News

Warning issued over possible bid to postpone presidential election

Published

3 years ago

2023/09/28

Sahan Weerasooriya

Herath alleges Budget Office part of flawed political strategy

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Civil society activist Sirithunga Jayasuriya Tuesday (26) said that those genuinely concerned about political strategies of the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government should be wary of possible moves to put off the presidential election scheduled for next year.

Pointing out that both Provincial Councils and Local Government polls hadn’t been held in violation of the supreme law of the land, Jayasuriya asserted that the possibility of the government resorting to delaying tactics couldn’t be ruled out.

Jayasuriya said so at a meeting called by PAFFREL at Mandarina Hotel, on Galle Road, to discuss how political parties, represented in Parliament, and outside, could be encouraged to take the process of releasing manifestos seriously instead of deceiving the electorate.

Recently, UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena, MP, suggested that the presidential election should be put off as it could undermine ongoing economic recovery measures.

The veteran political activist told the Opposition not to be so sure the Constitution would be a hindrance to the government strategy. Jayasuriya didn’t mince his words when he explained how major political parties brazenly used manifestos to deceive the gullible.

At the onset of the programme, Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi explained how Sri Lanka could benefit from similar exercises in other countries. Several parliamentarians, including Mano Ganesan (SJB), Buddhika Pathirana (SJB), Prof. Charitha Herath (SLPP rebel group) and Tissa Attanayake (SJB) participated in the programme.

One-time head of Election Commission and Chairman of the Delimitation Committee Mahinda Deshapriya was among the invitees. Polls monitoring groups, civil society and the media, too, were represented. The gathering was told how over the years political parties cleverly used election manifestos as a propaganda tool meant to influence the electorate.

National List lawmaker Tissa Attanayake maintained that an SLPP assurance made in the run-up to the last presidential election contributed to the ruination of the national economy that led to the declaration of bankruptcy in April last year.

The former UNP General Secretary quoted the Finance Secretary as having told a parliamentary watchdog committee as the Finance Ministry announced the abolition of a slew of taxes in Nov. 2019 that it was in line with one of the SLPP manifesto pledges. MP Attanayake said that political parties should pay attention to the practicability of proposals made in their respective manifestos.

PAFFREL Chief Hettiarachchi as well as some members of the audience suggested that the Parliamentary Budget Office could play a vital role in clearing proposals made with an eye on the electorate. The Parliament recently endorsed the setting up of the Budget Office meant to clear programmes or action plans submitted by political parties ahead of elections.

Prof. Herath strongly opposed the concept of a Budget Office which the rebel MP claimed was meant to ensure manifestos of all political parties adhered to the thinking of powers that be. One-time Media Ministry Secretary emphasized that this was fundamentally wrong and could cause irreparable damage to the political party system. Prof. Herath said that proposals made by political parties could be simply rejected for want of the approval of the Budget Office. The MP declared that this sort of strategy was counterproductive and had no practice in any part of the world. In fact, lawmakers wouldn’t be in charge of this project, MP Herath said, adding that officials were to decide the practicability of proposals made by political parties.

Prof. Herath said that some propagated the idea that politicians didn’t know anything, but the civil society was much more knowledgeable. Acknowledging the shortcomings and the failures on the part of politicians, Prof. Herath said that there were serious issues at projects run by the civil society and other non-governmental enterprises. The MP cited Sri Lanka Cricket to highlight the growing crisis the non-state sector experienced and serious flaws in the accounting process in civil society projects. “Their balance sheets are not properly scrutinized,” the former COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) Chairman said.

Prof. Herath alleged that the Budget Office was part of a flawed political strategy. If the Budget Office was in place now President Ranil Wickremesinghe couldn’t have done anything, MP Herath said, asserting that political projects should receive endorsement by the people not that of an Office manned by officials. The SLPP rebel spokesman questioned the validity of the Budget Office though Parliament approved it.

MP Herath stressed that democracy couldn’t be sustained only by conducting elections. According to Prof. Herath, the Budget Office was meant to control political parties that didn’t fall in line with their thinking. Their position with regard to proposals made by political parties could unduly influence the electorate, Prof. Herath alleged.

