News
‘SJB ready to help govt. overcome external challenges’
Sri Lanka had lost support at the UNHRC because its double standards had been exposed, Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament on Thursday. The government needed to create an environment where all communities in the country could live in peace, he said.
The Opposition Leader said: “The government needs to listen to the concerns of the people in the North and East. We lost the support of friendly nations this time around because of the double standards of the government. The government pretends that it will scrap the 13th Amendment when addressing Sri Lankans. However, before the international community, it says Sri Lanka is a multi-religious, multi ethnic and multicultural country. They have even promised 13+ to the international community. But now the international community has figured out that this is all fake”.
The recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which was appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the President, should be implemented. The government lost the vote on the resolution at the UN Human Rights Council as a consequence of promoting extremism in the country, he said. The Opposition Leader, however, said that the SJB did not endorse foreing interference in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs.
“SJB opposes appointing foreign judges to investigate Sri Lanka. “We do not need advice from foreign countries,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said that Sri Lanka could address its own issues through a domestic mechanism; however, the domestic mechanism should be acceptable to the international community.
“The SJB does not endorse all the actions taken by the former government. We are willing to work with the government to ensure another resolution on Sri Lanka will not tabled at the UN Human Rights Council,” he said.
The main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday (21) moved Supreme Court against Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana over his failure to provide funds required by the Election Commission to conduct the Local Government polls, ignoring an interim order issued by the apex court, on 03 March.
Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP, is the petitioner for the SJB and Vijitha Herath, MP, moved court on behalf of the JVP, the leading party in the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB).
Two Opposition parties declared action against Siriwardana the day after the Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Finance Secretary to release the funds.
EC Chairman Nimal Punchihewa is on record as having said that in spite of SC directive he didn’t receive fresh funding.
The petitioners sought the issuance of summons on Siriwardana for contempt of court over failure to carry out its interim orders, given on 03 March.
The petitioners want the Finance Secretary punished in terms of Article 105 (3) of the Constitution.
The SJB stated that Siriwardana had refrained from carrying out the March directives, on the basis of a Cabinet decision, taken on 13 Feb., 2023. The SJB also pointed out that the offensive conduct of the Treasury Secretary, inter alia, causes grave prejudice to the esteemed authority of the Supreme Court and in turn disturb the public confidence in the authority of the highest Court in the country. (SF)
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara told Parliament yesterday that fuel prices would be reduced considerably according to the fuel price formula at the next fuel price revision, due in April.
The Minister said that the government would be able to procure fuel shipments, at lower prices, during competitive bidding, with the receipt of the IMF bailout.
There had been practical issues, and problems, in opening Letters of Credit, and obtaining credit facilities, in the recent past, as Sri Lanka could not give a guarantee to fuel suppliers, Minister Wijesekara said.
“We could not open LCs and obtain credit facilities when procuring fuel. After the IMF bailout, we will be able to procure fuel at lower prices during competitive biddings. We will be able to obtain a long-term credit facility as well. Fuel prices in the global market seem to have declined and the rupee has also gained strength against the US Dollar. Having considered all these factors, fuel prices will be reduced by a considerable margin which could be felt by the people,” he said.
News
IGP tells CID not to brook any interference from any quarter while they probe ’Harak Kata’ and ‘Kudu Salindu’
By Norman Palihawadane
IGP CD Wickramaratne has directed the CID to maintain a special log of names and details of any attempts by external parties to influene the ongoing investigations on notorious drug traffickers Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne aka Harak Kata and Salindu Malshika aka Kudu Salindu.
The suspects are currently under the custody of the CID.
The IGP issued the orders to the DIG CID and its director during a meeting of senior police officers on Monday, police headquarters said.
Sources said that the IGP has further instructed not to allow statements from the detainees to be taken by any police team other than the team currently investigating the suspects.
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