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What goes on in House appalls former Prime Minister

Published

3 years ago

2021/10/7

By Saman Indrajith

UNP leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that he did not have much regrets about not getting elected to the House at the last general election, but was sad to observe what was being done by those who had been elected. He said so during an argument between the government and the Opposition on the matter of allocating time for the latter’s MPs to ask questions directly from the Prime Minister and on the suspension of sectoral oversight committees.

The UNP leader said that there were bright MPs in the back benches on both sides and they should be given more opportunities to be involved in parliamentary affairs. With such exposure and experience they would have a better future in politics and that would ultimately help change the prevailing political culture in the country, Wickremesinghe said, adding that there was a need for reintroducing the oversight system.

Leader of the House Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in an equally terse rebuttal said: “Wickremesinghe wouldn’t have had to go home if he had implemented the proposals he made today during the time of his tenure as the Prime Minister. He had to go home because he failed to do what he proposed.”

The UNP leader: “I don’t regret going home, but I feel sad when looking at what the sitting MPs are doing today.”

The issue over the Prime Minister’s question session and suspension of the sectoral oversight committee was raised by SJB Matara District MP Buddhika Pathirana, who demanded to know why the PM’s question session was not held.

Minister Gunawardena assured that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was always ready to answer the questions raised by the MPs

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Complaints received by Election Commission rises to 5214

Published

9 hours ago

2024/09/20

Priyan

Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake says that the Election Commission has received 5214 complaints from 31st July 2024 to 19th September 2024 with regard to the 2024 Presidential Election. Of these, 4680 have been inquired into.

The number of complaints received during the 24 hours ending at 44.30pm on 19th September 2024 is 269 of which 267 are in respect to violation of election laws.

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Taking photographs and filming polling related activities and uploading them on social media platforms constitute as violations of election laws – Election Commission

Published

9 hours ago

2024/09/20

Priyan

Chairman of the Election Commission R M A T Rathnayake has announced that taking photographs, filming polling related activities, and uploading them on social media platforms constitute as violations of election laws and requests all social media account holders and administrators to refrain from doing so.

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Nine state officials removed from election duties: DRO

Published

16 hours ago

2024/09/20

Thilina Walpola

By A.A. Pemasiri

Nine government officers who promoted presidential candidates in violation of the Establishment Code have been removed from election duties, according to Hambantota District Returning Officer, H.P. Sumanasiri. Contacted for comment, he said they were part of a group of 19 officers currently under investigation for the same offence.

Among the errant officials were three doctors, one public health inspector, nine principals, a vice principal, four teachers, and a manager of a Samurdhi Bank, Sumanasiri said.

Sumanasiri said the Public Administration Circular 32/2017 classified Staff Grade Officers and Non-Staff Grade Officers in the Public Service and Provincial Public Service. That circular and the Establishment Code made it clear that such officials could not exercise political rights other than voting, and specified the procedures to be followed in dealing with errant officials, he said.

“Subsection 1:2 of Chapter XXXII of the Establishment Code states that ‘an officer not entitled to the exercise of political rights is prohibited, under threat of dismissal, from engaging in any form of political activity except casting his vote in a Presidential Election, Parliamentary Election, Referendum, Provincial Council Election, or Local Authorities Election,” Sumanasiri said.

The Establishment Code further specified that the aforementioned officers could participate in any election, Sumanasiri added.