News
The only MP to oppose 19A welcomes 20A for restoring people’s sovereignty

By Saman Indrajith
Local government and Provincial Council Minister Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament yesterday (21) that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution would restore people’s sovereignty that had been diminished by the 19th Amendment.
Participating in the second round of the 20th amendment bill debate, the minister said that as per the constitutional provisions, sovereignty in the country was in the people and inalienable. Sovereignty included the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. Within the powers of the government came the executive power of the people. That executive power of the people was exercised by the President. The 19th Amendment had reduced the powers of the executive and thereby diminished the people’s sovereignty. The 20th amendment would rectify that and restore people’s sovereignty by unshackling the executive, the Minister said.
“The 19th amendment weakened the executive power. For example, 6.9 million people voted for the incumbent president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Now nearly one year has passed but he still cannot appoint an IGP he thinks fit for the job because of the 19th Amendment. Before the 19th amendment was brought in appointments to all the key positions including the Chief Justice, Attorney General, IGP etc., were made by the President elected by a majority of people. The 19th Amendment vested that power in a constitutional council which had nine members. Of those nine votes, seven were in the hands of persons appointed by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. That means two MPs elected from two districts exercising executive powers of an entire population. What happened in practice? Opposition leader was R Sampanthan, an LTTE proxy. The prime minister was Ranil Wickremesinghe and we know his attitude. It was those two who made all important appointments. In other words Sampanthan from Trincomalee district and Wickremesinghe form Colombo district exercised the sovereign powers of an entire nation. Is it justifiable?” the Minister queried.
“The Constitutional Council had three civil society members who were not responsible to parliament or people. They were representatives of NGOs. Is it justifiable?”
Minister Weerasekera said that as the one and only MP who had opposed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament, he was happy to see that the day had come to replace it with the 20th Amendment.
Latest News
Committees with accountable district-level officials to be appointed to resolve Human-Elephant Conflict

President Anura Kumara Disanayake instructed relevant officials to swiftly implement a formal mechanism to resolve the human-elephant conflict, which significantly impacts both the rural economy and people’s lives.
The President issued these directives during a discussion on resolving the human-elephant conflict, held this (20) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the discussion, particular attention was paid to the districts most affected by the human-elephant conflict, including Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Badulla and Trincomalee. The respective District Secretaries presented the specific issues in their districts to the President.
Discussions also covered existing vacancies within the Department of Wildlife, vehicle requirements and the challenges faced in carrying out their duties.
The President emphasised the need to streamline the mechanism for resolving the human-elephant conflict and highlighted the importance of implementing this programme in close collaboration with the public.
Accordingly, the President instructed that committees comprising accountable officials from the relevant districts be appointed within the next month to carry out these activities.
The President also directed that retired officers be recruited on a contract basis to fill current vacancies in the Department of Wildlife. As an immediate measure, he instructed officials to assign Civil Security Department officers to the Department of Wildlife with specific training and to enact relevant legislation for this purpose.
Furthermore, the President instructed that the ongoing joint operations by the Police, other security forces and the Department of Wildlife to resolve the human-elephant conflict be made more systematic and efficient.
The event was attended by Professor Chandana Abeyrathne, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs; T.B. Sarath, Deputy Minister of Housing; Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Defence; Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President; Ranjan Marasinghe, Director General of Wildlife; Major General Lasantha Rodrigo, Army Commander; Priyantha Weerasuriya, Acting Inspector General of Police; as well as District Secretaries and other government officials.
News
Students from Thambuttegama Central College visit President’s House

A group of students from Thambuttegama Central College, Anuradhapura, visited the Presidential Secretariat and President’s House this (20) afternoon during their annual educational tour.
The students had the opportunity to participate in the ‘Vision’ programme, an initiative for schoolchildren jointly organised by the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
After touring the Old Parliament building within the Presidential Secretariat, the students were also briefed on parliamentary history.
The college’s teaching staff and students were also informed about the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme, which operates under a concept by President Anura Kumara Disanayake, as well as the role of the executive and the rule of law.
During the visit, the Legal Advisor to the President J.M. Wijebandara symbolically demonstrated the value of environmental protection by presenting a valuable sapling to the school.
The event was attended by Senior Additional Secretary to the President K.N.M. Kumarasinghe, Deputy Director of the Tri-Forces Security Affairs Coordinating Unit Colonel Dhananjaya Senarath, Deputy Principal of Thambuttegama Central College M.G. Asanka Wijesuriya, along with teaching staff and other officials.
Business
Foreign Direct Investment records 90% Increase in First Quarter of 2025

The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka has successfully increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by US$96 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.
This was disclosed today (20) during a progress review meeting of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, chaired by President Anura Kumara Disanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.
BOI officials also noted that, relative to the first quarter of 2024, domestic investment rose by US$21 million, while export income increased by US$176 million during the first quarter of 2025. In total, Sri Lanka has attracted US$4,669 million in investment proposals thus far in 2025.
The meeting also focused on the issues and challenges associated with attracting investment to the country and discussed potential strategies to address them.
Addressing the gathering, President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that the Board of Investment holds a pivotal role in enhancing the national economy and improving the living standards of the rural population.
He stressed that opportunities to attract investment in traditional sectors are becoming increasingly limited and therefore the nation must identify new areas for investment, an endeavour that falls under the BOI’s mandate.
The President further noted that Sri Lanka has attracted only around US$22 billion in investment since 1978. In comparison to other countries in the region, he stated, Sri Lanka must advance rapidly, referencing Vietnam’s achievement of securing US$23 billion in investment in 2022 alone.
He went on to state that the BOI should prioritise the expansion of investment in the services sector and proactively seek new investment opportunities, rather than focusing solely on recapturing missed ones.
The event was attended by senior officials of the Board of Investment, including Duminda Hulangamuwa, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs; Arjuna Herath, Chairman of the Board of Investment; and Ms Renuka Weerakone, Acting Director General of the Board of Investment.
-
Features6 days ago
As I remember, from 50 years ago: the 75-80 Katubedda Engineering Batch
-
Features6 days ago
Writing History on Paris Clay – French Open 2025
-
Life style6 days ago
Miss World from Thailand!
-
Features5 days ago
When the water rises: Climate change and the future of Yala’s Mugger Crocodiles
-
Editorial7 days ago
Sugar Scam: Get at bitter truth
-
News1 day ago
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, accelerates digital transformation
-
News3 days ago
Senior SLAS officer succeeds Bogollagama as SL’s UK HC
-
Business2 days ago
Spring board to ‘unleashing a new era in start-up driven growth’