The gathering was also told that instead of new proposals political parties represented in Parliament and outside and other interested parties, including the civil society should press the powers that be to adhere to the Constitution. Instability caused by taking over of political parties through corrupt means and elected and appointed MPs switching sides particularly for personal rewards et al and deterioration of public faith in the executive, legislature and judiciary undermined the very basis of democracy, the group was told. Reference was made to the formation of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in early 2020 and two members elected from that party forming their own political outfits.

Another issue that received attention was the circumstances of cases pending against sitting lawmakers as well as ex-MPs in certain instances had dragged on for years. The recent imposition of five-year jail term on Senior DIG Lalith Jayasinghe for interfering in the 2015 Kahawatta politics related killing probe against the backdrop of the main accused Premalal Jayasekera (SLPP, Ratnapura) being a State Minister underscored the need for reexamination of the political scene.

Their attention was also drawn to controversial arrangements that threatened the electoral process. The case of three presidential candidates contesting 2010, 2015 and 2019 polls under the symbol of a party that never had an elected member at any level underscored the need to examine the entire setup, the gathering was told.

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Plans to open underutilised state land for new investment opportunities

Published

6 hours ago

2026/06/17

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Circular Revision Committee appointed to review and update circulars issued under the State Lands Ordinance and the Land Development Ordinance was held on Tuesday (16) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat. The Committee has been mandated to recommend to the Cabinet the cancellation of out-dated circulars, the issuance of new circulars, and the revision of existing circulars to ensure alignment with current requirements.

The Committee is chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, D.P. Wickramasinghe. Its other members include the Senior Additional Secretary to the President (Constitutional and Statutory Affairs Division), Legal Adviser to the Presidential Secretariat, an Additional Solicitor General from the Attorney General’s Department, the Additional Secretary (Lands) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, the Additional Director General of the National Budget Department, the Western Province Land Commissioner, the Divisional Secretary of Nuwaragampalatha East, the Deputy Chief Valuer of the Valuation Department and the Director (Lands) of the Mahaweli Authority.

The Commissioner General of Lands serves as the Convener of the Committee.

The Committee’s responsibilities include establishing a reliable, uniform and regularised system of land taxation within the existing legal framework, ensuring state revenue optimisation without prejudice to lessees. This includes reviewing annual lease rentals charged on long-term leases and grants, aligning related circulars with current requirements, and amending or formulating new provisions and directives where necessary.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the proposals submitted by the expert committee in relation to the revision of these circulars.

The President emphasised that a new, time-appropriate policy should be formulated to address the underutilisation of State lands and to ensure their more efficient use.

Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Legal Adviser to the President, Senior Attorney-at-Law J.M. Wijebandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe, Additional Solicitor General of the Attorney General’s Department, President’s Counsel Ravindra Pathiranage, Commissioner General of Lands Chandana Ranaweraarachchi, Director General (Institutional Affairs), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development J.G.L.S. Jayawardena, Additional Director General (National Budget Department) D.A. Asantha Gunasekara, and Commissioner of Lands (Leasing Division) P.K.C. Nilani Mahindaganamage, together with members of the Committee, were also present.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation also attended the meeting.

(PMD)

Business

National Export Development Plan (2026–2030) presented to the President

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/17

Priyan

Marking an important milestone in Sri Lanka’s economic development, the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) for the period 2026–2030 was presented to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday morning (16) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The 2026–2030 National Export Development Plan (NEDP) is a key national programme formulated in line with the Government’s policy direction under the 2025 Budget. It aims to strengthen the country’s export sector and achieve export-led sustainable economic growth.

The strategic plan has been developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and the leadership of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), with technical assistance provided through the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Policy-Based Lending (PBL) programme. It is the result of an extensive consultative process carried out in close collaboration with key government institutions, private sector stakeholders, and development partners.

The proposal submitted by the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development to recognise the “Sri Lanka National Export Development Plan 2026–2030” as the official strategic framework for export development and promotion in Sri Lanka was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 4 May 2026. The Plan reflects a broad consensus among government institutions, private sector experts, and international development partners.

In line with the national vision of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life”, the Plan has been formulated to enhance Sri Lanka’s export competitiveness and achieve an export revenue target of USD 36 billion by 2030.

The core vision of the Plan is to transform Sri Lanka into a competitive logistics and knowledge-based export hub serving regional and global markets. The strategy is based on two key interconnected pillars: “horizontals” and “verticals”, which together provide the foundation for strengthening export competitiveness, diversification, and sustainable growth.

