News
Karu asks govt. not to scrap 19A arbitrarily
Former UNP Karu Jayasuriya yesterday (21) urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to do away with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution without consulting all stakeholders. Former UNP Gampaha District lawmaker, in a statement issued yesterday said that if the government abolished the 19th Amendment, and a new Constitution passed, that must be done after wide consultation with all stakeholders, including all political parties, citizens’ organizations, and eminent individuals and general public.
The following is the full text of the statement issued in response to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s policy statement: “It is my pleasure to send good wishes to the 9th Parliament that was declared open yesterday (August 20th). The new Parliament embodies the strong mandate given to the government. It is also welcome that more than a third of the Parliamentarians are first-time members, reflecting the people’s wish for a fresh start.
The observations made here in good faith are based on the 2/3 mandate sought and received by the Government at the Parliamentary election held this month.
In his policy speech, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced the wish of his government to abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and, subsequently, to introduce new constitution to the country. The 19th Amendment was a near-unanimous amendment to the Constitution. It was passed with an unprecedented 215 votes in favour.
As a person who has dedicated the whole political career to the cause of strengthening Sri Lanka’s democracy, I would like to draw the attention of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government to the need to protect and enhance the essence of democracy embedded in the 19th Amendment.
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution embodies the democratic aspirations of the people at the time of its adoption. The only progressive reform before the 19th Amendment was the 17th Amendment to the Constitution that was passed in 2001.
The 17th amendment was born as a result of the public outcry during the famous Wayamba Elections where several malpractices, killings, arson and harassment took place. Members of the clergy of all faiths, academics and members of the opposition, civil society and professionals voluntarily formed into a ‘citizens committee’ that drafted the first document. The committee was chaired by me when I served as the Mayor of Colombo. The JVP agreed to support the then PA/SLFP government on the basis that 17th Amendment was introduced. Although independent commissions were formed the Elections Commission did not function due to the disagreement with regard to the Chair. Then President was not agreeable to appoint the suggested name. The Elections Commission was established in 2015.
As envisioned by Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha thero, the 19th Amendment could build on that and strengthened the Parliament, reduced excessive powers accumulated in Presidency, re-introduced independent commission to ensure that critical institutes of the country such as public service, judiciary, electoral system, human rights and Police etc. are protected from political influence. It also introduced the Constitutional Council, with the membership of the government, Opposition, and the civil society to have a process by which appointments to important positions and independent commissions are made with a national consensus.
In the spirit of the 19th Amendment, it is welcoming to note that the President appointed 26 Ministers to the Cabinet, thereby following the 30-member limit introduced under 19A. Further, the Right to Information Act, which is considered as one of the best in the world, has been integrated into the 19A, by way of recognising Right to Information as a fundamental right. This is the only improvement to the fundamental rights introduced under the 1978 constitution.
These reforms have been enacted after wide consultation and negotiation within the Parliament and the civil society. In fact, the majority of the approving votes came from the UPFA members, led by President Maithripala Sirisena in 2015. Besides, even the present Parliament consists of a majority of members who have voted for the 19th Amendment.
In this situation, if the government abolishes the 19th Amendment, and a new Constitution is passed, that must be done after wide consultation with all stakeholders, including all political parties, citizens’ organisations, and eminent individuals and general public.
Democracy is a much-valued legacy of Sri Lanka and people treasure the freedoms they have. 19th Amendment symbolises this democratic spirit. I request President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to undertake to properly analyze and evaluate any technical shortcomings of the 19th Amendment while respecting and upholding the essence of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in future reforms. As the proverb goes, one should not ‘throw the baby away with the bath water’. As such, respect for democracy and rule of law is mandatory for us to rise as a proud nation in the world.
As a responsible and concerned citizen, I wish good luck to the new government and the proposed constitution-making process, with the sincere hope that it will strengthen Sri Lanka’s democracy and provide an inclusive platform for the country to achieve prosperity for all.
The Sri Lanka Navy successfully recovered its Fast Attack Craft P 4447 following a successful salvage operation, bringing a multi-stage emergency response to a close.
The craft, which ran into distress during a routine patrol on 15th August 2026 off Angulana, was brought to the surface on 11th September, from a depth of approximately 80 feet. It was
subsequently towed to the Colombo Dockyard premises.
The initial phase of the operation immediately following the incident focused on search and rescue. A joint effort involving the Navy, Air Force, Police, and local fishermen from Angulana
resulted in the rescue of 11 crew members. The search and rescue phase drew to a close with the recovery of the remains of the Second in Command of the craft, on 4th September.
Following the search and rescue phase, specialized Navy diving and salvage teams launched a dedicated recovery phase against rough sea conditions and underwater challenges, adhering to
strict safety protocols. The Navy’s marine, hull, electrical, and electronic engineering teams utilized specialized technical know-how and equipment to raise the vessel in stages.
