News
Sumanthiran: Repealing of PTA shouldn’t be tied to introduction of new Constitution
Former Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, PC, has reiterated that there must be no compromise on the demand for the complete repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). He has warned that the abolition of the PTA should not be tied to the introduction of a new legislation.
The ex-MP commented on the issue amidst continuing debate over a proposed new Anti-Terrorism Bill that the government intends to introduce, known as the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB), in place of the PTA. The period allocated for public submissions, on the draft legislation, concluded on 28 February.
The Tamil Guardian has said that PTA has long been criticised by Tamil political parties, human rights organisations and international observers for enabling arbitrary detention, torture and prolonged imprisonment without trial. For decades, the law has been used disproportionately against Tamils, particularly during and after the armed conflict in the Tamil areas.
Speaking on the issue, Sumanthiran stressed that the demand for the law’s abolition must remain unequivocal.
He stated that there should be no compromise in the call for the PTA to be repealed in its entirety and emphasised that the repeal of the existing law should not be made conditional on the introduction of any replacement legislation.
Several national-level human rights advocates and civil society activists have also expressed opposition to the government’s proposed new law. They argue that special anti-terrorism legislation is unnecessary and that the existing criminal laws are sufficient to address acts of violence or threats to public security.
Despite these concerns, the Sri Lankan government has maintained that a separate legal framework is required to deal with acts of terrorism.
Sumanthiran said that it remains the principled position of his party that special legislation to combat terrorism is not necessary. However, he added that if the government proceeds with drafting such a law, ITAK would take part in the legislative process.
He explained that engaging in the process would allow them to examine the government’s proposals and work to ensure that any legislation brought forward complies with international human rights standards.
The debate, over the future of the PTA, continues to draw scrutiny, both domestically and internationally. Tamil political representatives and civil society organisations have repeatedly warned that replacing the PTA with similar legislation would merely perpetuate the same system of repression under a different name.
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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