News

A clash between the delegates representing India and Pakistan has resulted in the brief halting of Sittings of the South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Colombo.

The heated argument between the delegates of the two countries was over the Kashmir issue.

The Pakistani Parliamentary delegation had demanded to know from their Indian counterparts why India had revoked Kashmir’s special status nullifying autonomy granted to the state which had also resulted in numerous schools in the region being closed down, sources have said.

Subsequently a heated argument had ensued between the two groups, with India asserting that it was an internal Indian issue.

Parliamentarian Professor Ashu Marasinghe had to stop the session for lunch to calm the situation and end the quarrel.

The event was hosted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in celebration of the 30 year anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989-2019).

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to hold a series of district summits following the launch of the party's future action plan at its 68th convention to be held today.

The convention is to be held today at 2 p.m. at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium under the patronage of party leader, President Maithripala Sirisena.

SLFP General Secretary, MP Dayasiri Jayasekera says the party will launch its future programme under the theme of "Sunila Janavadha."

The programme will be aimed at developing a dialogue with the public to formulate a permanent national policy.

Accordingly, the SLFP plans to hold meetings at district level and the main district meetings will be held under the patronage of President Sirisena.

Jayasekera said that around 15,000 SLFP members from all parts of the island would attend today's convention.

"Today will show that the SLFP is prepared to face any election," the SLFP General Secretary said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has reiterated his commitment to abolish the Executive Presidency so its powers cannot be abused with impunity, and pledged to continue upholding democracy.

Wickremesinghe has made this observation while addressing the People’s Majlis, which is the equivalent of the Maldives Parliament.

The Prime Minister has outlined the measures taken by his Government, since coming to power in 2015, to foster and promote democracy and strengthen institutions. He acknowledged that the creation of the Executive Presidency led to the accumulation of power in one institution, and this was somewhat resolved by the Government.

“The 19th Amendment to our Constitution corrected the position by requiring the President to appoint Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. This reinforced the collective responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers to Parliament. Today, the major features of the Westminster Parliamentary Government exist side by side with an Executive Presidency, which we are committed to abolish, due to its profound powers that have often been exploited and abused by its incumbents with impunity,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the 19th Amendment was deemed necessary, because of “the flagrant violations of the Constitution under the previous regime. For instance, the then-Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was removed in 2013 without a proper resolution of impeachment. Similarly, there was a high level of politicisation of the Public Service and the Police. The 19th Amendment addressed these issues by establishing six independent commissions.”

However, Wickremesinghe pointed out laws alone do not strengthen democracy, as they can be repealed or ignored.

The strengthening of key democratic institutions, and their implementing mechanisms is also necessary, he said. Sri Lanka has achieved the independence of these institutions through the establishment of the Constitutional Council.

The appointees were no longer dependent on the whims of the Executive, and have the space to act independently, he added.

“But the challenge is not over. The abuse of the democratic space for example, through hate speech and fake news, are some of the new dangers. Social media is like a god of ancient times: both the creator and the destroyer. It has the ability to spread the message of freedom as well as to rouse passions and emotions that lead to its destruction.
Finding a balance between the democratisation of news and the legal obligations of the user to prevent harm is the complex question that which we, you, and many countries, have to grapple with. The final solution will require an educated public, aware of their freedoms and the threats that are posed by the net and the web," Wickremesinghe said.

Wickremesinghe also said that as Sri Lanka and Maldives are two neutral nations situated at the cross roads of the Indian Ocean, they have to face mutual challenges of rising regional tensions, terrorism, piracy, and drug trafficking. He called for the two countries to strengthen bilateral dialogue in this sphere, and seek ways to cooperate in containing and overcoming these threats.

The third edition of the Enterprise Sri Lanka National Exhibition which aims to promote an entrepreneurial culture within the island will be held from September 7 -10 at the Mutraveli grounds in Jaffna Fort.

The goal of this particular exhibition is to attract the members of the new generation to various enterprises that are native to the Northern Province thereby strengthening such enterprises further. The Enterprise Sri Lanka – Entrepreneurs' Paradise Loan Scheme was initiated by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera with the goal of creating 100,000 entrepreneurs in the country.

This programme expects to develop the industries which are native to Jaffna district by giving priority to agriculture, fisheries and tourism sectors and bringing the facilities of granting loan to a pragmatic level in order to develop such industries.

