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Nagananda: Ranil’s re-entry inconsistent with Constitution

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5 years ago

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SC to be moved against allegedly unauthorised changes in 14-A 

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Civil society activist Nagananda Kodituwakku says Article 99A of the Constitution, which deals with the National List is different from the Section endorsed by Parliament.

Asked to explain, Attorney-at-Law Kodituwakku claimed that the then Speaker had ratified the 14th Amendment that contained the Section on the National List after critical modification in respect of filling of the NL slots. The Constitution prohibited changes to Amendments/Bills at the time of the ratification by the Speaker, Kodituwakku stressed.

Parliament approved the 14th Amendment on May 4, 1988. Kodituwakku alleged that all political parties had chosen to remain silent as they benefited therefrom. 

Kodituwakku told The Island that Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa, who is also the Opposition Leader, hadn’t taken up the matter though he had been briefed on the UNP leader’s entry.

Responding to another query, Kodituwakku said that he had sought lawmaker Premadasa’s intervention because his father, the then Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Franchise and Election.

Making available the relevant pages containing parliamentary proceedings to The Island, Kodituwakku said the late Premadasa had told Parliament that NL members wouldn’t be appointed or nominated by the party outside the 29 names submitted to the Election Department/Election Commission.

According to the PSC recommendation which received parliamentary approval ahead of ratification by the Speaker, Secretaries of recognised political parties and Independent groups would have to nominate members from the list handed over to the Election Department/Election Commission. The PSC comprised Ranasinghe Premadasa, the late Lalith Athulathmudali, the late Gamini Dissanayake, the late K.W. Dewanayagam, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the late M. L. M. Aboosally, the late Shelton Ranaraja, Dinesh Gunawardena, the late V. Dharmalingham, the late Sarath Muttetuwegama and the late Maithripala Senanayake. According to Hansard, the late Anura Bandaranaike, the late Anil Moonesinghe and D.E.W. Gunasekera were in the PSC at different stages.

The PSC headed by the then PM Premadasa didn’t pave the way for defeated candidates or anyone out of the NL, according to the Hansard.

However, Section 99A surreptitiously had been introduced by the UNP at the time the Speaker signed the 14th Amendment into law, enabling defeated candidates to enter parliament through the National List, lawyer Koditiwakku said. In addition to that, the 99A stipulated that the NL slots should be filled within seven days after General Secretaries of respective political parties were asked to do so by the Election Department/Election Commission.

Kodituwakku said that in terms of the 99A Wickremesinghe couldn’t enter parliament via the NL. In other words, the failure on the part of the UNP to name its solitary NL MP within seven days after receiving intimation from the Election Commission automatically resulted in the forfeiture of the seat, lawyer Kodituwakku said, adding that the Election Commission, the Office of the Speaker and Election Monitoring groups should explain why they had remained quiet about the UNP given an opportunity to fill NL vacancy ten months after the last general election. 

Kodituwakku said that the nine-member group tasked with formulating a new draft Constitution should look into the matter, and that he intended to move the Supreme Court against the issue. According to him, due to manipulation of the parliamentary process, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution hadn’t been enacted therefore such an Amendment didn’t exist.

Lawyer Kodituwakku said that Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena, Ranil Wickremesinghe and D.E.W. Gunasekera could as members of the PSC chaired by the late Premadasa could help establish the truth. He emphasized that the controversy over 14th Amendment should be cleared when the expert group produced a draft Constitution.

Kodituwakku faulted SJB leader Premadasa for having turned a blind eye on a matter of crucial importance.

Kodituwakku pointed out that in terms of original PSC recommendation and the one incorporated in the 14th Amendment thereby in Constitution, Basil Rajapaksa, too, couldn’t enter parliament. Kodituwakku urged members of the Election Commission to study the Constitution and not to seek excuses to appease political parties.

Kodituwakku said that some time back, in response to a query raised by The Island, the then Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya had declared that there was no stipulated period for a political party to fill its NL slots. Kodituwakku pointed out that answer had been obviously based on the original PSC recommendation that was not incorporated in the Constitution. The Deshapriya’s move had proved that those in authority cleverly used both the PSC recommendation and the one surreptitiously introduced by the then Speaker at the behest of the then President, Kodituwakku said.


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Sri Lanka cannot procure Russian oil before US sanctions return – Champika

Published

2 mins ago

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2026/04/2

By

Patali Champika Ranawaka

… talks with Moscow cover fresh coal supplies

Eksath Janaraja Peramuna leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (01) said that Sri Lanka would not be able to secure oil from Russia before the reimposition of US sanctions on Russian oil. The former Minister said so at a joint Opposition media briefing in Colombo. He said it wouldn’t be possible to import Russian crude before the 12 April deadline.

Deputy Russian Energy Minister Roman Marshavin was here last week to discuss how the Russian Federation could help Sri Lanka meet its energy needs.

Sources familiar with the challenges faced by Sri Lanka, due to the disruption of crude/gas/refined products supply lines, said that the country’s only refinery needed crude to ensure the operation of the facility.

According to the Energy Ministry, during discussions with the delegation, led by Deputy Minister Marshavin, Sri Lanka was offered refined petrol, diesel and aviation fuel, in addition to crude oil. The discussions also covered the procurement of coal from Russia, according to the Ministry.

In 2025, the NPP government reached an agreement with an Indian supplier to bring in coal from South Africa. However, low-quality South African coal has caused a severe crisis due to the country’s only coal-fired power plant at Norochcholai failing to generate at the required levels, parliamentary sources said, referring to a report submitted by the CEB to the Parliament.

