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Pramitha chides SJB over Diana’s National List appointment, declares support for finance bills

Published

11 months ago

2024/05/24

Pramitha Bandara-Diana Gamage

State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon has told Parliament that the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has conveniently forgot that ousted State Minister Diana Gamage was one of its National List MPs.Referring to various statements made by SJB MPs both in and outside parliament, the Matale District lawmaker said that they were talking as if she had been appointed to parliament by the SLPP.

Of the 29 National List slots, the SLPP secured 17 and the SJB seven. The remaining five NL seats were shared one each by five political parties, including the JVP (Dr. Harini Amarasuriya) and UNP (Ranil Wickremesinghe/Vajira Abeywardena)

State Defence Minister Tennakoon tabled a letter dated Aug 12, 2020 sent to the then Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya signed by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP. According to that letter, the following had been named as SJB NL members: Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Tissa Attanayake, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Eran Wickremaratne, Harin Fernando, Mayantha Dissanayake and Diana Gamage.

Tennakoon said Gamage would have been still in parliament if not for the dispute she had with the SJB. Acknowledging that Diana Gamage served as a State Minister, he emphasised that she worked with the government as an appointed member of the SJB.

MP Tennakoon said that Diana Gamage’s status couldn’t be changed even though the SJB’s narrative tried to erase their involvement. The State Minister commented on the ousted MP during the debate on the Economic Transformation Bill and the Public Financial Management Bill presented to parliament on Wednesday.

Declaring his support for the controversial finance bills, MP Tennakoon urged the Opposition not to mix politics, economics, history and the current developments while underscoring the responsibility on the part of all to recognize what he called a new economic formula.

Declaring that China never mixed politics with economy, the State Minister said that Vietnam pursued capitalist economic policies in a communist environment.

Alleging that various interested parties always played politics with the national economy MP Tennakoon explained how national carrier Sri Lanka had become an unbearable burden on the country. The State Minister pointed out how over a period of time Sri Lankan profitably run by Emirates was allowed to deteriorate to such an extent successive governments today struggled to cope up with its predicament.

MP Tennakoon said that the country had been politically bankrupt a long time before the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government declared financial bankruptcy in March or April 2022.

MP Tennakoon said that whoever was in power the people never allowed politicians and other known figures to work. Those who rendered yeoman service to the country had been humiliated and in some instances forced to leave the country.

Tennakoon said that the son of the person who led the protest campaign against the Kandalama hotel three decades ago now worked for that world class hotel. Various interested parties propagated scare stories. People actually believed that the construction of that hotel would destroy that area, particularly the Kandalama wewa. Today, they had been proved wrong, the MP said. (SF)

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Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala districts

Published

6 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 26 April 2025, valid for 27 April 2025.

The 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 Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala 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.

Latest News

Minister of Foreign Affairs pays his last respects to Pope Francis

Published

6 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath represented Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday [26]

News

RW to visit CIABOC on Monday

Published

8 hours ago

2025/04/27

Thilina Walpola

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) tomorrow (28) over the statement he had made on MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, his lawyers have informed the Commission.

Accordingly, the former President will appear before the commission at 9.30am on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was initially summoned by the Commission to CIABOC on April 17 in relation to a statement he had made about the corruption case filed against NDF (gas cylinder) MP Dassanayake.

In response to the previous summons, Wickremesinghe had indicated that he is prepared to appear before the commission but requested a different date citing that his lawyers will not be available in Colombo during the New Year holiday period.

Accordingly, a new was provided and Wickremesinghe requested to appear before the commission at 09.30 a.m. on Thursday (April 25).On April 7, Wickremesinghe had said that MP Dassanayake withdrew the fixed deposits belonging to the Uva Provincial Council, over which he is now facing corruption charges, in accordance with a circular issued during Wickremesingher’s tenure as Prime Minister.

The former President questioned whether the MP’s arrest over the matter was in response to Dassanayake’s vocal criticism of the government in parliament.

The sitting MP is currently in remand custody for allegedly misappropriating a sum of Rs. 1 million of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016.

He was taken into custody on March 27, over three separate corruption-related cases.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court previously granted bail in the cases filed against him but he remains in remand custody due to an order issued by the Badulla Magistrate’s Court.

According to the CIABOC, Dassanayake had solicited funds from three state banks, claiming they were intended to provide bags for preschool children in the province.

Two banks complied, granting him Rs. 1 million and Rs. 2.5 million, which were later transferred to his foundation account.

However, when a third bank refused to provide funds, Dassanayake reportedly retaliated by withdrawing the Uva Provincial Council’s fixed deposits from that institution.The CIABOC filed a case against the MP, citing the government incurred a financial loss of Rs. 17.3 million due to his actions.