Thus, the salvage operation marked an outstanding achievement attained through the professionalism, technical expertise of Navy divers, and coordinated contribution of all
engineering and technical branches of the Sri Lanka Navy. Technical support and specialized expertise were also extended by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Colombo Dockyard PLC.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Opposition should intensity its focus on the forthcoming selection of a member of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and remain vigilant as Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne, MP, the head of the Constitutional Council (CC) tasked with making the relevant recommendation, is under investigation by the CIABOC, sources familiar with the ongoing inquiry told The Island.
Chethiya Goonasekara, PC, is expected to complete his three-year term on Dec 31, 2026. Sources pointed out that CIABOC Commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation made by the 10-member Constitutional Council.
The CIABOC initiated the investigation following a complaint lodged by suspended Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne in early February this year. Sources said that as Goonasekera is scheduled to complete his term toward the end of 2026, the CC would have to call applications soon to choose the successor.
Goonasekara received his appointment from President Ranil Wickremesinghe in January 2024. A Justice W. M. N. P. Iddawala was appointed Chairman of the CIABOC. The other commissioner is K. Bernard Rajapakse.
Asked whether Iddawala and Rajapakse, too, would complete their terms soon, sources said that in terms of the Anti-Corruption Act No 09 of 2023, the Chairman of CIABOC would hold office for a period of five years, second commissioner (K. Bernard Rajapakse) for four years and the third commissioner (Chethiya Goonasekara) for a period of three years.
Sources said that the Opposition as well as civil society representatives in the CC should take up the issue of Speaker facing an investigation by the CIABOC taking part in the forthcoming selection process. Responding to queries, sources emphasized that the issue was whether in terms of Section 107 of the Anti-Corruption Act the participation of the Speaker in the selection process amounted to a violation of the Act itself.
The current members of the CC are Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, Speaker and Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister, Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, Bimal Rathnayake, MP, Aboobucker Athambawa, MP, Ajith P. Perera, MP, Sivagnanam Shritharan, MP, Austin Fernando, Civil society representative, Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne, Civil society representative and Ranjith Ariyaratne, Civil society representative.
Sources pointed out that in spite of the sensitivity of the case, the CIABOC recorded Kularatne’s statement in the second week of August, six months after he lodged the complaint.
The CIABOC on 3, 8 and 10 Sept recorded the statements from the Transport Officer, Deputy Director, Administration and Assistant Director, Finance regarding the use of facilities by the Speaker, those assigned to his staff and other relevant matters.
The NPP named Dr. Wickramaratne as the Speaker after Asoka Ranwala resigned over controversy regarding his higher education qualifications.
SJB lawmaker Dayasiri Jayaskera has repeatedly raised the issues concerning the Speaker with the focus also on the Speaker using two government-managed residences, relevant staff in addition to expenditure on food, transport and fuel provided to the Speaker’s private secretary.
Political sources said that trouble erupted after the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Council in late January sacked Kularatne accusing him of providing false information to secure his appointment. Before being appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament in 2023, Kularatne held several high-ranking positions, including Secretary to the Chief Government Whip, Additional Secretary to the President, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Additional Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition.
The SJB declared in Parliament that Ranwala should be brought back as the Speaker as they have no faith in Wickramaratne. MP Mujibur Rahuman jokingly told parliament that the Opposition wouldn’t raise Ranwala’s educational qualifications.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has stressed the need to conduct a comprehensive countrywide cadre revision urgently.
GMOA spokesman Dr. Lasitha Dhammika told The Island that the failure on the part of successive governments to conduct cadre revision caused the deterioration of the public sector health services. Due to the absence of required statistics, they hadn’t been able to fully comprehend the situation on the ground and to ascertain the requirements of the public.
Dr. Dhammika pointed out the expansion of the services without supporting statistics and the need to initiate an immediate cadre revision. According to him, the GMOA had raised this issue with successive governments without success. The GMOA spokesman said that they also sought relevant information from the Health Ministry in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act two weeks ago but was yet to receive response.
(SF)
Fast Attack Craft P 4447 recovered in successful salvage operation
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-central and North-western provinces
Shafali, Mandhana power India to eighth Asia Cup title
Tharanga wins Ultimate Javelin title
CIABOC member’s appointment: Controversy over Speaker under probe heading selection process
GMOA: Countrywide cadre revision not done since 2015
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Sports3 days agoDDS set to lose Test captaincy
-
News6 days agoThailand shuts door on undesirables from Sri Lanka
-
News3 days agoSri Lanka faces new grid challenge as rooftop solar surges: former CEB GM
-
Business6 days agoCEB successor company breaks into top three in competitive BESS tender
-
Latest News3 days agoShafali, Deepti power India into sixth T20 Asia Cup final
-
Opinion5 days agoNavigating Sri Lanka’s Israeli Dilemma
-
Latest News2 days agoSri Lanka thwart Fatima Sana challenge to secure Asia Cup final spot
-
Features4 days agoLost for 90 years: Rare Goby resurfaces in Jaffna