News

Vasu alleges SJB’s role in Basil’s plan to save Mahinda and govt.

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/27

Sahan Weerasooriya

… main Opposition party denies charge

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Close on the heels of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila’s declaration that the SLPP rebels and the SJB had the required strength to move a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the government, fellow rebel lawmaker Vasudeva Nanayakkara has accused the SJB of trying to save the incumbent dispensation.

The General Secretary of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) Nanayakkara yesterday (26) told a hastily arranged media briefing, at his Maradana office, how the SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had cooperated with the SLPP strongman Basil Rajapaksa to undermine their efforts to move the proposed NCM.

Fielding questions, former Water Supply Minister Nanayakkara claimed that former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, too, appeared to have been involved in the conspiracy.

The Opposition Leader’s Office dismissed MP Nanayakkara’s allegations.

Referring to UNP leader Wickremesinghe’s recent statement in Parliament where he had urged members to delay whatever action until Finance Minister Ali Sabry, PC, briefed the House of the outcome of his talks with the IMF, lawmaker Nanayakkara accused the ex-PM of interfering with their strategy.

Those who had been asking the current dispensation to quit were now playing a different tune, Nanayakkara said, questioning the SJB leader’s attitude towards the moves underway to get rid of the government.

Responding to another query, MP Nanayakkara said that SJB leader Premadasa desperately wanted an early general election. However, MP Premadasa appeared to have sought an assurance from SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa to provide the required support to form a government as the SJB on its own couldn’t muster a simple majority, MP Nanayakkara said.

Nanayakkara said that the SLPP rebel group would go it alone at the next general election.

Asked how Basil wielded so much power as various groups pulled in different directions, MP Nanayakkara alleged the former Finance continued to interfere in their efforts to compel the entire Cabinet of Ministers including PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to quit.

The DLF General Secretary said while a group of protesters sustained a high profile ‘Gota Go Home’ protest opposite the Presidential Secretariat, Basil Rajapaksa continued to protect the PM.

When it was pointed out that both Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa remained in office in spite of the growing demands for their immediate resignations, MP Nanayyakara urged the public to send in postcards to the Premier asking him to leave. According to him, Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa remained in office after having promised to step down on more than one occasion.

Nanayakkara said that the government in an obvious bid to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) even before an agreement could be reached with the outfit, had depreciated the rupee, abolished price controls and increased interest rates, thereby causing the sudden increase in prices of all commodities and services.

Nanayakkara said the SLPP was now down to 106 members.

At the last general election, the SLPP secured 145 seats and the SJB 54.

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News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.