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NMSJ led by Karu demands abolition of 20A

The 20th amendment to the Constitution must be abolished and a new Constitution acceptable to all Sri Lankan citizens introduced expeditiously, Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) and former Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday (20) at a press conference.
Jaysuriya said: “We do not constantly draw attention to these issues without a valid cause. Our sole and sincere objective is to at least, after 73 years of independence, restore the long lost justice, fairness, unity and quality of life of our people. It is a responsibility that must be undertaken by the existing government.
“When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa inaugurated the Second Session of the 9th Parliament last Tuesday, he stated that steps have been taken to introduce a new Constitution. Therefore, we once again stress to the government that the proposed Constitution should be one presented by the people and Parliament. It should not be a Constitution drafted by government-appointed representatives as a majority in the country is not agreeable to the formation of a new Constitution through this process.
“Last week, we requested the President to inform the public of the government’s plans relating to this endeavour. I urge the government to take steps to make the public aware of the planned constitutional reform process prior to February 4 while pointing out that further delays would be unfavourable. We are speaking on behalf of the people to ensure that the promises made to them are fulfilled.
“We as a country today have a number of issues that need to be addressed urgently. It must be understood that the everyday lives of the people have been disrupted due to the lack of foreign exchange. This should not be taken as a criticism and instead be understood as a pertinent issue that must be addressed and resolved.
“However, the government has failed to take necessary action to resolve the matter and this is causing great harm. Instead of allowing two ministries to engage in a game of tug of war to secure foreign exchange, the government must take the lead to bring about a solution to the issue. The government cannot leave it to the ministries and wash their hands off the matter. The Minister of Finance in particular has a great responsibility to bear in this situation.
“If we are not able to solve this dilemma within the next few days, it must be pointed out that public life, the economy and the production process will collapse.
“As an independent civil society organisation, the National Movement for Social Justice constantly monitors parliamentary proceedings with great interest. With the commencement of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament, we urge the government to appoint the parliamentary committees that were dissolved following the prorogation of Parliament.
“We make this request not for political reasons but because we sincerely appreciate the dedicated, impartial and exemplary manner in which the parliamentary watchdog committees, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) have acted in the recent past.
“We strongly believe that the services of Prof. Charitha Herath, Prof. Tissa Vitharana and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, who served as Chairs of these Committees, should be further utilised in the future to better serve the interests of our people.
“It also must be noted that we sincerely hoped for a presidential pardon to be granted to veteran artiste Ranjan Ramanayake, especially at a time when the conversation on ‘One Country, One Law’ policy has come to the fore. However, the National Movement for Social Justice declares that our country is still not governed by ‘One Law’ but by unjust decisions that have been made based on political reasons.Therefore, it can only be said that the discriminatory treatment meted out to certain individuals solely based on political reasons is an inhumane form of hypocritical revenge.”
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Heat index, is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 29 April 2025, valid for 30 April 2025
The general public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
News
AKD’s fourth state visit

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a four-day state visit to Vietnam on 03 May, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. Since the presidential election, President Dissanayake has so far visited India, China and the UAE.
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Sri Lanka-Pakistan bilateral defence dialogue strengthens strategic ties – MoD

The 5th annual Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue commenced on Monday (April 28) in Islamabad, Pakistan, marking a continued commitment to strengthening defence cooperation between the two nations.
The MoD statement: “The Sri Lankan delegation is led by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha accompanied by Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and Additional Secretary (Defence) of the Ministry of Defence Jayantha Edirisinghe. The Pakistani delegation is headed by Lieutenant General (retd.) Muhammad Ali, Secretary Defence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In conjunction with the on-going defence dialogue, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha held a side-line meeting yesterday (April 29) with Defence Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
These high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics and explore opportunities for defence collaboration. Both nations share a longstanding relationship rooted in mutual respect and strategic cooperation. The dialogue reflects the growing importance of partnerships in maintaining stability and promoting peace in the South Asian region.
The three-day dialogue, which concludes today (April 30), is expected to reinforce bilateral defence ties and contribute to broader regional security objectives.
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