News
Prez would not have taken on judiciary without SLPP’s backing – GL
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Top Nidahas Janatha Sandhanaya spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (13) alleged that President Ranil Wickremesinghe would not have taken on the judiciary without the backing from the ruling SLPP.
The former External Affairs Minister said so when the media sought his response to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa declaring the SLPP’s readiness to face local government polls at any time. The SLPP Chairman made the declaration at a public rally held in Moneragala over the weekend.
Prof. Peiris said that though the SLPP declared so, it worked closely with President Wickremesinghe to undermine the electoral process. The academic said that the UNP leader with just one MP in parliament couldn’t have pursued the high profile project without the SLPP’s support.
The rebel SLPP National List MP said that if the SLPP was genuinely ready to face the electorate, the party should ask the President to release funds required by the Election Commission.
Regardless of whatever the President and the SLPP say, the government parliamentary group both in and outside parliament challenged the Supreme Court directive, Prof. Peiris said.
Referring to a statement issued by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in respect of declarations made by Premanath Dolawatte, MP, and State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe as regards the Supreme Court intervention, Prof. Peiris alleged that the government was trying to overwhelm the judiciary. The ex-minister strongly criticised the move to summon members of the judiciary before the House Privileges Committee.
Prof. Peiris said that both the UNP and the SLPP knew they would face heavy defeat at Local Government polls. They realised in the wake of such devastating loss, the government couldn’t prevent public movement for a national level election.
The ex-minister said that the current parliament didn’t reflect political environment in the country. Therefore a general election was needed to pave the way for a Parliament that would earn public respect. Instead of seeking a way out of the crisis, the government was trying to pit the legislature against the judiciary in line with Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa strategy.
Prof. Peiris said that as Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was overseas, an Opposition delegation led by SJB and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa took up issues at hand with Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse. Strongly condemning indiscriminate violence unleashed on protesting University students recently, Prof. Peiris alleged that Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa strategy was threatening the very basis of the Constitution.
Those at the helm of political power should realise that at the end of the day they couldn’t ignore the Supreme Court directive, Prof. Peiris said.
In spite of internal strife, the SLPP parliamentary group which consists of 120 MPs is the largest party in parliament and facilitated Wickremesinghe’s strategy, the ex-minister said. The President couldn’t last 24 hours without the SLPP’s backing, he declared.
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Maldivian President plants a sapling to mark 60 years of Sri Lanka–Maldives Diplomatic Relations
President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a State Visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, planted a sapling this afternoon (04) at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Upon arrival at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was warmly received by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Children lined both sides of the pathway holding the national flags of the two countries and paid tribute to the visiting Maldivian President.
Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Speaker Rizvi Salih, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and the Mayor of Colombo, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, along with several other dignitaries.
[President’s Media Division (PMD)]
Following the bilateral meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, who is currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, official-level bilateral discussions between the delegations of the two countries were held this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The discussions commenced after the formal welcome ceremony accorded to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu earlier this morning within the Presidential Secretariat premises.
Extending a warm welcome to the Maldivian President, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his appreciation for accepting the invitation to visit Sri Lanka.
President Dissanayake noted that President Muizzu’s visit, taking place as the two nations mark 61 years of diplomatic relations, reflects the strong partnership, mutual trust and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The President further expressed confidence that the visit would mark a new phase in bilateral relations.
The two leaders engaged in extensive discussions on ways to further expand and diversify multifaceted cooperation, including economic, cultural and social ties, in a manner that delivers mutual benefits to the people of both countries.
Key areas of focus included tourism promotion, educational cooperation, youth and sports development, challenges faced by both nations in the fisheries sector within the Indian Ocean region, education and vocational training, as well as defence training and broader security cooperation.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Science and Technology, Krishantha Abeysena; Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired), Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (covering Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Legal Affairs) M. R. K. Lenagala, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, Mohamed Rizvi Hassan and Director (South Asia and SAARC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mahesha Jayawardena.
The Maldivian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, Chief of Staff to the President, Abdulla Fayaz, Principal Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations, Mohamed Naseer; Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka,Masood Imad; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol , Mohamed Shahudy, Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Mr Mohamed Hassaan and Minister Counsellor at the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ismail Mamdhooh.
[President’s Media Division (PMD)]
Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed across several sectors between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, were formally exchanged this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives.
Marking a new chapter in Maldives–Sri Lanka relations, the MoUs cover cooperation in the fields of health, sports, tourism, education and defence.
Accordingly:
1. MoU on Tourism Cooperation between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.
2. MoU on Archiving Cooperation between the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka and the National Archives of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.
3. MoU on Training and Professional Development of Teachers and School Leaders between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development of the Maldives and the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.
4. MoU on Sports and Youth Development Cooperation between the Republic of Maldives and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.
5. MoU on Defence Cooperation between the National Counter Terrorism Centre of the Maldives and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired).
6. MoU between the Ministry of Defence and National Service of the Maldives and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara.
7. MoU on Academic Cooperation between the University of Colombo of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake.
The state visit of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, aims to further strengthen economic, cultural and social ties between the two countries, while enhancing their multifaceted partnership.
Cabinet Ministers, government officials and members of the Maldivian delegation, representing both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, were present at the occasion.
[President’s Media Division]
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