News
SJB urges Cardinal to take up Easter Sunday issue in Geneva
By Saman Indrajith
Chief Opposition Whip and SJB Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday said that no one was happy with the way the government was investigating the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, Kiriella said that there was nothing wrong with Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith contemplating going before the international community against the way the government was carrying out investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage.
“The Cardinal, the victims and we, in the Opposition, are calling for only one thing – that is the government should implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday carnage. The government should implement the recommendations of the final report of the presidential commission on the Easter Sunday attacks. Several international conferences are due to discuss resolutions against Sri Lanka. The current session of the UN Human Rights Council Geneva got underway yesterday (12) and the UN General Assembly sessions will be held in New York on Sept. 21. The results of these forums would be detrimental to our national interests if the government keeps bungling in this manner.
“It is incumbent Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa the one who internationalised Sri Lanka’s domestic issues in 1989. He went before the Geneva Human Rights Council with a list of names of disappeared persons. Since then this has become the norm for anyone who is not happy with the actions of any government to prevent human rights violations to go there. The UN Human Rights Council is at the disposal of any person or organisation that has exhausted all means in this country to get justice done. Even other countries could complain to that Council if they think Sri Lanka does not comply with human rights conventions that it has become a party to. So, there is nothing wrong with the Cardinal taking the issue of the Easter Sunday carnage to Geneva because the government is not dispensing justice.”
The Chief Opposition Whip said that people had been waiting for two and half years to see the government taking action against those who are responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks. “The Cardinal’s complaint is that justice has not been served. There is a serious allegation that justice is served selectively. It prosecutes only those who are opposed to the government. When legal action is taken against anyone in the government’s good books, the prosecution fails or makes errors in the judicial process so that the judges have no option but to give their rulings in favour of the culprits. A judge has to make his or her decision on the basis of evidence placed before him or her. When the prosecution fails deliberately to provide evidence, then justice is not done. So, the government could act against those who are opposed to them while safeguarding their friends.”
SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne also addressed the press.
South Korean MPs have voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol as thousands of protesters on the streets of Seoul cheer the result
A total of 204 MPs approved the motion to impeach Yoon, who plunged the country into political turmoil with a short-lived martial law declaration last week
Yoon will be suspended while the prime minister will serve as acting president. The constitutional court now has six months to rule on the impeachment.Yoon survived an impeachment vote last weekend and has clung to power, despite mounting calls for him to step down He and and his allies are currently under investigation for insurrection charges, and a travel ban has been slapped on several of them
(BBC)
High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, called on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday [13].
The meeting underscored the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the two neighboring nations and discussions centered on the progress of numerous bilateral projects, which are currently at various stages of development.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Asoka Sapumal Ranwala resigned as Speaker of Parliament yesterday amidst a controversy over his educational qualifications. The Opposition challenged him to prove his claim that he had a doctorate.
Ranwala has said in a statement that he never misrepresented his educational qualifications but he currently lacks documentary evidence to prove his academic credentials. He insists that he was awarded a doctorate by a research institute affiliated with Waseda University in Japan and has expressed hope of presenting the degree certificate in the future.
“However, given the confusion surrounding this issue and to avoid causing embarrassment to those who trusted and voted for this government, I have decided to resign from the position of Speaker for the time being,” Ranwala has said in his statement.
His resignation followed indications that MPs from the JVP/NPP government were preparing to make a significant decision on a no-confidence motion against him, centred on the legitimacy of his academic qualifications. The motion was prompted by ongoing doubts about the authenticity of his doctoral degree, particularly in the absence of clarification.
Sources within the NPP confirmed earlier on Friday that Ranwala was expected to address the controversy with a special statement when Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday (17). However, he announced his resignation yesterday evening (13).
Kalutara District SJB MP Ajith P. Perera told the media on Thursday that either the Speaker or the JVP/NPP government must clarify the matter regarding Ranwala’s doctorate. He asserted that if the Speaker genuinely holds a valid doctorate, there would be no issue. However, the lack of response to media inquiries and the removal of degree-related information from the parliamentary website raised further concerns.
Perera added that the Speaker should provide evidence of his qualifications within two weeks, failing which the Opposition would proceed with the no-confidence motion. He also suggested that the JVP/NPP MPs would face public scrutiny in their decision to either support or oppose the motion, testing their commitment to party lines against public expectations.
The National Democratic Front (NDF), led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, proposed the establishment of a parliamentary committee to verify the academic qualifications of all MPs, including the Speaker and Cabinet Ministers. This initiative seeks to address increasing concerns about the credibility of MPs’ qualifications.
Meanwhile, the SLPP announced its intention to introduce a separate no-confidence motion against Ranwala. Speaking at a press conference in Colombo, Hambantota District MP D.V. Chanaka criticised the Speaker, arguing that the issue undermines public confidence in Parliament. Chanaka further highlighted the Speaker’s responsibility as head of the Parliamentary Council and the Committee on High Offices, which oversees the verification of qualifications for key positions.
SLPP Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam also addressed the press, emphasising the importance of the Speaker’s academic qualifications in upholding the integrity of Parliament.
South Korea MPs vote to impeach president after mass protests over martial law
Tom Latham, Mitchell Santner fifties prop up New Zealand
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