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SJB claims entire world is waiting for Gotabaya to resign

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/9

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB told Parliament on Tuesday the Ranil Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government would not receive any international assistance and there would be no solution to the present crisis.

Participating in a debate on the country’s current economic crisis, Chief Opposition Whip, Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella, said: “Lankan expatriates publish advertisements in newspapers in foreign countries calling on the international community not to grant aid to Sri Lanka as long as Gotabaya Rajapaksa remained the President.

“They say that the person who caused this crisis is still there and no solution will work out as long as he is the President. As long as he remains the President we will not receive international assistance. The international community is of the strong opinion that political reforms, demanded by the people should be brought in immediately. There should be either abolition of the Executive Presidency or to transfer its powers to Parliament. Without that we would not have any meaningful assistance to solve the crisis. We all have to suffer more. The President on Monday said that he wants to complete his term.

“The so-called government could not get any meaningful assistance from the international community. They asked help from the US and the European countries who in response said that they would seek to talk to the IMF to provide assistance to Sri Lanka. None is giving any serious commitment as long as the present ad-hoc system of governance prevails,” Kiriella said.

SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman said that the international community was well aware that Parliament was playing the fool to help the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to prevail and not engaged in finding meaningful solutions for the people’s problems.

He said: “It is only the Prime Minister who is new there. Rest of the government has the same faces led by the same president. Except for the Prime Minister the rest are directly responsible for the present crisis. How can one expect solutions from them? People know that their opinion no longer is represented in this House. Most of those who caused the present crisis are still in this House. The new PM has to work with the same set. Whatever he says and does, the PM has to work with the Rajapaksas and their cronies. It is the very same people who put up their hands for Gotabaya Rajapaksa are now in the Cabinet. How can you expect foreign countries to give any assistance to the creators of this crisis? They will not do so just because the new PM is there.

“Entire world is calling on Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, but he says that he will not leave as a failed President and remain there to better his position. This country cannot be saved without him going home. All people in this country are calling for his resignation. If he is not going to listen to that, we people have nothing to do but pray God help us,” MP Rahuman said.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

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

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

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.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

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.