News
NPP pledges to hold illegal Indian fishers at bay
By Rathindra Kuruwita
A National Peoples’ Power (NPP) government would ensure that Indian fishermen would not poach brazenly in Sri Lankan waters, depriving Sri Lankan fishermen of their livelihood, NPP presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Jaffna on Thursday (05) evening.
During his speech, Dissanayake urged voters in Jaffna to make a crucial choice between continuing the destructive political path Sri Lanka has followed, since independence, or joining the NPP in marking a new national resurgence. He highlighted the need for a united front, inviting the people of Jaffna to stand with Muslims, Sinhalese, and Tamils outside the Northern and Eastern provinces in their collective call for change.
“You voted against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019, voted for Maithripala Sirisena in 2015, and Ranil Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister during the 2015-19 period. All those leaders have reneged on the promises they made to you,” Dissanayake said, adding, “On 21 September, we can put an end to the politics of deceit.”
The NPP candidate criticized the current political establishment, particularly focusing on independent candidate and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, accusing them of perpetuating corrupt and racist policies that have long undermined the country’s unity and prosperity. “The old politics that Sajith and Ranil represent is based on stoking racist sentiments,” he said.
Dissanayake also took aim at corruption, arguing that large-scale corruption has played a major role in destabilizing the country’s economy. He accused both Wickremesinghe and Premadasa of being tied to figures implicated in various corruption scandals, including the infamous Central Bank bond scams and mismanagement of public funds. “Ranil is flanked by those who have been accused of serious corruption,” he said, naming figures like Prasanna Ranatunga. He also claimed that Sajith Premadasa’s handling of the Central Cultural Fund was equally problematic. “We offer a path without corruption and waste; we will punish the crooks and seize properties made by stealing from the country.”
THe said that at the heart of NPP’s message was a vision for unity, equality, and justice. He argued that the current political system allows politicians to act above the law, citing the example of Wickremesinghe being found guilty of violating fundamental rights by the Supreme Court. “Under an NPP government, everyone will be equal before the law,” he assured the crowd.
Addressing the Tamil community’s political history, Dissanayake drew attention to their voting patterns in previous elections, where they voted against Rajapaksa-backed candidates. He urged the people of Jaffna to break from past trends and instead vote for positive change. “The 2024 vote is for change,” he said, urging voters to support the NPP and not the traditional parties that, in his view, have only led the country down the wrong path.
Dissanayake also criticizsed Tamil National Alliance MP M.A. Sumanthiran, arguing that his endorsement of Sajith Premadasa was a move against the very change the entire country seeks. “The ITAK wants you to vote against hope,” he said, emphasizing that the NPP stands as the only party that truly represents the aspirations of the people for a better, united Sri Lanka.
The Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief and support to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, continues to receive financial contributions on a daily basis.
Accordingly, the Containers Transport Owners Association made a financial contribution of Rs. 1.5 million, while the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers contributed Rs. 1.35 million to the Fund.
The respective cheques were formally presented to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19).
The occasion was attended by W. M. S. K. Manjula, Chairman of the Containers Transport Owners Association, together with Dilip Nihal Anslem Perera and Jayantha Karunadhipathi.
Representing the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers were Deshan Rajapaksa, Samudika Perera and Devshan Rodrigo handed over the cheque.
A meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation of UNICEF representatives was held on Saturday, (December 20) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister explained the measures taken by the Government to ensure the protection of the affected student community and to restore the damaged school system, as well as the challenges encountered in this process.
The Prime Minister stated that reopening schools located in landslide-prone areas would be extremely dangerous. Accordingly, the Government is focusing on identifying such schools and relocating them to suitable locations based on scientific assessments.
The Prime Minister further noted that financial assistance has been provided to students affected by the disaster, enabling parents to send their children back to school without an additional financial burden. Emphasizing that school is the safest place for children after their homes, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the school environment would help restore and improve students’ mental well-being
The Prime Minister also highlighted that attention has been given to several key areas, including the relocation of disaster-affected schools, restoration of school infrastructure, merging and operating certain schools jointly, facilitating teaching and learning through digital and technological strategies, and providing special transportation facilities. She emphasized that the Government is examining these issues and is committed to finding long-term solutions.
The UNICEF representatives commended the Government’s commitment and the initiatives undertaken to restore the education sector and assured their support to the Government. Both parties also discussed working together collaboratively on future initiatives.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives to Sri Lanka Emma Brigham, Lakshmi Sureshkumar, Nishantha Subash, and Yashinka Jayasinghe, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Director of Education Dakshina Kasturiarachchi, Deputy Directors Kasun Gunarathne and Udara Dikkumbura.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
Drug controversy:
“Setting up state-of-the-art drug testing facility will cost Rs 5 billion”
Activists call for legal action against politicians, bureaucrats
Serious questions have been raised over Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory system following revelations that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) quality control laboratory is not accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), casting doubt on both the reliability of local test results and the adequacy of oversight of imported medicines.
Medical and civil rights groups warn that the issue points to a systemic regulatory failure rather than an isolated lapse, with potential political and financial consequences for the State.
Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said the controversy surrounding the Ondansetron injection, which was later found to be contaminated, had exposed deep weaknesses in drug regulation and quality assurance.
Dr. Sanjeewa said that the manufacturer had confirmed that the drug had been imported into Sri Lanka on four occasions this year, despite later being temporarily withdrawn from use. The drug was manufactured in India in November 2024 and in May and August 2025, and imported to Sri Lanka in February, July and September. On each occasion, 67,600 phials were procured.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the company had informed the NMRA that the drug was tested in Indian laboratories, prior to shipment, and passed all required quality checks. The manufacturer reportedly tested the injections against 10 parameters, including basic quality standards,
pH value, visual appearance, component composition, quantity per phial, sterility levels, presence of other substances, bacterial toxin levels and spectral variations.
According to documents submitted to the NMRA, no bacterial toxins were detected in the original samples, and the reported toxin levels were within European safety limits of less than 9.9 international units per milligram.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the credibility of local regulatory oversight had come under scrutiny, noting that the NMRA’s quality control laboratory was not SLAB-accredited. He said establishing a fully equipped, internationally accredited laboratory would cost nearly Rs. 5 billion.
He warned that the failure to invest in such a facility could have grave consequences, including continued loss of life due to substandard medicines and the inability of the State to recover large sums of public funds paid to pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs.
“If urgent steps are not taken, public money will continue to be lost and accountability will remain elusive,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He added that if it was ultimately confirmed that the drug did not contain bacterial toxins at the time it entered Sri Lanka, the fallout would be even more damaging, severely undermining the credibility of the country’s health system and exposing weaknesses in health administration.
Dr. Sanjeewa said public trust in the health sector had already been eroded and called for legal action against all politicians and public officials responsible for regulatory failures linked to the incident.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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