News

Sumanthiran complains that the man responsible for crisis still in driving seat

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/10

By Saman Indrajith

Sri Lankans were a disappointed lot each time Parliament was convened, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, MA Sumanthiran said on Wednesday in Parliament.

Sri Lankans had never been so desperate and they were looking to the parliament today for answers to an unprecedented economic crisis, Sumanthiran said.

“Each time this parliament meets, people expect there will be some change, some forward movement to resolve this crisis. And the people are disappointed because this is a parliament with two thirds of the voters supporting the government,” he said.

The TNA MP said that the government hadabused the people’s trust and further strengthened the Executive Presidency. The President then went on to violate all the promises he had made to the people and rereading the President’s election manifesto in 2019, the “Vistas of Prosperity and splendor” now induced laughter, Sumanthiran said.

“The one very specific proposal that he made, is at page 36 and 37 in the English version of the manifesto. On page 37, Gotabaya very specifically says “income tax will be reduced, economic service charge and withholding tax will be scrapped. A simple value added tax of 8 % will be introduced, replacing both the current VAT of 15 % and the Nation building tax of 2 %, payee tax will be scrapped and personal income tax will be subject to a ceiling of 15 %. 5-year moratorium will be granted on taxes payable by agriculturist and small and medium enterprises” and so on. Huge tax reliefs announced even in his election manifesto – it was an election promise,” the TNA MP said.

At that time, the finance minister of this country, Mangala Samaraweera, stated that if that proposal was implemented Sri Lanka would become like Lebanon and Venezuela. “Samaraweera’s prediction has come true”, the TNA MP said.

“So, one cannot say that there were no warnings. The Finance Minister of the country at that time said this. The Prime minister now wants to set up a parliamentary budget office. During the last Parliament we had that draft and all of that was set up but it was never presented to Parliament. Recently he asked me for the draft and I have sent it to him, and hope that will be done. One of the tasks of the Parliamentary budget office is that, when due for an election somebody makes a promise – an election promise – the Parliamentary budget office will have to immediately calculate the impact of that promise and publish a report saying, this is how it will impact the economy,” he said.

The tax cuts implemented in December 2019 and were the major reason why Sri Lanka was in the current predicament today, Sumanthiran said. It was only after the tax cuts that Sri Lanka’s ratings started falling, and the Central Bank gave confidential reports to caution the government that Sri Lanka would not be able to borrow anymore, the TNA MP said.

“We were shut out of International Financial markets. So, the person who is single handedly responsible for this economic crisis is still the head of government. He is still president, some people are saying, “No. no. don’t look at this Politics – let that be – deal with the economic crisis”… yes of course, to deal with the economic crisis the wrong-doer must be removed. You can’t keep the wrong-doer, the one who is mostly responsible in that chair and deal with the crisis,” he said.

The TNA MP said the President, Prime Minister and Parliament had lost its legitimacy and that there should be an overhaul of the system. However, before that, parliament needed to be dissolved. Sumanthiran said that there should be political stability to resolve the economic crisis, however it was not possible to have stability in a Parliament that had a lot of independent MPs. The Sri Lankan parliamentary system was not geared to deal with a large number of independent MPs, he said.

“Every day of delay in establishing stability costs the country several million dollars. So it must be fixed fast. We are part of a problem, we must say “Yes, we’ll dissolve ourselves”, pass a resolution and request the President to dissolve Parliament. One of the biggest promises given by the President himself in the last address to the Nation was to bring back the 19th amendment. Both the President and the prime minister within the last two weeks have given the country that assurance. But where are you now? You can’t bring back the 19th amendment,” he said.

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Sajith warns country is being dragged into authoritarian rule

Published

9 hours ago

2025/12/27

Thilina Walpola

Sajith Premadasa

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has alleged that the current government is attempting to suppress freedom of expression and media freedom to lead the country towards authoritarian rule.

