News

President’s speech on LG elections 85% false – Polls monitors

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/25

By Rathindra Kuruwita

At least 85 percent of the speech President Ranil Wickremesinghe made in Parliament on the local council elections, on Thursday, was misleading and it was an attempt to influence the courts, Sri Lankan election monitors said yesterday.

D. M. Dissanayake, Head of Operation at the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said the Elections Commission had taken steps to hold elections on 09 March, as per the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262). By stating that the Commission had not acted properly, the President had shown his ignorance, Dissanayake added.

On Thursday, addressing the Parliament, President Wickremesinghe said the Election Commission had not taken an official decision on a date to hold the local council polls.

“According to the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, it is the returning officers, of each district, that announce the election. They do so after accepting nominations. This time as well, the returning officers announced that the elections will be held on 09 March by issuing gazettes. It is obvious that the President has gone before Parliament and made a lot of false statements. This is a serious matter,” he said.

Dissanayake said that while the President had sought to mislead the people and there was nothing anyone can do because he had legal immunity. “He made this speech in parliament. So, automatically, he is protected by parliamentary privileges. Moreover, after the 19th Amendment, we can only file fundamental rights cases against the President. He is shielded despite the serious nature of his speech,” he said.

The President mentioned that on 14 December, 2022, he had summoned the Election Commission and informed them that this election can’t be held due to the economic situation of the country. Wickremesinghe added that he had met the EC again with the Attorney General on 05 January, 2023.

Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake, said that both these meetings had been called by the President to intimidate the members of the Elections Commission.

“The President also brings in the AG for one of these meetings and he really tried to see whether the commissioners were divided. They were not friendly chitchats. The responsibility of the Elections Commission is to hold elections and it is also the responsibility of the President to do, according to our Constitution,” he said.

The President also mentioned that the Elections Commission should have asked Parliament for money to hold elections as finances is the responsibility of the Parliament. However, there is no mechanism or precedence for the Commission to approach Parliament, Gajanayake said.

“The Constitution says the President must facilitate elections, but during the past few months, Wickremesinghe had done everything in his power to obstruct elections,” he said.

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Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters

Published

4 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.

The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

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CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️