The exhibition premises comprise of seven zones that target prospective young entrepreneurs in the North and they will have access to obtain required knowledge of the necessary services as well as guidance from respective state institutions.

Accordingly, the zones are divided as the Enterprise Zone, Government and Private Sector Zone, Education Zone, Green Zone, Innovation Zone, Commercial Zone and Media Zone where participants will be able to obtain necessary information hassle free.

The Enterprise Zone will provide services to prospective entrepreneurs including services ranging from giving guidance to make their business idea a reality with guidance to become eligible to obtain loans under concessionary interest rates to start such business ventures. They will be able to get all these service under one roof at this exhibition.

The officials of the Enterprise Sri Lanka Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance as well as other officials of the State commercial banks who are assigned to handle the process of granting loans under Enterprise Sri Lanka will be available to provide the required services. On-the-spot facilities are available at all these banks for the prospective entrepreneurs to get registered to obtain loans at this exhibition venue.

The Government and Private Sector Zone will offer the visitors with some understanding, especially of the Government and Private sector institutions and their functions. The visitors can obtain the information about the Government’s development activities, functions of each ministry and the services they provide to the people at this exhibition venue.

The Education Zone has been separated for the thousands of school children and other students who are pursuing higher education. Various types of books which are relevant to school text books could be bought at special discounts at this exhibition. The Education Ministry has involved in organizing this zone. In addition, different type of awareness programs will be held in this exhibition venue for the student visitors to share necessary knowledge. Counseling services for those who are seeking higher education could be obtained at this Zone.

The visitors to this exhibition will be given an opportunity to buy various commodities at reasonable prices. Especially garments and other type of apparel manufactured by factories coming under the Board of Investment (BOI) could be bought at duty free prices in this exhibition center.

In addition, a special zone has been set up for innovations. Priority has been given for the awarded innovators and such individuals of the Northern Province.

The Media Zone will provide an opportunity for the people to meet the representatives of their favorite electronic media houses. At the same time, school students will be able to witness how various programs are telecast including live broadcasting and program production as well as news room function.

In addition, different state institutions will conduct their mobile services in the exhibition premises during these four days of the exhibition.

At the same time, visitors to the exhibition can obtain free clinical health services which have been jointly organized by the Health Ministry and the Provincial Health Services Department. Among them are free laboratory and clinical services.

In addition, various programs on cultivation activities and crop management in the Jaffna district as well as awareness programs on coconut and cashew cultivation will also be conducted in the exhibition venue.

At the same time, legal aid will be provided to those who are seeking for such assistance.

Several programs separated for the youth who seek for vocational training will also be conducted.

A foreign ministry consular service will also be set up in the exhibition premises. The foreign job seekers and students who are going overseas for higher education could be able to get their required certificates and other documents attested by this consular office in the exhibition premises.

Simultaneously, guidance and necessary facilities will be provided for small business ventures under the National Policies Ministry coming under the purview of the Prime Minister.

The Enterprise Sri Lanka exhibition in Jaffna will be held from 10 am to 12 midnight during these four days and musical shows with the participation of popular music bands and vocalists will be held in the exhibition venue.

President Maithripala Sirisena has been informed by the Supreme Court (SC) that he does not have the power to call for Provincial Council (PC) elections without a duly adopted delimitation report.

The Court has informed the President that he did not possess the power to enforce the delimitation report by gazetting it. Therefore, elections to the provinces cannot be held under the Provincial Council (Amendment) Act.

President's Secretary, Udaya Seneviratne yesterday (2) announced the Supreme Court observations to the President's request for an opinion on the possibility of the President making arrangements to hold the PC polls.

The delayed Provincial Council elections is viewed as a violation of the people's right to vote.

The Elections Commission earlier said it was unlikely that the Provincial Council elections would be held before the presidential election scheduled to be held this year.

Who’s going to win the Sri Lanka Presidential election race, the speedy hare, or the slow tortoise?

It is a forgoing conclusion that the former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who started the race early even before the announcement of presidential election like the speedy hare has proudly taking the lead nearly three weeks after announcement of candidacy.

But his main contender the tortoise from the ruling UNF coalition is still to enter the racing track as there is no sign of desperate UNP group of front and back benchers in parliament forcing their leader Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe to nominate a candidate.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, an expert in political chess game and shrewd tactician famous for his marking time strategy is not in a hurry even to give a signal to ‘get set’ for his party contestant.