In a video message on Thursday (25), Premadasa said that in a democratic country, the four main pillars safeguarding democracy are the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and the independent media, but, at present, the government is using the police to violate both the democratic rights of the people and the rights of police officers themselves.

He said that the government is working to establish a police state that deprives citizens of their right to access truthful information.

“For democracy to be protected, media freedom must be safeguarded, and space must be given to independent media. Instead, the government is interfering with the independent media process, using the police to suppress and intimidate independent media,” he said.

He noted that even when independent media present their views based on reason, facts, and evidence, the government attempts to suppress them. Such actions, he said, amount to turning a democratic country into a police state. “Do not suppress the voice of the silent majority, the independent media,” he urged.

Premadasa emphasised that independent media represent the voice of the silent majority in the country and must not be suppressed.

“Media repression is a step towards authoritarian rule, and the people did not give their mandate to create an authoritarian regime or a police state. If the government attempts to abolish democratic rights, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya will stand as the opposition against it,” he said.

The Opposition Leader further alleged that the government was interfering with police independence, stating, “Political interference has undermined the independence of the police, making it impossible for them to serve impartially. Suppressing freedom of expression is an attempt to lead the country towards authoritarian rule.”

Premadasa pointed out that the media has the right to reveal the truth, and interfering with that right is a violation of the rights of 22 million citizens.

News

Wholesale mafia blamed for unusually high vegetable prices

Published

9 hours ago

2025/12/27

Thilina Walpola

Vegetable prices at the Peliyagoda Manning Wholesale Market surged to unusually high levels yesterday (26), raising concerns among consumers as the festive season drives up demand. The situation is expected to persist over the next few days, a spokesman for the Manning Market told The Island.

He said a sharp increase in the number of buyers visiting the wholesale market, ahead of upcoming festivities, had resulted in a sudden spike in demand, prompting wholesale traders to raise prices significantly. The price hikes have affected a wide range of commonly consumed vegetables, placing additional pressure on household budgets.

According to market sources, the wholesale price of beans climbed to Rs. 1,100 per kilogram, while capsicum soared to Rs. 2,000 per kilogram. Green chillies were selling at around Rs. 1,600 per kilogram. Prices of other vegetables, including beetroot, brinjal (eggplant), tomatoes, bitter gourd, snake gourd and knolkhol, also recorded unusually high increases.

The spokesman alleged that despite the steep rise in prices, vegetable farmers have not benefited from the increases. Instead, he claimed that a group of traders, who effectively control operations at the wholesale market, are arbitrarily inflating prices to maximise profits.

He warned that if the relevant authorities fail to intervene promptly to curb these practices, vegetable prices could escalate further during the peak festive period. Such a trend, he said, would disproportionately benefit a small group of middlemen while leaving consumers to bear the brunt of higher food costs.

By Kamal Bogoda ✍️

News

Cyclone-damaged Hakgala Botanical Garden reopened with safety measures

Published

9 hours ago

2025/12/27

Thilina Walpola

Hakgala Botanical Garden

The Hakgala National Botanical Garden, which was closed in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, has been reopened to tourists from yesterday, the Ministry of Environment indicated.

The Ministry said the reopening was carried out in accordance with recommendations and guidelines issued by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and the DisasterManagement Centre (DMC) after safety assessments were completed.

However, due to the identification of hazardous ground conditions, several areas, within the garden, have been temporarily restricted. These include the pond area, near the main entrance, and access roads leading towards the forest park where potential risks were observed. Warning signs have been installed to prevent visitors from entering these zones.

To ensure the safety and convenience of both local and foreign visitors, the garden’s management has introduced a special assistance programme, with staff deployed to guide and support tourists.

The Hakgala Botanical Garden was closed as a precautionary measure during the disaster situation triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. The Ministry noted that the garden has now been safely reopened, within a short period, following remedial measures and inspections, allowing visitors to resume access while maintaining necessary safety precautions.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️