News
Welgama warns country heading towards military dictatorship
by Zacki Jabbar
Kumara Welgama who is contesting this week’s Parliamentary Polls on the SJB ticket, warns that it could be the last since the Rajapaksas have already set in motion the process of establishing a military dictatorship.
Addressing several meetings in the Kalutara electorate recently, Welgama recalled that he had warned prior to the last Presidential Election that Gotabaya’s grand plan was to establish military rule after hoodwinking the people at the polls. But there were those who doubted him then.
Now you can see it happening. The President has already appointed Special Task Forces packed with former military personnel who are not answerable to the Cabinet of Ministers and Parliament, he said lamenting that competent public officials specialized in various fields had been sidelined.
Advicing Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Welgama said that the Podujana Peramuna was a family party and asked them not to have much hope of advancing in the party hierarchy because only the Rajapaksas could rise to the top in that party.
The debt burden was rising and the economy going down the Gadarene slope. But, the government in its height of incompetence has printed well over Rs.200 billion foolishly thinking that it was the solution to the worsening crisis, he noted.
He said that the masses had been taken for a jolly good ride by Gotabaya, who made many bogus promises including 100,000 jobs for those not having passed the GCE Ordinary Level Examination, a Rs. 20,000 monthly stipend for graduates whose functions were never clearly outlined, dhal at Rs.65 and a tin of canned fish at Rs.100. But none of these promises were fulfilled, even though eight months has lapsed.
Don’t vote for the Rajapaksas and lose your hard fought democratic freedoms by making the same mistake again, he appealed.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
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