previously served as the “mouthpiece” for the IMF and global financial institutions and Dissanayaka was now playing that role. “Even without Ranil, his policies continue to move forward,” Jayagoda added, drawing parallels between Sri Lanka’s political landscape and Britain’s neoliberal shift under Margaret Thatcher. “After Thatcher retired, a journalist asked her about her greatest political achievement.

She replied, ‘Tony Blair and Blairism.’ The Labour Party, which once fought against neoliberalism, later embraced it under Blair’s leadership. The same has happened here—Harsha de Silva, a key advocate of neoliberal capitalism and an IMF supporter, openly stated that Dissanayaka’s Budget speech was a victory for them,” Jayagoda said.

He noted that in 1978, when the UNP introduced its neoliberal economic agenda, its strongest critic had been the JVP. “Now, the IMF programme is being carried out by the JVP’s leader. This is their greatest success—getting the Opposition to implement their policies,” he said.

Condemned the government’s failure to address the cost-of-living crisis, Jayagoda said: “This Budget offers no solutions for rising prices. People are not naive enough to mistake these token handouts for genuine relief. Instead of discussing serious economic policies, the government is busy distributing small allowances—Rs. 5,000 to one, Rs.7,500 to another—while the structural issues remain unaddressed. This economic programme must be defeated. People must organise and push back before these policies cause further damage to the country.”

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

Published

2 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

News

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

Published

2 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.

News

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

Published

2 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.