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Sumanthiran launches blistering attack on Supreme Court

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/23

Seeks rehabilitation of cabinet

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Thursday came under a scathing attack in parliament during the debate on the 22nd constitutional amendment with TNA legislator M. A. Sumanthiran accusing the highest judiciary of swinging like a pendulum. In his blistering speech on Thursday, the TNA lawmaker accused the supreme court justices of inconsistencies and said they appeared unable to read and understand their own determinations of just a few years ago. Sumanthiran said the same court which had allowed the 19th amendment to pass without a referendum in 2015 was now demanding a nation-wide plebiscite.

“It’s not only the parliament that swings like a pendulum,” Sumanthiran said. “It is (also) the Supreme Court, so change that Supreme Court also. Ask them to go home.” “If they can’t read and understand their own determination in the 19th Amendment, with the very same words, within a few years, they said no, this requires a referendum.

How can that be? They’re supposed to be learned?” He also discounted claims by the government that the 22nd amendment was reducing the powers of the presidency and insisted that there was no radical reform in the bill to move towards the abolition of the much-maligned executive presidency.

“You are lying to the people saying this is a first step towards that (abolition), when in fact, none of the powers of the executive president are taken away by this bill. It is false. You’re lying to the people of this country,” he said.

However, he said there was nothing objectionable in the bill except that it could undermine people’s confidence in parliament and their elected representatives to deliver on promised political reforms.

“I must say, there are no harmful provisions in this bill. But the harm is that you are showing the country something when it is not. And that is potentially harmful, because the confidence that people have in these institutions have been eroded, and now totally destroyed.”

After his outburst against the Supreme Court, Sumanthiran later applauded the same court for shooting down the controversial Bureau of Rehabilitation which envisaged the arbitrary detention of people for “de-radicalisation and rehabilitation.”

The bill was similar to regulations promulgated by deposed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier last year under the Prevention of Terrorism Act to hold anyone for up to two years for ” de-radicalisation and rehabilitation” without judicial approval or oversight.

“Of course, today, there was a good determination,” Sumanthiran said referring to the highest court saying that the bill cannot pass without a referendum.

“On the Bureau of rehabilitation bill, we said withdraw it. It goes against the fundamental principles that a person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not to be just rounded up and taken and put into rehabilitation.

“And I don’t know why the minister even presented this bill in his House. I’ve asked the question publicly whether the cabinet should be rehabilitated for even presenting this bill.”

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the Districts of Kurunegala and Ratnapura

Published

10 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued Landslide Early Warnings to the Districts of Kurunegala and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 23.04.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 24.04.2026

Accordingly,

Level 1 landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Rideegama in the Kurunegala district and Kuruwita, Kalawana, Ratnapura, Nivithigala, Pelmadulla and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued for the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and Ampara and Batticaloa districts

Published

12 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
Issued at 12.00 noon 23 April 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 23 April 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 1.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
• Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

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Compensation payments and reconstruction activities related to the Ditwah relief measures must be expedited with special attention at the district level – PM

Published

22 hours ago

2026/04/23

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that compensation payments and reconstruction activities related to the Ditwah relief measures must be expedited with special attention at the district level. She further stated that all necessary allocations have already been made to Provincial Councils and instructed that the progress of disaster damage assessments and reconstruction efforts be closely monitored at the provincial level.

The Prime Minister made these remarks at a discussion held on Tuesday (21) at Temple Trees under her patronage, aimed at informing Chairpersons of District Coordination Committees and public representatives from disaster-affected districts, in order to accelerate the implementation of the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” programme. The discussion focused on expediting disaster relief and compensation payments, as well as the swift restoration of infrastructure damaged by the disaster.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Rs. 500 billion has been allocated for damages caused by the Ditwah cyclone, and that all relevant development activities must be completed before the end of 2026. The Prime Minister also instructed officials to pay special attention to resolving issues at the local level that are causing delays in compensation payments.

Senior Additional Secretary to the President, G.M.R.D. Aponsu, stated that the estimated cost for reconstruction following the Ditwah cyclone is approximately USD 3.4 billion. Accordingly, funds have been allocated for compensation across several sectors including housing and social infrastructure, agriculture and livestock, fisheries, industry and livelihoods, and irrigation. He further noted that 99% of the Rs. 25,000 allowance has already been disbursed, while 95% of the Rs. 50,000 resettlement allowance has been paid. Compensation for fully and partially damaged houses is still ongoing, and 99% of temporary relief centres have been closed.

Additionally, attention was drawn to several other measures, including providing Rs. 25,000 to affected schoolchildren, paying Rs. 1 million as compensation for each deceased individual, compensation for children who lost one or both parents, support for persons with disabilities affected by the disaster, compensation for agricultural losses, and expediting resettlement of displaced families. Measures such as allocating land for new housing construction and accelerating the issuance of reports from the National Building Research Organization were also discussed.

Focus was also placed on the reconstruction of affected schools, hospitals, and daycare centres, improving the accuracy and speed of data collection at the local level, and accelerating infrastructure development.

The event was attended by Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Dr. Chandana Abayarathna, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperatives R.M. Jayawardena, Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Madhura Senevirathna, Members of Parliament, Chairpersons of District Coordination Committees, Chief of Staff to the President and Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Additional Secretary to the President Jayantha Bandara; and officials of the Prime Minister’s Office.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]