Meanwhile, informed sources said that there had been some discussions between Sri Lanka and India regarding the proposed move by the NPP government to procure oil directly from India.

Ranawaka said that of the six promised crude ships, four wouldn’t be coming, regardless of assurances given by the government. He alleged the government was trying to deceive the public that power cuts were inevitable due to continuing drought but the truth is the low-quality coal that caused the crisis. The recently announced electricity tariff hike, too, was due to the coal fraud, he alleged. (SF)

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Japanese boost for public transport here

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4 mins ago

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2026/04/2

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Transport, Highways and Urban Development Ministry Secretary, Senior Professor K. Kapila C. K. Perera, and Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata signed the agreement (pic courtesy Japanese embassy)

Japan will provide USD 362,476 (approx. Rs. 112 million), under “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), to provide eight large low-floor buses for public transportation here.

Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata and Transport, Highways and Urban Development Secretary Senior Professor K. Kapila C. K. Perera signed the agreement in this regard recently.

The project developed following discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Ms. Akiko Ikuina, the then Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan during her visit to Sri Lanka in February 2025, where a request was made by the President for the provision of large low-floor buses from Japan.

Emphasising the significance of the project, Ambassador Isomata remarked: “The large low-floor buses to be provided, which are completely refurbished used vehicles, comply with Euro 4 emission standards, ensuring that they are profoundly environmentally friendly. This project directly supports the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative—one of the current administration’s most vital policies—by advancing the “greening” of the transport sector. By introducing these high-standard vehicles, we aim to address critical urban challenges: alleviating traffic congestion, enhancing economic efficiency, thus contributing to the reduction of economic losses incurred by traffic congestion. The large low-floor buses, by being accessible to the elderly people and persons with disabilities, also aligns with the concept of “human security, “which the Government of Japan adopts as one of the major pillars of its diplomacy with the aim of protecting and empowering the vulnerable people to live in dignity. I believe these buses help improve the overall Quality of Life (QOL) of the Sri Lankans by facilitating the smooth mobility of the workforce.”

Commenting on the receiving of this grant assistance, Senior Professor K. Kapila C. K. Perera, Secretary of Transport, Highways and Urban Development , stated:

“This valuable donation represents a significant step towards modernining and enhancing the efficiency of the public transport service, which plays an essential role in the day-to-day life of the people of Sri Lanka, and we believe it will provide direct and long-term benefits in improving their living standards. We express our sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for their contribution towards the long-term programme to make the national vision of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life” a reality for the people of Sri Lanka, and we firmly believe that this will further strengthen the enduring and long-term relations between the two countries, fostering a collaborative effort to build a mutually beneficial future.”

Since 1989, Japan has been providing a total of USD 62 million in assistance for Sri Lanka through the GGP (Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects) scheme.

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2025 GCE AL: 62% qualify for Uni entrance; results of 111 suspended

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6 mins ago

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2026/04/2

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The Examinations Department has said that 62.64 percent of the total applicants who sat the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination qualified for university admission.

The results of the 2025 A/L Exams were released on Tuesday (31).

The Department of Examinations released the names of the students who secured the highest ranks across all subject streams.

The full list of top achievers across all streams is as follows:

Biological Science stream

• First Place: Dilan Sanjana (Royal College, Colombo)

• Second Place: Krishan Sasidu Namthara (Taxila Central College, Horana)

• Third Place: Darshana Konesh (Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College, Trincomalee)

Physical Science Stream

• First Place: Devendan Thirukumaran (Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalaya)

• Second Place: Tharusha Gimhana Gamlath (Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala)

• Third Place: Vinura Prasad de Mel (Sri Sumangala Boys’ College, Panadura)

Commerce Stream

• First Place: Subaideen Mohamed Fardhan (Kattankudy Central College)

• Second Place: Senadi Dihasna Sumanasekara (Musaeus College, Colombo)

• Third Place: Dileepa Sandaras Karunaratne (Bandaranayake College, Gampaha)

The Commissioner General of Examinations, A.K.S. Indika Kumari Liyanage, also announced that 62.64% of candidates who sat the Examination have qualified for university entrance.

The A/L exam results were released Tuesday (31).

Out of a total of 281,810 candidates who sat the examination, 176,527 qualified for university admission. Additionally, the Department of Examinations stated that the results of 111 candidates have been withheld.

Meanwhile, a total of 7,477 school candidates, representing 3.38% of the total number of school applicants, obtained ‘A’ grades in all subjects. Furthermore, 823 private candidates also secured ‘A’ passes across all subjects.

The percentage of university admission eligibility by subject stream are as follows:

1. Biological Science – 59.56% (school candidates) and 58.43% (private candidates)

2. Physical Science – 63.96% and 61.59% respectively

3. Commerce – 72.02% and 66.29%

4. Arts – 67.57% and 63.57%

5. Engineering Technology – 64.85% and 62.65%

6. Bio Systems Technology – 71.76% (school candidates) and 70.24% overall

7. Other Subjects – 55.39% and 51.45%

Provincial distribution of candidates qualifying for university admission is as follows:

1. Western Province – 69.42%

2. North Western Province – 68.48%

3. Northern Province – 66.91%

4. Eastern Province – 66.32%

5. Southern Province – 65.69%

6. Sabaragamuwa Province – 64.97%

7. Uva Province – 63.53%

8. Central Province – 63.04%

9. North Central Province – 60.91%

Results of 111 candidates who had faced the exam have been suspended due to various reasons, according to the Department.

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