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JVP: This is not the time for PC polls, govt. should deliver constitutional reforms

By Saman Indrajith
The JVP yesterday urged the government to deliver the promised constitutional reforms this year and address the key issues such as provincial council system, instead of holding an election amidst the current national health crisis.
JVP politburo member and trade union wing leader K. D. Lalkantha, addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, said that the government had promised to find solutions to issues such as provincial councils.
“We hope that the government at least fulfils that promise and introduces the new Constitution this year, addressing issues such as the provincial councils and dual citizens. The provincial council issue should be solved immediately. If it is to remain a place of public representatives then people should be elected without Governors being allowed to run them. If there is no need for the provincial councils then the new Constitution should introduce alternatives.”
“We are a political movement and we have policies, one being that we are against the division of this country. We make our political decisions on that basis. It is the government that promised to bring a new Constitution to find a solution to the provincial council issue. Holding elections to the provincial councils is not the right thing to do, given the way the pandemic is raging across the country.
Lalkantha said that the government did not have a clear-cut policy with regard to anything and that had been the reason for the prevailing mess in politics and controlling the pandemic.
“It managed to take control of the first wave of the pandemic. We appreciate it though we have reservations and criticisms of the way the government allowed the virus to enter the country. It lost its grip over the second wave. Now, the pandemic has entered Parliament; the army and doctors are getting infected by the virus. Those who drank the Dhammika Peniya are getting infected. This is a serious situation and provincial council elections are the last thing the country needs,” the JVP stalwart said.
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Cardinal: Was there any link between passage of 20A and Easter Sunday probe outcome?

… stands by his claim of foreign involvement
By Norman Palihawadana
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday said that there could be a connection between the outcome of the probe into the Easter Sunday attacks and the enlisting of Muslim MPs’ support for the passage of the 20th Amendment.
The Cardinal said: “The leader of a Muslim political party voted against the 2Oth Amendment. But his MPs voted for it. The brother of Rishad Bathiudeen too was released around the same time. These are questionable developments. These events could be part of a deal.”
The Cardinal reiterated that international forces were behind the Easter Sunday attacks and that he did not believe that there had been any local political group directly involved in the Easter attacks.
Addressing the media yesterday, the Cardinal said that the remarks he made on Sunday had been misunderstood. He stood by his claim that international forces had been behind the attacks, he said.
“However, some people claim that I said a local political group was behind the attack. I have always maintained that there are international forces that use religious and ethnic extremists such as Wahabists to create conflicts. I was referring to such groups.”
The Cardinal added that only a small group of Muslims was involved in extremism.
The Archbishop also said that former President Maithripala Sirisena believed that taking action against extremists like NTJ leader Zahran Hashim would create unnecessary issues.
“Something along these lines is also in the PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks. The report also implies that the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was lenient in dealing with growing extremism in Sri Lanka.”
The Cardinal urged the government to protect the country and ensure that there would be no repeats of incidents like the Easter Sunday attacks.
The Archbishop of Colombo requested all religious leaders to work on rebuilding trust among all communities.
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AG appeals to Supreme Court against granting of bail to Ravi, others

The Attorney General yesterday appealed to the Supreme Court against bail for former Minister Ravi Karunanayake and seven others indicted in the bond case by the Colombo Special High Court Trial-at-Bar.
The eight accused were arrested and remanded over the bond scams. Later, they were released on bail.
The court warned that if the accused attempted to exert influence on the witnesses, by any means, bail would be revoked and they would be placed on remand until the end of the trial.
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26 more coronavirus cases detected in Jaffna Tirunelveli market area

Another 26 COVID-19 cases had been detected on Sunday, from the Tirunelveli Market in Jaffna, which was the epicentre of the recent outbreak in the town, Dr. A. Kethiswaran, Regional Director Health Services told the media yesterday.
The market and its surroundings had been reopened on April 11 following a 19-day lockdown. However, 378 PCR tests were conducted after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and 26 of them proved positive.
Dr. Kethiswaran warned last week that there might be a spike in COVID-19 cases in Jaffna after the New Year celebrations.
A large number of COVID-19 cases had been reported in Jaffna in the past few weeks. Thus, the people should adhere to health guidelines. If people did not follow the guidelines, there would be a spike in cases and then some places would have to be lockdown, he warned.
“It’s too early to say whether we have to close the area down. We are monitoring the situation,” DR. Kethiswaran said.
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