News

Winner should be decided on the number of electorates won, not popular vote-SLPP MP

Published

4 years ago

2020/11/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Presidential election

By Shamindra Ferdinando

SLPP National List MP Gevindu Cumaratunga yesterday (5) said that he strongly believed Sri Lanka should adopt a system similar to that of the US as part of the overall measures to ensure a level playing field at the presidential election.

Convenor of Yuthukama civil society organization Cumaratunga said that he would soon hand over their proposals to a Committee led by Romesh de Silva, PC, tasked with formulating the new Constitution.

Lawmaker Cumaratunga said so when The Island asked him whether he still wanted an electoral system similar to that of the US in the wake of unprecedented turmoil caused by President Donald Trump threatening to seek Supreme Court intervention, having declared himself the winner.

MP Cumaratunga said that regardless of the chaos caused due to President Trump’s stand, the US system ensured political stability by preventing a particular candidate from exploiting special circumstances to his or her advantage.

Asked to explain, the lawmaker said that ‘Yuthukama’ was of the view that like in the US the winner shouldn’t be decided on the popular vote. Instead, Sri Lanka should go for a system that decided the winner on the number of electorates won by him or her instead of the number of votes.

Responding to another query, Cumaratunga pointed out that as electorates were constituted on the basis of territory and population, the winner at presidential election should be decided on that. The NL MP emphasized ‘Yuthukama’ never advocated a US electoral college system where each State is worth a certain number of electoral college votes depending on the size of its population.

Referring to the 2015 presidential election lost by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Cumaratunga said that President Rajapaksa lost the election though he comfortably secured a far larger number of electorates than Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena. However, Sirisena secured certain electorates in the Northern and Eastern Provinces as well as Nuwara Eliya on the basis of agreements with members of the UNP-led unholy alliance, MP Cumaratunga said.

Appreciating the enactment of the 20th Amendment as a sort of stop gap measure to restore stability, lawmaker Cumaratunga emphasized the importance of thwarting political maneuvering.

He recalled how all electoral districts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were delivered by one-time LTTE mouthpiece, the TNA to the then Opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka. Having accused the war winning Army under Fonseka’s command of war crimes on the northern battlefields, the TNA had no qualms in backing him, MP Cumaratunga said, pointing out such political maneuvering wouldn’t be practical if Sri Lanka decided the winner on the basis of the total number of electorates secured by a candidate than the number of votes.

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa has backed Cumaratunga’s call for far reaching changes in the presidential election system.

MP Cumaratunga alleged that UNP leader JRJ granted citizenship to Tamils of Indian origin in the run-up to the 1982 presidential election. Acknowledging that the matter shouldn’t be politicized under any circumstances and the needs of those who had been brought to Sri Lanka by the British considered humanly, MP Cumaratunga said however developments invariably paved the way for promotion of agenda often inimical to the State.

The MP also cited President Ranasinghe Premadasa bending backwards to appease the SLMC at presidential election in late 80s for the same reason. MP Cumaratunga alleged that both JRJ and Premadasa sought to win over selected sections of voters even at the expense of stability.

President Trump’s strong reaction to his rival Biden’s challenge shouldn’t deter Sri Lanka from introducing much required change. The MP blamed the crisis on the President, emphasizing it shouldn’t be, in anyway considered a defect of the system.

Pointing out that the Constitution that had been enacted over 40 years ago was repeatedly tinkered over the years and a new Constitution was long overdue, the ‘Yuthukama’ Chief called for uniformity and streamlining of the entire electoral process. The MP expressed the view that the success of the new Constitution making process depended on cohesive action to deal with both constitutional and electoral issues.

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Some VIP security units disbanded, special ‘motivation incentive allowance’ abolished, with some exceptions

Published

2 hours ago

2024/10/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

AVM Thuyakontha

Defence Secy. assures regular entitlements won’t be curtailed

Defence Secretary retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyakontha has assured the armed forces that contrary to claims, reports and speculation, the NPP government will not curtail various entitlements provided to them.

The declaration was made at the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Headquarters at the Defence Headquarters Complex, Pelawatte, on Monday (Oct 07).

AVM Thuyakontha, who was in the centre of controversy in the run-up to the presidential election over his support for Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s candidature and blacklisted by the SLAF, visited several divisions of Air Force HQ accompanied by the Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa and other senior officers.

Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Padman de Costa also joined the Defence Secretary on his visit to the Air Force HQ.

During the war, Thuyakontha served as the Commanding Officer of the famed 09 Squadron consisting of Mi-24 helicopter gunships.

AVM Thuyakontha reiterated the government’s commitment to the general welfare of the armed forces.

However, the government has declared that what is called ‘motivation incentive allowance’ paid to security forces personnel attached to security units of former VIPs was stopped from Sept. 22, the day after the presidential election.

The Defence Ministry has informed the Army, Navy and Air Force commanders that there was no requirement for ‘motivation incentive allowance’ as the provision of such security has been discontinued.

According to the Defence Ministry, only security units attached to the Chief of Defence Staff, three service commanders and former presidents would continue to receive the special allowance. (SF)

News

US strengthens SLAF maritime surveillance squadron

Published

2 hours ago

2024/10/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

File picture of Beechcraft King Air 360ER

The SLAF will officially take delivery of Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, donated by the United States at the Katunayake airbase.

The US Embassy in Colombo said that funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity programme was part of a long-term collaboration with the Sri Lanka Air Force.

“This advanced aircraft is designed to enhance Sri Lanka’s capabilities in search and rescue operations, drug interdiction, and combating trafficking and smuggling. It will also significantly improve the country’s maritime surveillance operations while reinforcing U.S.-Sri Lanka defense cooperation,” the Embassy said.

The Beechcraft King Air 360ER is equipped with cutting-edge technology to boost Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its waters and address maritime threats.

The aircraft would be assigned to the Number 03 Maritime Squadron based in China Bay, Trincomalee. The squadron comprises Indian and American surveillance aircraft and would be joined before end of this year by an aircraft donated by Australia.

News

FDI depends on transparency and ‘streamlined policies’

Published

2 hours ago

2024/10/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Dissanayake and Ambassador Lee

– South Korean envoy

South Korean Ambassador Miyon Lee has assured President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of their readiness to resume investments here.

A statement issued by ROK Embassy in Colombo quoted Ambassador Lee as having reaffirmed willingness among Korean companies to recommence investments in Sri Lanka and expressed expectations on Sri Lanka’s commitment towards maintaining transparency and streamlined policies to attract Foreign Direct Investment for the country.

Ambassador Lee discussed the issue when she paid a courtesy call on President Dissanayake yesterday (09) at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the meeting, Ambassador Lee congratulated President Dissanayake on his inauguration and also conveyed best wishes from President Yoon Suk Yeol and his expectations to bolster the relationship between the two countries under the new leadership.

Ambassador Miyon Lee expressed the Korean government’s unwavering support to Sri Lanka with the continuation of people-to-people exchanges, cooperation in education, health and various other sectors. While expressing Korea’s intention to collaborate on digitalization, climatic change initiatives and in the renewable energy sector, she elaborated the role of the Korean government agencies such as KOICA, KOFIH and Saemaul Foundation working in Sri Lanka and called for Sri Lankan government’s continued support for various activities steered by these agencies in this country.

In line with the commitments set out by the International Monetary Fund, the Ambassador wished Sri Lanka for a successful Debt Restructuring Programme and emphasized the commitments by Korea Exim Bank to renew the framework agreement for loan projects to Sri Lanka.