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New political culture, altruistic leaders can save Sri Lanka: Deepika

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/28

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Now that the people have realised the need to fight for their rights, they should make a holistic effort to push lawmakers to create a political culture, where politicians were not entitled to unnecessary privileges, comforts, fancy vehicles, large security details, etc., says Former Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) Chairperson Dr. Deepika Udagama.

Dr. Udagama made said so, taking part in a political programme (Mawatha) on Sirasa TV.

“I am glad to see that eventually today’s younger generation has recognised their citizenship rights and risen against the deprivation of the people’s basic human rights where the government has not been able to make basic living needs accessible to them.

“In my view, the erosion of democracy over the years started with the advent of the all-powerful executive presidential system and then the 20th Amendment – a much uncivilized law – consolidated that trend. What we see today as an economic crisis, is the result of undermining our democracy over the years and even our food security through the recent ban on using chemical fertiliser which should have been done more methodically by listening to agricultural experts.”

“Although we have discussed democracy and human rights over the last few decades, it was difficult to convince those fundamentals to our society because they had trust that they would be able to achieve productive governance through the existing political system. As it has not happened and as the patience of the people has run out, now we see that the real citizen, that was in slumber, has eventually woken up. That is the silver lining I see in these dark clouds. I bow to the young people staging protests on the streets because they engage in these activities with restraint and in a mature way. They are not demanding the uplifting of their economic and financial wellbeing. They demand the creation of an accountable governance system for the citizens of the country.

“When people don’t have access to pharmaceutical drugs and medical treatments that is also a grave violation of a human right. When such social and economic rights were deprived and the social and political contract between the government and people was breached, they came forward to use their civil and political rights. They use the freedom of speech, take to the streets and make agitations. So, these rights need to be safeguarded or otherwise the people’s voice on those issues won’t be heard. The IMF knows very well about the ground realities in any country they fund facility programmes. So politicians should act with humility in tackling these issues. They need to be humble. They should listen to experts’ advice. I say this for both government and opposition politicians. Now, we hear the call to form an all-party interim administration. The authorities don’t seem to be responding to it.

“Although people are miserable, they have risen. They are in a rage. This, however, shows their energy, awareness and inspiration in terms of their democratic rights. We all need to get together to find solutions for this. My view is that we need to restore the economy soon or it will collapse completely, if that’s still not the case. But to resolve this in the long term, we must change the system of governance. We must create accountability of politicians to the people. For this, we must abolish the executive presidential system. We must bring in the 19th Amendment with appropriate changes because even an executive PM could turn to be adamant. The constitution needs to be changed with more democratic features.

“Leaders must listen to the young people’s voice as adults rather than mere leaders, and then we should see some degree of political discipline. Not only humble, they should be simple and altruistic. It doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon. But now we see the foundational stage for it. This momentum needs to be maintained and strengthened going forward.”

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Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.

The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

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CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

14 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️