But the tortoise that is now on his mark to ‘get set and go’ is impatiently waiting for starting signal amidst massive cheering of his promoters.

UNP leader is reportedly against ‘any nomination’ until the alliance with smaller parties is formed and the adoption of constitution for the new party with the UNP at the helm, is finalized.

Meanwhile the Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s wild run for presidency with a foul start is now losing its steam and vigor as his weakness were being exposed to public at every mass gathering.

He made a first blunder when he banned media from covering his much hyped youth forum which was only a very poor one man show, a political analyst said.

Gotabaya is now distancing from main stream media as his advisors barred media personnel from asking questions from the arrogant candidate, he claimed.

Gotabaya’s weak public relations and lack of oratorical and debating skills will come into light in the run up to elections another political commentator said.

Political parties are getting ready to expose Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s past deals, corruption, malpractices during the previous regime and his involvement in disappearances of persons during JVP insurgency and North East war period when he was serving in the Army and Defense Ministry.

It has been revealed that SLPP supporters had to distribute crackers among vendors at Maharagma 'pola' (fair) before hand to be lit at the up visit of Gotabaya to the area scheduled for this week due dwindling public support.

Be that as it may, Minister Sajith Premadasa an experienced politician, a member of the parliament since 2000 having held many senior positions within the UNP is waiting his leader’s signal to enter the race.

Gotabaya has slowed down his speed as his opponent is still not insight .

Like tortoise Sajith will take advantage of political inexperience of Gotabaya and this UNP stalwart’s self-launched welfare programmes targeting the rural masses have already won him a strong support base, political analyst said.

Having dared to break into entrepreneurship despite graduating with a Sri Lankan university degree, 73 Lankan youth clinched financial grants from Sri Lanka’s National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) in a celebration of their start-up successes, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Vocational Training said.

The Ministry pointed out that some such SMEs have even succeeded in nailing projects from well-known blue-chip companies.

The grants, made under ‘Upadidaree Vyavasayaka Udanaya’ (Graduate Entrepreneurs’ Awakening –GEA of NEDA) imparts cash to small business start-ups (mostly) belonging to the rural youth graduates. The grants are given to new small businesses that proved to be viable and profitable after their NEDA backed business registrations were completed. Their entire new business setup process-from business registration, training, production outputs, and to sales and marketing were solely assisted by NEDA’s GEA program. With 30 August grants to 73 new SMEs, such NEDA supported youth entrepreneurs’ total count now stands at 173. Around 70% of who received grants on 30 August are from the rural sector. Grants ranged from Rs 150000 for single owner start-ups and Rs 400,000 for jointly owned start-ups.

“Our Ministry is investing Rs 100 Million for NEDA’s GEA project. Today 73 more rural youth entrepreneurs who proved their start-up successes are getting grants from us to strengthen their SMEs,” said the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training (ICTPDPCDSDVT) Rishad Bathiudeen. Minister Bathiudeen was addressing his NEDA’s GEA awards event at Narahenpita.

Baithiudeen extended his wishes to the youth entrepreneurs and praised their efforts to become entrepreneurs rather than running after government jobs.

An attempt by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to remove several subjects allocated under Minister Kabir Hashim has been thwarted by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Wickremesinghe has directed his Secretary to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the removal of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) from Minister Hashim’s purview and re-assign it to Minister Lakshman Kiriella.

Sources at Temple Trees said the Prime Minister’s letter on the matter was handed over to Prime Minister’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake last week.

Sources further noted that the Prime Minister’s Secretary has in turn forwarded the letter to the President’s Secretary to facilitate Wickremesinghe’s directive.

However, sources at the Presidential Secretariat said President Maithripala Sirisena had turned down the request saying there was no necessity to make changes in the Cabinet of Ministers since there will be a key election in a few months.

According to the Constitution, it is the President who has the mandate to allocate subjects to Cabinet Ministers as well as make changes if required.

Hashim currently holds the portfolio of Highways and Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development.

Kiriella is the Minister for Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development.

Hashim, who is also the Chairman of the United National Party (UNP), has been supportive of party Deputy Leader, Minister Sajith Premadasa’s bid to become the UNP presidential candidate at the forthcoming presidential poll.

(theleader.lk)

The government emphasizes that the proposed amendments to the People's Bank Act never aims to privatize People's Bank and the only objectives are to increase the authorized share capital of People's Bank and to enable the Bank to issue debentures without the additional requirement of obtaining a treasury guarantee, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement today.

