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Prez, SLPP urged not to use ex-CJ’s committee to put off next presidential election

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. G.L.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Top Opposition spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (11) alleged that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was still contemplating how to put off the presidential election, scheduled to be conducted between 17 Sept., and 17 Oct., this year.

Declaring that in terms of the Constitution, the presidential election couldn’t be postponed under any circumstances, the former External Affairs Minister said, at the regular media briefing, at his Kirula Place residence, that the examination of all existing election laws and regulations by a 10-member committee, headed by retired Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, PC, shouldn’t be cited as the reason for the postponement.

Prof. Peiris was referring to the Dep Commission appointed in the first week of Nov, 2023, to make necessary recommendations for the amendment of election laws by early May this year.

The dissident SLPP lawmaker, who recently switched his allegiance to the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), said that the implementation of Dep Commission’s recommendations could take place under a new government.

Referring to the failure on the part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the ruling SLPP to reach a consensus on the presidential poll strategy, Prof. Peiris alleged that a deliberate attempt was being made to confuse the electorate with regard to the national election expected to be conducted first.

Prof. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe could dissolve Parliament any time now in terms of the Constitution.

“Dissolution is permitted once the Parliament has completed two and half years of its five-year term. However, the general election cannot be called in such a way to hinder the Election Commission making an all-important announcement pertaining to presidential polls. With regard to the presidential poll that has to be conducted between Sept 17 and Oct 17 in terms of the existing constitutional provisions, the Election Commission will have to make the relevant declaration on July 15, this year,” Prof. Peiris said.

Both presidential and parliamentary terms are restricted to five years since 2015 though before the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, both had six year terms. SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has already declared his candidature at the presidential poll.

Commenting on Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena’s recent statement that funds allocated for the conduct of elections this year had to be spent carefully, Prof. Peiris stressed that President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister in November last year, announced the allocation of Rs. 10 bn for the presidential poll. Therefore, the government couldn’t allocate that funding or part of it for the conduct of the general election, thereby cause a fresh issue by claiming insufficient money to hold both elections, Prof. Peiris.

Referring to the relevant section of the Constitution in case the government advanced the general election believing that it was advantageous for them, Prof. Peiris said that it would have to obtain the required funding from the Consolidated Fund.

At the onset of the briefing, Prof. Peiris said that democracy suffered a deadly blow early last year when President Wickremesinghe teamed up with the SLPP to make the Local Government polls disappear. There had never been a previous instance of any government indefinitely putting off an election, claiming that it hadn’t the wherewithal to do so, Prof. Peiris said, recalling how Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court declared that the country was in such a precarious situation, financially, he found it extremely difficult to allocate money for the conducting of the said election.

Prof. Peiris warned that the government, deeply concerned over deterioration of its standing among the people, was exploring ways and means of postponing elections. The former minister asserted that the government examined how it could achieve its despicable objective by advancing general elections, thereby jeopardizing scheduled presidential polls and by using Dep Commission recommendations.

Responding to media queries on President Wickremesinghe’s attacking speech at Kuliyapitiya on Sunday (10), Prof. Peiris said that the UNP leader seemed to be seriously concerned about the SJB campaign.

Had he not been concerned there was no need for him to take such an aggressive stand, Prof. Peiris said, comparing Ranil Wickremesinghe who as a student learnt law from him and an aggressive President.

The UNP officially announced Wickremesinghe’s presidential candidate at the Kuliyapitiya meeting. The only UNP lawmaker in Parliament Wajira Abeywardena declared that Wickremesinghe would poll as much as 10 mn votes at the forthcoming presidential poll.

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Advisory for Heavy Rain issued for the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/22

Priyan

Advisory for Heavy Rain Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 08.30 a.m. on 22 February 2026 valid for the period until 08.30 a.m. 23 February 2026

Due to the influence of the low level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

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News

Matara Festival for the Arts’ inaugurated by the Prime Minister

Published

18 hours ago

2026/02/22

Priyan

The inaugural ceremony of the Matara Festival for the Arts, featuring a wide range of creations by local and international artists, was held on February 19 at the Old High Court premises of the Matara Fort, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The festival, centred around the Old High Court premises in Matara and the auditorium of the Matara District Secretariat, will be open to the public from 20 to 23 of February. The festival will be featured by visual art exhibitions, short film screenings, Kala Pola, and a series of workshops conducted by experts.

The inaugural event was attended by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Ms. Saroja Paulraj, along with artists, guests, and a large number of schoolchildren.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

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Only single MP refuses salary as Parliament details pays and allowances

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/22

Thilina Walpola

SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilake is the only MP to forego salary and allowances, with all payments suspended following his written notification on August 20, 2025.

Only one Member of Parliament has chosen not to receive the salaries and allowances entitled to MPs, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament last Thursday, shedding light on the financial perks enjoyed by members of the Tenth Parliament.

Speaking on Thursday (Feb. 19) in response to a question from SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri, the Prime Minister outlined the full range of pay and allowances provided to parliamentarians.

According to Dr. Amarasuriya, MPs receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, an entertainment allowance of Rs. 1,000, and a driver’s allowance of Rs. 3,500—though MPs provided with a driver through the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs are not eligible for the driver’s allowance.

Additional benefits include a telephone allowance of Rs. 50,000, a transport allowance of Rs. 15,000, and an office allowance of Rs. 100,000. MPs are also paid a daily sitting allowance of Rs. 2,500 for attending parliamentary sessions, with an additional Rs. 2,500 per day for participation in parliamentary sittings and Rs. 2,500 per day as a committee allowance.

Committee meetings held on non-parliament sitting days also attract Rs. 2,500 per day.

Fuel allowances are provided based on the distance between an MP’s electoral district and Parliament. National List MPs are entitled to a monthly allocation equivalent to 419.76 litres of diesel at the market price on the first day of each month.

Despite the comprehensive benefits, only SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka has opted not to draw a salary or allowances. Dr. Amarasuriya said that in accordance with a written notification submitted by MP Wasalathilaka on August 20, 2025, payments have been suspended since that date.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that she, along with the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, committee chairs, ministers, deputy ministers, the Opposition Leader, and senior opposition whips, have all informed the Secretary-General of Parliament in writing that they will not claim the fuel allowance.

Challenging the ruling party’s voluntary pledge to forgo salaries, MP Wijesiri pointed out that all MPs except Wasalathilaka continue to receive their salaries and allowances. “On one hand you speak about the people’s mandate, which is good. But the mandate also included people who said they would voluntarily serve in this Parliament without salaries. Today we have been able to prove, Hon. Speaker, that except for one SJB MP, the other 224 Members are drawing parliamentary salaries,” he said.

The Prime Minister responded by defending the political culture and practice of allocating portions of MPs’ salaries to party funds. Referring to previous practices by the JVP and NPP, she said: “It is no secret to the country that the JVP has for a long time not personally taken MPs’ salaries or any allowances. I think the entire country knows that these go to a party fund. That is not new, nor is it something special to mention. The NPP operates in the same way. That too is not new; it is the culture of our political movement.”

When MP Wijesiri posed a supplementary question asking whether diverting salaries to party funds was an indirect method of taking care of MPs, Dr. Amarasuriya said: “There is no issue there. No question was raised; the Member made a statement. What we have seen throughout this week is an inability to understand our political culture and practice, and a clash with decisions taken by political movements that misused public funds. What is coming out is a certain mindset. That is why there is such an effort to find fault with the 159. None of these facts are new to people. He did not ask a question, so I have nothing to answer.”

The disclosures come days after the Government moved to abolish the parliamentary pension, a measure that has sparked renewed debate over MP compensation and the transparency of funds allocation.