News
RW-SLPP MPs’ alliance act of desperation on both sides – Mujibur
By Shamindra Ferdinando
SJB parliamentarian Mujibur Rahuman said acceptance of a large section of an utterly corrupt ruling SLPP to his camp was nothing but an act of desperation on the part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as the ruling party.
The former UNPer said that President Wickremesinghe had quite conveniently forgotten that the unprecedented public protest campaign that ousted his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022 was prompted by flawed SLPP policies.
Whatever the circumstances leading to President Rajapaksa fleeing Colombo in July 2022, the SLPP couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for the economic-political crisis caused. President Wickremesinghe wouldn’t have been compelled to stoop so low if his bid to win over a sizeable group of SJBers succeeded, lawmaker Rahuman said.
MP Rahuman: “President Wickremesinghe should be ashamed of himself for being proposed as candidate at the 2024 presidential election by Prasanna Ranatunga, who had been sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for five years, in June 2022, by the Colombo HC for threatening a businessman. Has the President been unable to get a person acceptable to society to propose him?”
Responding to another query, MP Rahuman said that President Wickremesinghe’s partnership with the SLPP faction was advantageous to the main Opposition SJB.
Having accepted premiership from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in May 2022, the UNP leader was able to attract only two SJB, MPs namely Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando, MP Rahuman said. The much-touted claims and predictions of a sizeable group of SJB MPs switching allegiance to President Wickremesinghe never materialized, MP Rahuman said, urging the electorate not to be deceived by Wickremesinghe-SLPP unholy alliance.
The Colombo District MP said that the bottom line is that the divided SLPP may field two candidates at the presidential election. Wickremesinghe would be one, MP Rahuman said, adding that whoever the other candidate turns out to be, the people were certain to reject both.
Premier Dinesh Gunawardena’s backing for Wickremesinghe’s candidature wouldn’t make a difference, the SJBer said.
Meanwhile, dissident SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe’s declarations and actions were contradictory.
Having claimed that President Wickremesinghe had the backing of nearly 100 SLPPers, the Head-of- State was still exploring ways and means of jeopardizing the scheduled presidential poll, the former External Affairs Minister said.
Prof. Peiris added that President Wickremesinghe’s refusal to appoint an Acting IGP on the basis that a vacancy didn’t exist therein exposed his vulnerability.
Addressing the media on Thursday (01) at Nawala, Prof Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe’s actions belie their own claims of the independent candidate gaining overwhelming advantage in the run-up to the September 21 presidential election.
Prof. Peiris alleged that President Wickremesinghe rejected the Election Commission’s request for him to make an Acting appointment as Deshabandu Tennakoon remained in office.
Prof. Peiris reminded President Wickremesinghe that the last presidential election, in November 2019, had been conducted under the supervision of an Acting IGP. The then President Maithripala Sirisena made the appointment in the wake of Pujitha Jayasundera being sent on compulsory leave over his failure to thwart the Easter Sunday carnage.
The former Minister said that President Wickremesinghe wouldn’t have behaved this way if he was certain of his victory.
Commenting on a large group of SLPPers switching allegiance to President Wickremesinghe, Prof. Peiris said that the situation on the ground would be quite different to the alliances made among/within political parties represented in Parliament.
Prof. Peiris said that it would be a grave mistake on the large rebel group’s part to think SLPP supporters would desert their leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and embrace Wickremesinghe. “Supporters will definitely feel betrayed by their MPs’ actions,” Prof. Peiris said.
The SLPP won 145 seats at the last general election whereas the SJB secured 54. Of the 29 National List slots, the SLPP and SJB shared 24 seats while the UNP was reduced to one NL seat.
The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.
Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.
The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses
will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”
In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125
News
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.
The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.
A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.
Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.
The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.
The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m
GS1 Lanka drives Sri Lanka’s shift to 2D barcodes
Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
Sri Lankan troops in joint anti-terrorist exercise in Russia
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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