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Political stability prerequisite for talks with IMF – former CBSL Dy Governor

New amendment proposed by Romesh, Manohara not acceptable
By Shamindra Ferdinando
One-time Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. W. A. Wijewardena yesterday (11) urged the beleaguered Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government to restore political stability before talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington or face the consequences.
Dr. Wijewardena said so when The Island sought his views on the forthcoming talks between Sri Lanka and the IMF scheduled to begin on April 18.
Dr. Wijewardena, who resigned in 2009 after having served as Deputy Governor for a period of nine years said that political stability here was a prerequisite for Washington talks.
Political parties represented in Parliament couldn’t be unaware of the danger in sitting down for talks in Washington while a massive countrywide protest campaign was on, demanding the resignation of the President and the entire government.
Former General Secretary of the Communist Party D.E.W. Gunasekera, too, warned protracted political dispute within the ruling coalition and another between the government and the Opposition could undermine ongoing efforts to restore economic stability.
Pointing out that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s offer to accommodate Opposition political parties in the cabinet in a bid to restore stability in the wake of Mirihana violence had been rejected, the former Minister said that the SLPP, too, was in a much weaker position today.
Contrary to various reports in mainstream and social media, the government hadn’t been able to finalize an interim cabinet with or without the Opposition for over a week, the CP veteran said, adding that the resignation of Ali Sabry, PC, one of the four ministers sworn in as ministers on April 04, but his decision to continue certainly didn’t help the government.
The government delegation to talks with the IMF comprised Finance Minister Ali Sabry, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena and Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe.
Former lawmaker Gunasekera said that further delay in resolving the political crisis would cause irreparable damage to the national economy. Responding to another query, the veteran politician said that pestering forex crisis had been transformed in to the worst ever situation with the toxic combination of financial, political and social crises overwhelming the country.
Meanwhile, President of the Bar Association (BASL) Saliya Peiris, PC, yesterday (11) said the BASL couldn’t take a stand on proposed amendment to address the issues at hand now.
The PC said so in response to The Island query whether the BASL would comment on the amendment proposed by two of Sri Lanka’s eminent lawyers, Romesh de Silva and Manohara de Silva, both members of the 09-member team that recently finalized draft Constitution as requested by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The BASL Chief said that they could respond in case the government made its position public in respect of the proposed amendment.
The text of the proposed AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
The following Article to be inserted after Article 44 and shall be numbered as Article 44A
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, the President may in extraordinary and special circumstances –
(a) Remove from office the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers
(b) Appoint a Prime Minister in accordance with paragraph (3) of Article 43 subject to the approval of Parliament.
(c) Appoint a Cabinet of Ministers consisting of not more than fifteen Ministers who –
i. Have the expertise in the subject and function assigned to him under sub paragraph (d) and,
ii. are not Members of Parliament or of any political party:
Provided that, the appointment of each of the members of the Cabinet of Ministers is approved by Parliament:
Provided further that the Appointment of each of such members is approved by the majority of the members of Parliament who are not members of the party of which the Prime Minister is a member
(d) Assign subjects and functions to such Minister, provided that such Minister has the expertise in any such subject and is capable of performing the functions so assigned.
(2)The Cabinet of Ministers appointed under paragraph (1) shall function for a period of one year and may be reappointed until the next Parliamentary election is concluded, subject to the approval of Parliament
Manohara de Silva told The Island said that they did it as a citizens’ initiative in the interest of the public.
However, Opposition political and other civil society sources explained that the proposal made by the two President’s Counsels was contrary to the ongoing campaign demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the removal of the entire cabinet of ministers. The proposed amendment sought to strengthen the executive presidency further and was nothing but a further boost to the dictatorial 20th Amendment enacted in late Oct 2020.
Top Samagi Jana Balavegaya spokesperson Mujibur Rahuman said that the vast majority of members of Parliament opposed the 20A now. They wouldn’t under any circumstances back an amendment meant to further consolidate executive powers against the backdrop of calamitous 20A, the Colombo District MP said.
Manohara de Silva said that a copy of the proposed amendment was also submitted to SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera recently told The Island that their party wouldn’t in anyway support further consolidation of the 20A. Instead, the SLFP felt that the 19th Amendment should be restored with amendments in line with overall efforts to save the country from anarchy.
News
Numerous Clean Sri Lanka initiatives were implemented in Anuradhapura during Poson week

