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SLPP urged to review, amend 20 A

Published

6 years ago

2020/09/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

FNO asks why Constitutional safeguard against separatism removed

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Federation of National Organizations (FNO) has requested President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to review the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The grouping made several recommendations, including the retaining of Article 53 of the Constitution meant to ensure members of Parliament did not promote or support a separate State.

FNO Convenor Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera yesterday (9) told The Island that they had informed the Office of the President in writing as regards concerns pertaining to the introduction of the 20th Amendment as well as matters related to the formulation of a new Constitution.

Dr. Amarasekera emphasized that the country was in such a perilous state as a result of the treachery perpetrated by the yahapalana administration, the new government should be extremely careful of its strategy.

Pointing out that the SLPP received two huge mandates at the presidential and parliamentary elections, Dr. Amarasekera acknowledged the urgent requirement for an amendment to enable the President to fulfill his obligations.

The FNO backed Gotabaya Rajapaksa throughout his campaign along with other nationalist groups such as the National Joint Committee (NJC) and Yuthukama.

It has asked the SLPP government to establish a mechanism to (1) accept public proposals as regards a new Constitution (11) suspend Provincial Council polls until the enactment of the new Constitution and (111) far reaching alterations to the proposed 20th Amendment approved by the Attorney General before the Government Printer issued the relevant gazette.

The Federation called for what it called rectification of technical and wrongful policy decisions, in addition to members of the cabinet given an opportunity to provide comments, in writing. Having rectified mistakes, the government would have to amend the 20th Amendment and re-gazette it.

The civil society group said that it would be a mistake to bring in amendments at the committee stage as it could create a situation similar to that of the passage of the 19th Amendment.

They also requested the following provisions altered (1) do away with the proposal in the 20th Amendment to reduce the number of days from 14 to seven available for the public in respect of enactment of urgent bills (ii) abolish provisions relating to the enactment of urgent bills as successive administrations abused them (iii) rescind the proposal to amend Article 53 of the Constitution which required members of parliament to take oath against supporting and promoting a separate State (iv) remove proposal to allow dual citizens to enter parliament. In addition to that extend that law to cover the Governor of the Central Bank, Attorney General, IGP, Auditor General, service commanders, judges of the Supreme Court and Secretaries to Ministries and (v) abolish the move to do away with the National Audit Commission and also to ensure no state institution is freed from audit.

The FNO appreciated the SLPP decision to retain two term limits on presidency as well as five year terms for both the President and the Parliament.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

60 mins ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

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CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

1 hour ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

3 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]