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Sri Lanka pledges unstinted support to UN endeavors to push for gender parity

Sri Lanka will continue to support the UN Secretary-General in his endeavors to push for gender parity at all levels at the institution, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Mohan Peiris told a recent Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting titled “Call to Lead by Example: Ensuring the Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation of Women in UN-led Peace Processes.”
“We commend the Secretary-General for the leadership that he has taken to improve the gender parity at the UN, particularly at the senior leaders’ level and amongst the UN Resident Coordinators. In UN field missions, women’s leadership is at 41%,” he said.
Permanent Representative Peiris said that Sri Lanka was proud to have had a long association with United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, having served as a member of the 1956 Advisory Committee that led to the establishment of the first “classical” peacekeeping mission – UNEF 1, deployed during the Suez crisis and later deployed as UN Peacekeepers to the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) in 1960.
Having engaged in a humanitarian struggle with a terrorist organization that used human shields, suicide bombers and child soldiers, Sri Lanka’s armed forces and Police had been sharing expertise in handling difficult and complex terrains of the humanitarian engagement field, in difficult areas of the world, he said.
“Since then, with over 20,000 Sri Lankan Peacekeepers, having served in UN Peace Missions across the world providing critical services to conflict affected communities in the most difficult and dangerous terrains, they are widely recognized for their valor and capabilities and appreciated by the UN Peacekeeping Missions they serve in. Over the years, Sri Lanka has consistently made efforts to encourage women peacekeepers and currently we have 12 women peacekeepers serving in South Sudan. We believe that women peacekeepers improve overall peacekeeping performance, have greater access to communities, help in promoting human rights and protection of civilians and encourage women to become a meaningful part of peace and political processes,” he said.
Peiris said that while it was useful to share the experience among the international community on the obstacles faced by women and the prescriptions needed to alleviate from such setbacks, the UN should also be sensitive to the diverse situations and circumstances, in which the proposed programs and strategies had to be implemented.
“The role of women in society is different in varied cultures and as such a one-size fits all policy cannot be applied in the pursuance of their rights. It is imperative for policies in this regard to be formulated, in tandem with domestic compulsions and requirements,” he said.
News
LG Commissioners in dilemma over guidelines and Elections Act

Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) Manjula Gajanayake has said the Local Government Commissioners have created confusion and a severe erosion of public trust in the electoral process at local level by adhering to election laws and administrative guidelines selectively without adopting a consistent approach.
The authority to establish local government bodies— particularly the hung ones––has been granted to the Local Government Commissioners in the nine provinces. However, this process has now sparked controversy largely due to ambiguity over how to elect council heads.
At the heart of the issue is the Local Government Elections Act, which does not specify the procedures to be followed in electing the heads of local bodies. To address this issue, the Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils has issued a 28-page set of guidelines. This guideline gained much attention during the election of the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council, where opposition members claimed that the head of the council had to be elected according to the guidelines in question. However, the guidelines merely state, “Each member should be consulted, and the method of voting should be decided accordingly.”
The Opposition seemed to have ignored that there were three acceptable methods of voting––by a show of hands, through a secret ballot, or by using an electronic system, Gajanayake said. Still, the real issue lies in the application of the guidelines by the Local Government Commissioners.
For instance, the Western Province Commissioner opted for a secret ballot in the Colombo MC. In contrast, in many other councils, the voting method was determined based on the preference of the majority of members. In Local Government Institutions in Uva, North Central, and North Western provinces, where members called for open votes by the show of hands— the commissioners complied.
However, inconsistency re-emerged in the first meeting of the Seethawakapura Urban Council of the Colombo District in the Western Province. Out of 25 members,14 requested an open vote. The Commissioner, however, insisted on a secret ballot. As a result, all 14 members walked out in protest, and the meeting was adjourned without electing a head.
By PRIYAN DE SILVA ✍️
News
Hotel shooting: Weligama police probe riddled with flaws, CID tells committee

CID Director of Investigations Ashoka Shelton Karunathilaka told the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee probing the interdicted IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon that numerous flaws had been found in the investigations carried out by the Weligama Police into a shooting incident at the W15 Hotel.
Giving evidence before the special inquiry committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Karunathilaka said that the Weligama Police had proceeded with their investigation riddled with flaws. “Even the locations of spent bullet casings at the crime scene were not properly marked. There was a mismatch between the empty bullet casings and the recovered ammunition. Additionally, CCTV footage from the crime scene area shows inconsistencies.These investigative shortcomings were the reason why legal action was taken against the OIC of the Weligama Police Criminal Investigation Division. Moreover, no proper investigation was carried out into the police officer who was fatally shot.”.
The committee met for the eighth day on Wednesday, when seven witnesses testified. The final witness of the day was Karunathilaka, who pointed out the deficiencies in the initial investigations by the Weligama Police.
At this point, counsel S. Weerawikrama, representing Deshabandu Tennakoon, questioned whether the warrant for Tennakoon’s arrest had been obtained under political or ministerial pressure.
Karunathilaka answered in the negative.
During the session, counsel Weerawikrama raised his voice while cross-examining the witness, prompting one of the committee’s judges to advise him to ask questions without getting agitated.The day’s proceedings concluded with the committee recording the testimonies presented by the prosecution, led by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris.
By Kamal Bogoda
News
Harshana resigns from Parliament

Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera has informed the Chairman of the Election Commission in writing that a vacancy has arisen in Parliament due to the resignation of Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma.
Dr. Suriyapperuma, a National List Member of Parliament representing the NPP and the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Stabilization, submitted his letter of resignation to the Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera.
According to the letter submitted by Dr Suriyapperuma, the resignation is effective from June 20, 2025.
Accordingly, the Secretary General has informed the Chairman of the Election Commission that, in terms of Section 64(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981, the seat held by Dr Harsha Suriyapperuma in the Tenth Parliament is now vacant.
Speculation was rife at the time of going to press that Dr. Suriyapperuma would be appointed Secretary to the Finance Ministry.
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