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Iran congratulates SL President and PM, calls for diversified cooperation
The Iranian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hashem Ashjazadeh congratulating President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on winning Sri Lanka’s General Election, has called for strengthening of bilateral relations.
“Relying on the existing capacities and trade opportunities, I express the determination and readiness of Iran to strengthen cooperation with Sri Lanka in different aspects”, he stressed in congratulatory messages.
The Ambassador said he was impressed by the election being held in a peaceful and orderly manner with a big voter turnout, manifesting democracy and political maturity of the country.
“I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to Your Excellencies on your landslide victory and trust the ties between our two countries will be further promoted. I wish you both good health and success and prosperity for the people of Sri Lanka”, he added. (ZJ)
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Schools closed on 13th and 14th November
The Ministry of Education has announced that all schools in the island will be closed on 13th and 14th November due to the Parliamentary Election.
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Enthusiasm of voters and candidates at low ebb: Polls monitors
By Rathindra Kuruwita
More than 8,800 candidates were contesting this year’s general election, but fewer than 1,000 of them were actively campaigning, Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), said yesterday.
“This low level of enthusiasm reflects the strain on political parties which have had to contest elections one after the other,” Hettiarachchi said, noting that voters themselves seemed less enthusiastic about the election. “There is significant disillusionment with traditional parties. Additionally, with campaign finance laws now in place, questionable individuals and entities are restricted from injecting money, leading many big spenders from previous elections to withdraw,” he said.
Although hundreds of political parties and independent groups were contesting and are allowed to establish around 600,000 campaign offices, only about 9,200 offices have been set up, Hettiarachchi added.
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SC halts Magistrate’s orders on release of unregistered jumbos
…assumes jurisdiction over case
By A. J. A. Abeynayake
The Supreme Court issued an order yesterday (07) directing the immediate transfer of a case regarding the possession of several unregistered elephants from the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court to its own jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court also instructed the Magistrate’s Court not to take any further steps concerning the case. Additionally, it issued a stay order on all directives given by the Magistrate’s Court regarding the case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) until the conclusion of its examination of the related petitions.
This ruling was made by a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Arjuna Obeysekere, in response to submissions by President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena, who argued that the previous order issued by an Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court, allowing the release of illegally held elephants back to the individuals in possession of them was unlawful.
The Centre for Environmental and Cultural Studies and several other parties had previously filed the case, which was called for hearing yesterday (07).
President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena also brought to the notice of the Supreme Court that despite an order from the Court of Appeal preventing the release of elephants held by the Department of Wildlife in connection with this case, the Magistrate’s Court had recently issued an order releasing the elephants back to the individuals in possession of them.
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