Aligned with the 2025 National Poson Festival, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat spearheaded several environmentally conscious initiatives during Poson Week, including maintaining cleanliness in areas surrounding the Atamasthana (Eight Sacred Places). Key waste management measures included the establishment of permanent, covered enclosures for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste receptacles near the Atamasthana and Mihintale. Dedicated plastic bottle collection bins were strategically placed alongside general waste bins and in collaboration with Ceypetco, discarded barrels were repurposed as waste containers.
Significant support came from sponsors including the Irrigation Department, ARPICO, Rambewa Mechanical Engineering Works, the Cargills and Keells Group (for plastic containers), Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka (for plastic collection bins), and Ceypetco and the Sri Lanka Army (for waste bins).
Additional safety and awareness initiatives included placing waste bins near bathing areas and bridges adjacent to major reservoirs (Tissa Wewa, Basawakkulama Wewa, Nuwara Wewa, Mahakanadarawa Wewa, Nachchaduwa Wewa, Bulankulama Wewa and Kunchikulama Wewa) to reduce littering. Warning signs were installed at hazardous locations and lifesaving personnel and naval craft were deployed during the Poson Week.
Waste bins for bridge areas were supplied by Phoenix Industries and ARPICO, while informational signage around the Sacred City was sponsored by AIA, Ceylinco and Sri Lanka Insurance. Overall coordination was managed by the Anuradhapura Municipal Commissioner.
A Clean Sri Lanka coordination centre established within the Poson Zone facilitated awareness programmes for schoolchildren and the general public on themes such as environmental stewardship and intergenerational responsibility. These efforts involved Provincial and District Secretaries and institutions including the Post-Harvest Technology Institute. Additional programmes were held targeting public officials and citizens focused on national food security, financial literacy and ethical public service.
Environmental sustainability projects carried out during the week included canal cleaning in collaboration with the Irrigation Department, Provincial Irrigation Department and the Department of Agrarian Development and a tree-planting initiative titled “Environmental Security” in partnership with the Forest Conservation Department and school communities.
Personality development and leadership workshops were also conducted. A full-day session was held on 7 June 2025 at St. Thomas’ College, Anuradhapura (7:30 AM to 7:30 PM), sponsored by Perera & Sons, the Anuradhapura Lions Club and the Dream Force Sri Lanka Society. Similar workshops were conducted at Maithripala Senanayake Vidyalaya and Swarnamali Balika Vidyalaya.
On 11 June 2025, a morning awareness session for rural farmers was held, covering Post-Harvest Technology (presented by C.R. Gunawardana, National Post-Harvest Management Institute) and Financial Management (presented by Duminda Disanayake, Central Bank of Sri Lanka), featuring a special address by MP Susantha Kumara Navaratne.
On the morning of 12 June 2025, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat and the Anuradhapura Municipal Council jointly conducted a waste removal drive at the Basawakkulama Wewa tank bund, extracting plastic, polythene and other refuse. Participants included venerable monks from the Sri Lanka Bhikkhu University Bhikkhu Student Association, Anuradhapura Mayor N. Karunaratne, the Association President and lay devotees. That afternoon, the Secretariat’s Music Therapy programme began at the Surapura Open Air Theatre, Anuradhapura, attended by over a thousand personnel from the armed forces, police, Civil Security Department and state institutions.
A special lecture was also delivered by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Madhura Gunawardana.
[PMD]
News
Workshop on the use of AI to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the public service

A special workshop on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the public service into a more productive and efficient entity was held on Sunday (15) at Temple Trees.
Titled “AI for Transforming Public Service,” the workshop was attended by officials of the Presidential Secretariat. It aimed to serve as an initial orientation for a major government initiative, the digitalization of the public service, by raising awareness and preparing officials, while also fostering a positive perception of artificial intelligence within the public sector.
Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Senior Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy, delivered the keynote address. Sanjaya Karunaseena, Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, also presented a brief address. Subsequently, Harsha Purasinghe and Samisa Abeysinghe, board members of ICTA, conducted awareness sessions incorporating practical demonstrations.
The event was also attended by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage and several other senior officials from the Presidential Secretariat.
News
SC appointment: AKD withdraws his nominee, SJB to raise issue in House

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has withdrawn the nomination of Court of Appeal Judge M. T. Mohamed Lafar to the Supreme Court, amidst an intense controversy in legal circles over the nomination at issue even before the occurrence of a vacancy in the apex court. The matter would be raised in Parliament, SJB lawmaker Dayasiri Jayaskera said.
President Dissanayake owed the country an explanation as to why that nomination was made in such a hurry, Jayasekera said. “President Dissanayake is believed to have sent Lafar’s nomination to the Constitutional Council on 9 June, before he left for Germany on an official tour,” he said.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne heads the 10-member CC.
Former Minister Jayasekera said that he was aware of the decision to withdraw Lafar’s nomination.
Speaker’s Office sources told The Island that they couldn’t comment on the issue without consulting the Speaker. Sources in the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said that a couple of judicial appointments were due soon and the BASL’s official comment could be made available once it studied the developments.
Other sources said that the President intended to fill the vacancy to be created by justice Gamini Amarasekera’s retirement, on 20 June, with Lafar, who is the current President of the Court of Appeal. However, Lafar is to retire on 18 June, after having reached the retirement age on 18 June, sources said.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake couldn’t be contacted for comment.In terms of the Constitution, the President has to consult the Chief Justice regarding nominations before they are forwarded to the CC.
MP Jayasekera said that he would seek the government parliamentary group response to the Supreme Court matter. The NPP, having accused all previous governments of wrongdoings, couldn’t be allowed to manipulate judicial appointments, he added. (SF)
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