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Kiriella urges govt. to prevent UK moving resolution at UNHRC against Sri Lanka in March

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By Saman Indrajith

Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday called on the government to take action to prevent the United Kingdom from moving a UN resolution against the country next March.

During the third reading debate yesterday, the MP said that he had warned about the present situation the previous day in the House. “During the committee stage debate on the financial vote on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs I warned the government. I recalled that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised former UN General Secretary Ban ki-moon an internal war crimes probe. Since the Rajapaksa government did not implement the promise we, under the yahaplana government, agreed to conduct an internal investigation. Later, the incumbent government withdrew from the UNHRC resolution.. I told you that this situation would not be beneficial to the country. Now the UK parliament has passed a motion to submit a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council because Sri Lanka withdrew from its commitment. It was announced in the UK parliament on Wednesday that they would submit it in coming March.

If the UK moves that resolution the country will have another problem to contend with. We would be pushed back to the pre-2015 situation. Three resolutions hadve been passed against us. We were on the verge of facing economic sanctions in 2015. This is a serious matter. You should act fast to remedy this latest problem.”



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Schools closed on 13th and 14th November

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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

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Rohana Hettiarachchi

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

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…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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