The horizontal enablers, which support the growth and expansion of all priority sectors, include logistics and integrated hub operations, trade facilitation, trade finance and reforms in the business and investment environment, trade promotion and market linkages, quality management, standards, environmental, social and governance (ESG) capacity development, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Plan also identifies eight priority export sectors to enhance export diversification and value addition, and to position Sri Lanka more competitively in global markets. These include automotive components, mineral-based industries, rubber-based industries, maritime industries (including boat and shipbuilding), spices and concentrates, digital products and services, electrical and electronic equipment, and processed food and beverages.

The preparation of the Plan involved contributions from over 300 stakeholders, including government institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations and international development partners. Broad consensus was achieved through consultations held from October to December 2025 and workshops conducted in January 2026.

The Government expects that, with implementation supported by strong governance and monitoring framework, the Plan will elevate local products to international standards and ensure long-term economic stability and growth. It is further anticipated that the National Export Development Plan will serve as a key driver of Sri Lanka’s economic progress in the years ahead.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary to the Ministry of Energy Russell Aponso, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara, and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Mangala Wijesinghe were also present at the event.

[PMD]

News

Complaint of custodial deaths and torture submitted to UN

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/17

Sahan Weerasooriya

Senaka and Aisha

The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) has complained to the UN regarding custodial deaths.

Executive Director of the Committee, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera told The Island that they had submitted written submissions to the visiting UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on Monday (15). “We are confident that they’ll take up the issues at hand with the government and take tangible measures to improve the conditions in prisons and detention facilities,” Perera said.

The SPT is here from 15 to 24 June. The visiting delegation consists of Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Head of Delegation (Maldives), Jakub Julian Czepek (Poland), Nika Kvaratskhelia (Georgia), Anica Tomsic (Croatia) and two human rights officers from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Claiming that there had been 184 prison deaths in 2024, the Committee asserted that though there was a drop in the number of cases, the deaths caused by underlying health complications and systemic issues weren’t available at the moment.

According to a copy of the submissions made to the SPT, received by The Island, there had been seven custodial deaths this year alone, reported from various parts of the country.

The Committee took a very critical position, while Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath assured the visiting delegation that the government didn’t tolerate torture at all.

The Ministry statement Monday night quoted Herath as having described the government response as zero tolerance policy.

The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners also dealt with several other contentious issues, including special treatment granted to those with political connections and privileged backgrounds. Perera alleged that in spite of a change of government, in 2024 September, the much anticipated improvements failed to materialise and the continuing custodial deaths highlighted the crisis in the prisons and detention facilities.

According to the Committee, the situation was so bad and further deteriorating in overcrowded prisons, the national overcrowding rate has reached an unsustainable 286.6%, with some facilities, like the Vavuniya Remand Prison, exceeding capacity by 300%.

A significant portion of this population (65.4%) consists of persons not convicted awaiting trial, the Committee said, urging the SPT to look into the pathetic situation.

The Committee also complained of torture and ill-treatment at some detention facilities. There had been cases of lawyers, visiting detention centres at Welisara and Boossa, been subjected to degrading and humiliating searches, including forced removal of clothing.

The Committee also brought to the SPT’s notice how the Supreme Court, on 14 December, 2023, held the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deshabandu Thennakoon, personally responsible for torture. The failure on the part of prison authorities to grant inmates a fair hearing during internal investigations, too, has been raised by the Committee.

Among the other issues that had been raised were enforced disappearances, health and medical conditions, food, water and sanitation, corporal punishments and the operation of detention facilities within military bases.

Referring to the enforced disappearance of Gonapinuwala Kapila Kumara de Silva on 27 March, 2024, the Committee alleged that the Attorney General failed to take action against the perpetrators, believed to be members of the Special Task Force (STF)

The Committee alleged that in spite of them submitting formal complaints and an urgent letter to the Attorney General demanding prosecution under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Act, No. 5 of 2018, the AG took no meaningful action.

Consequently, CPRP filed a Writ of Mandamus petition in the Court of Appeal (CA/WRIT/185/26) against the Attorney General and other officials, seeking judicial intervention to compel investigation and prosecution. The case remains pending

by Shamindra Ferdinando