News
NPP MP: PC polls will be held but timing unclear
National People’s Power (NPP) Member of Parliament K. Ilankumaran has said the Provincial Council elections will be held without delay but declined to give a timeline or potential date for the polls, Northern sources said.
Speaking to the media in Jaffna recently, Ilankumaran said that the elections would be conducted at the earliest possible opportunity. He acknowledged that the legislation required to facilitate the Provincial Council elections has yet to be enacted, but said steps were already underway to draft and pass the necessary Bill in order to move forward with the process.
The lawmaker emphasised that Sri Lanka’s ruling NPP government would not postpone any election, under any circumstances, rejecting the practice of delaying democratic processes that has characterised successive governments in Sri Lanka in the past.
However, Ilankumaran then went on to claim that while the government currently holds a parliamentary majority and is, therefore, capable of passing legislation with ease, it would not exercise that power in an “authoritarian manner”.
The MP stated that the Provincial Council legislation would only be enacted after consulting the public and taking the views of the people into account.
Referring to previous governments, including that of JRJ, MP Ilankumaran said that unlike during the era of J.R. Jayewardene, the present government would not enact laws, arbitrarily, simply because it commands a parliamentary majority. He reiterated that only legislation formulated through public consultation and accepted by the people would be passed in Parliament.
Provincial Council elections have been repeatedly delayed for years, particularly affecting the Tamil homeland, where the absence of elected provincial governance has entrenched centralised control.
Members of the South Asian Journalists Forum have gathered at the University of New Delhi for a two day conference themed ‘Peace and Co-operation’.
Journalists from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India are attending the conference hosted by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the India Chapter of SJF, and will deliberate on how the media can act as a catalyst for regional stability and mutual coexsistence.
A tree plantation campaign was also held at the Ghandi Bhawan premises of the University to mark the event and symbolize growing regional ties.
The Sri Lanka delegation is led by President of SJF’s Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi.
The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.
These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.
The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.
The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.
Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.
During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.
The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.
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