"As per the section 13 of People's Bank Act 29 of 1961, the ultimate ownership of People's Bank vests with the government of Sri Lanka. Its responsibility lies on the Secretary to the General Treasury. People's Bank Act clearly states that People's Bank shares cannot be sold to any party other than cooperative societies or Secretary to the General Treasury," the statement said.

The government emphasizes that section 13 has not been included in the proposed amendment bill let alone amend it. Proposed amendments only seek to amend section 12, 20, 21 and 43 of People's Bank Act.

Accordingly, the objectives of amending these four sections are to increase the authorized share capital from Rs. 1 billion to 50 billion and to enable People's Bank to issue debentures without the additional requirement of obtaining a treasury guarantee. All other states banks issue debentures without being backed by a treasury guarantee.

According to the Parliamentary Acts which established Bank of Ceylon and other state banks, there is a mechanism as well as permission for these state banks to issue debentures to fulfill their regulatory requirements. But no one is leveling privatization allegations against these banks.

"The government reiterates that after the People's Bank Act has been amended, there is no opportunity whatsoever to convert issued debentures to share capital. This is because section 13 of People's Bank Act does not permit such conversions," The Finance Ministry said.

"People's Bank Act amendment process started in 2013. Hence, various statements made to the effect that People's Bank Act amendment Bill aims to privatize the Bank, are none other than the politically motivated baseless assumptions made by certain political leaders who attempts to mislead the public for their own personal gain at this juncture," the Finance Ministry pointed out.

A mob led by a Buddhist monk has threatened a woman over a saree she wore which allegedly has images of the Lord Buddha has gone viral on social media. The video was shared on social media platforms by vikalpa.org.

The incident had reportedly taken place at a bus stop in Trincomalee where the woman and two others, including a child are surrounded and threatened in the presence of the Police.

The monk is heard saying in the video that if she was not a woman he would have assaulted her.

The video shows the woman then going down and asks for forgiveness saying she did not intend to disrespect Buddhism and that she was not aware that the image printed on her saree was that of the Lord Buddha.

However, the monk refuses to let her go and insist that she is arrested by the Police.

It was reported that she was taken to the Police station where she was later asked to change into another saree before leaving the police station.

A few months back, in a similar scenario, a Muslim woman in Hasalaka was arrested for wearing a dress with images of a ship wheel since it was misunderstood to be images of dharmachakra.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has not informed in writing or verbally his resignation from the post of Chairman of the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara patron's council (dhayaka sabha), said co-secretary of the council, Saman Ranasinghe.

Ranasinghe has told the media that such a communication would have to be directed to either the chief incumbent of the temple or the three co-secretaries.

However, neither Ranasinghe not the other two co-secretaries have been informed of Wickremesinghe's resignation.

According to Ranasinghe, the patrons had to decide on removing Wickremesinghe as the Chairman of the council since he has failed to perform the duties of the head of the respective council.

He has added that the outcome of the vote taken on the matter was evident of this fact.

UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer observes that Sri Lanka has a long history of disappearances evidenced by UN reports and the many national commissions formed to inquire into such allegations over past decades.

Singer made this observation in a press statement issued to mark the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Singer notes that the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) had a colossal task ahead.

“The OMP will need the full support of all relevant State authorities in order to fulfill its very challenging mandate. Only with long term sustained efforts it could provide answers and relief to the suffering of many thousands, and thus contribute, along with other institutions, to the commitments of the Government to advance the right to truth, serve justice, provide reparations and guarantee that no such crimes will occur in the future. The UN stands ready to continue supporting the government of Sri Lanka in the fulfilment of this commitment.” Singer stressed.

The UN was encouraged by Sri Lanka’s ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2016 and particularly by the establishment of the Office of Missing Persons in 2017.

“Today we are reminded of all the families, across the country, that are still looking for answers to the whereabouts and fate of their disappeared loved-ones and accountability for the perpetrators of these crimes.” Singer said.

“Today we stand up for the rights of the victims of enforced disappearances and their relatives.”

In 2010 the UN General Assembly declared that the date of 30 August would be observed as International Day of Enforced Disappearances. Enforced Disappearances are heinous crimes and the UN marks on this date its solidarity with victims and to express deep concern about the continuation of enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world, as well as harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of persons who have disappeared.