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Landmark judgment in election bribes case yet to be implemented

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/10

Thilina Walpola

PAFFREL: Disqualification of politico warning to ‘corrupt lot’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In spite of the Court of Appeal rejecting an appeal made by SLPP Monaragala Pradeshiya Sabha member D. M. Harshaka Priya Dissanayake, who was disqualified by the Monaragala High Court on charges of bribing voters at the last Local Government polls, the convict continued to be a member of the Monaragala PS, Executive Director, PAFFREL (People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections) Rohana Hettiarachchi said.

The last LG polls were held in 2018 during the Yahap-alana administration. Civil society activist Hettiarachchi said that the Monaragala High Court judge Ranga Dissanayake delivered a landmark judgment on Sept. 13, 2021, and the Court of Appeal rejected the SLPP member’s appeal on June 07, this year.Pointing out that the original ruling had been delivered over a year back, Hettiarachchi said that the inordinate delay in implementing the judgment was a matter of serious concern.

Those genuinely interested in free and fair elections should take up this issue, Hettiarachchi said, underscoring the responsibility on the part of the Parliament, political parties represented in Parliament, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), in this regard.

Having disqualified the elected member, the Monaragala High Court declared Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe as the duly elected representative for Maduruketiya division in the Monaragala PS. Hettiarachchi stressed that in the absence of a specific campaign financing law, the Monaragala High Court judgment was of paramount importance. The disqualified PS member was represented by President’s Counsel U.R. de Silva, the then President of the BASL.

Referring to the follow-up procedure in respect of such a verdict, Hettiarachchi said that in the wake of the rejection of the appeal, Monaragala High Court had to send the relevant ruling to the Election Commission, via the President.

Responding to another query, Hettiarachchi said though major political parties had been repeatedly accused of offering bribes to voters at presidential, parliamentary, provincial council and local government polls, they were never challenged in court. Hettiarachchi said that as the PAFFREL couldn’t move court against the Monaragala PS member on its own, the outfit had no option but to file a case through Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe who obtained the second highest number of votes.

Hettiarachchi said: “This historic ruling will serve as a deterrent to candidates at any level. They know their actions will be liable to be challenged subsequently. In addition, the need for enacting laws to limit election expenses by candidates and provision of a level playing field for all candidates in an election has been stressed.”

The Right to Information (RTI) Act had also proved helpful in acquiring information to secure the verdict, Hettiarachchi said. The PAFFREL was able to obtain lists of fresh connections provided to voters by the National Water Board and the Ceylon Electricity Board in terms of the RTI (Right to Information) Act paid by an ‘agent’ of the candidate. Hettiarachchi identified the person who made payments as a minor government employee.

Hettiarachchi said that they also sought the intervention of the Election Commission (EC) in this regard. PAFFREL has warned that there could be further complications if the disqualified member deliberately lost his seat by skipping PS sessions. If that happened, the SLPP could replace its member, thereby depriving the person named by the Monaragala High Court to serve the PS at least for a short period, Hettiarachchi said.

Waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement in the public sector had caused so much devastation, Hettiarachchi said, urging the electorate to be mindful of continuing poll malpractices. The unprecedented ruling delivered by the Monaragala High Court could give a mega boost to anti-corruption efforts at a time Sri Lanka recently received the attention of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as a country where economic crimes took place.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the Districts of Kurunegala and Ratnapura

Published

2 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued Landslide Early Warnings to the Districts of Kurunegala and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 23.04.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 24.04.2026

Accordingly,

Level 1 landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Rideegama in the Kurunegala district and Kuruwita, Kalawana, Ratnapura, Nivithigala, Pelmadulla and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.

Latest News

Advisory for Severe Lightning issued for the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and Ampara and Batticaloa districts

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
Issued at 12.00 noon 23 April 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 23 April 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 1.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
• Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

News

Compensation payments and reconstruction activities related to the Ditwah relief measures must be expedited with special attention at the district level – PM

Published

14 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that compensation payments and reconstruction activities related to the Ditwah relief measures must be expedited with special attention at the district level. She further stated that all necessary allocations have already been made to Provincial Councils and instructed that the progress of disaster damage assessments and reconstruction efforts be closely monitored at the provincial level.

The Prime Minister made these remarks at a discussion held on Tuesday (21) at Temple Trees under her patronage, aimed at informing Chairpersons of District Coordination Committees and public representatives from disaster-affected districts, in order to accelerate the implementation of the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme. The discussion focused on expediting disaster relief and compensation payments, as well as the swift restoration of infrastructure damaged by the disaster.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Rs. 500 billion has been allocated for damages caused by the Ditwah cyclone, and that all relevant development activities must be completed before the end of 2026. The Prime Minister also instructed officials to pay special attention to resolving issues at the local level that are causing delays in compensation payments.

Senior Additional Secretary to the President, G.M.R.D. Aponsu, stated that the estimated cost for reconstruction following the Ditwah cyclone is approximately USD 3.4 billion. Accordingly, funds have been allocated for compensation across several sectors including housing and social infrastructure, agriculture and livestock, fisheries, industry and livelihoods, and irrigation. He further noted that 99% of the Rs. 25,000 allowance has already been disbursed, while 95% of the Rs. 50,000 resettlement allowance has been paid. Compensation for fully and partially damaged houses is still ongoing, and 99% of temporary relief centres have been closed.

Additionally, attention was drawn to several other measures, including providing Rs. 25,000 to affected schoolchildren, paying Rs. 1 million as compensation for each deceased individual, compensation for children who lost one or both parents, support for persons with disabilities affected by the disaster, compensation for agricultural losses, and expediting resettlement of displaced families. Measures such as allocating land for new housing construction and accelerating the issuance of reports from the National Building Research Organization were also discussed.

Focus was also placed on the reconstruction of affected schools, hospitals, and daycare centres, improving the accuracy and speed of data collection at the local level, and accelerating infrastructure development.

The event was attended by Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Dr. Chandana Abayarathna, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperatives R.M. Jayawardena, Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Madhura Senevirathna, Members of Parliament, Chairpersons of District Coordination Committees, Chief of Staff to the President and Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Additional Secretary to the President Jayantha Bandara; and officials of the Prime Minister’s Office.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]