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Joint Opposition (JO) parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wasantha Senanayake of the United National Party (UNP) have been found to be the MPs who least attended parliament in the last quarter.
 
Manthri.lk of Verite Research which evaluates the performance of parliamentarians releasing a report this week revealed that of the 24 parliamentary sessions held between May - July 2018, the duo had only attended two sessions. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was also an MP found to be avoiding parliamentary sessions. According to manthri.lk he had only attended four sessions in the evaluated quarter.
 
Others joining him were UPFA MPs Premalal Jayasekara, Arumugam Thondaman and Lakshman Wasantha Perera.
 
However, despite not attending parliamentary sessions MP Namal Rajapaksa appeared to be active on social media particularly on Twitter during sitting days while also marking various other engagements such as foreign trips and numerous public meetings as well as social events.

Parliament also had to be adjourned twice due to having no quorum in the last two months alone. Parliament requires twenty members including the Presiding Officer to be present at a session. 

Source: Sunday Observer

Sri Lanka is set to enter into an agreement with the Government of Oman to avoid double taxation after Cabinet approval was granted to a proposal made by the Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera yesterday.

The agreement relating to the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion covering the areas pertaining to interest, royalty and profit motivation on shipping services is being carried out in anticipation of enhancing economic relations and corporation between the two countries.

In March, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya led a multi-party Parliamentary delegation that undertook an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman at the invitation of State Council of Oman Chairman, Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoodh Al-Manthri. 

The visit was a significant milestone in Sri Lanka-Oman bilateral relations, as it was the highest-level political visit to the Sultanate of Oman from Sri Lanka following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1981.

There is no lacuna or provision in the 19th Amendment and its application for legal arguments to be made that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is eligible to contest in the upcoming 2019 presidential election, a top constitutional expert said, amid frantic attempts by the Joint Opposition to push for a third term for the controversial ex-President.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution has no retroactive effect, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, PC and MP said.

“Neither former presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga nor Mahinda Rajapaksa could contest for a third term, according to the law brought in by the 19th Amendment, he added. “If either Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga or Mahinda Rajapaksa had been elected President on January 8, 2015 and the 19th Amendment was enacted on May 15, 2015, then the disqualification would not have applied in the current term as the election had already been held.”

To explain the very technical legal point further, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne used the example of former MP Basil Rajapaksa. The 19th Amendment also brought a disqualification for being a member of Parliament on persons holding dual citizenship, he said.

“Now, Basil Rajapaksa, who is said to be a dual citizen, was a Member of Parliament when the 19th Amendment as enacted. But that did not apply to him as he had been already elected. But he is disqualified from being elected thereafter. The same principle applies here as well,” Dr. Wickremaratne explained.

Leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Prof. G.L. Peiris last week said he will seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on whether the former President Rajapaksa could seek a third term. However, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution revived a disqualification that was in the original 1978 Constitution which said, “No person who has been twice elected to the office of President by the People, shall be qualified thereafter to be elected to such office by the People”.

This disqualification was deleted by the Eighteenth Amendment introduced by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in 2010. The 19th Amendment additionally brought in a disqualification for a dual citizen, to run for parliament or presidency. Several mainstream Sinhala language newspapers floated the theory over the weekend, as the SLPP/JO grapples with putting a lid on its ‘candidate crisis’ by putting the party’s standard-bearer back in the fray.Speaking to the Sunday Observer, SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris confirmed the pro-Rajapaksa faction was thinking along those lines. Legal experts were of the view that the prohibition contained in the 19th Amendment has operation only for the future and not for the past.“The Amendment has no retrospective application,” Prof. Peiris said.

The SLPP Chairman means that the two-term limit will apply only two Presidents who are elected to office after the enactment of the 19th Amendment and not to those who have held the office before. Dr. Wickremaratne disagrees. “The 19th Amendment came into force on May 15, 2015. Therefore, the disqualification will apply to all Presidential elections held after that date,” the senior constitutional lawyer explained. Prof. Peiris said there were ways to obtain ‘authoritative clarification’ on the matter. He said it would be likely that the clarification will be sought from the Supreme Court, by the SLPP or any voter in the country.Meanwhile, the Sunday Observer learns that one proposal currently being floated within SLPP inner circles is for the former President to simply hand over nominations to the Elections Commission when the presidential election is declared.

Some sections of the SLPP believe this will force the Commission to seek an interpretation of the 19th Amendment from the Supreme Court, triggering a major constitutional crisis ahead of a key election. However, legal experts dismissed the theory. If the former President submits nominations, the Election Commission would have to reject the application as being invalid in terms of the Constitution, said Viran Corea Attorney-at-Law.Since the meaning of the text of the 19th Amendment was unambiguous on plain reading, it does not warrant ‘interpretation’ in the involved sense of the word,” Corea explained.

Source : Sunday Observer

The Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act and the Apartment Ownership (Special Provisions) Act was signed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya at the Speaker’s Office yesterday (15).

The Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act was passed in Parliament with amendments on the 09th of August.

SriLankan Airlines said it has introduced a series of measures to mitigate inconvenience to its passengers from the closure of Cochin International Airport due to flooding.

On Thursday, the Cochin Airport authorities announced that they were extending the airport's closure until August 26.

Accordingly, the Airline said it is offering passengers booked to travel from Cochin to Colombo and onward destinations, the option of departing from Trivandrum or any other destination in South India served by SriLankan, at no extra charge.

"In addition, passengers booked to fly from Colombo to Cochin may fly to Trivandrum or any other destination in South India served by SriLankan, at no extra charge."

Sri Lanka's national carrier said it acted immediately to temporarily increase its capacity between Trivandrum and Colombo in order to cater to the expected requirement.

Passengers who were awaiting flights when the airport was closed down on August 15 were provided hotel accommodation and those who agreed were rerouted to Trivandrum.

"SriLankan Airlines greatly regrets the inconvenience to its valued passengers, which is due to circumstances beyond its control, and will resume regular services to Cochin as soon as the airport is reopened. Further updates from airport authorities are awaited on this situation," the airline said in a release.

Source : Colombo Page

Nearly 600 families resettled on newly released land in the North and East of Sri Lanka will benefit from £1 million from the UK Government to support the provision of basic infrastructure and services.

Helping families return to their villages is a crucial element of Sri Lanka addressing the legacy of civil war and is a key part of the joint strategy agreed by the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka to support long-term post-conflict peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.

The funding will help those returning to their homes in the Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Batticaloa districts by contributing towards roads, wells and sanitary services, and help re-establish access to local government services as well as local civil society organisations.

It will also help families rebuild their lives by supporting livelihood development through training on small business management, and provision of essential fishing and agricultural equipment.

Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said that helping some of the families resettle in districts from which they had been displaced is a very important step.

“It is symbolic of the steady progress made after decades of conflict. There remains a lot to do, but I am proud of the UK’s support to the rebuilding process. We will continue to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to make progress delivering their Human Rights Council commitments, and I hope that the UK’s Sri Lankan diaspora will also play their part in encouraging that progress,” he said.

The Minister said that the UK currently supports stability in Sri Lanka through projects designed to build reconciliation and the rule of law; including, police and defence reform, demining, interfaith mediation and anti-bribery and corruption, among other issues.

The funding is being provided through the UK’s Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), increasing the UK’s contribution through the CSSF for Sri Lanka to £7.9 million between 2016 and 2019.

The funding is part of the UK’s contribution to Sri Lanka’s Peacebuilding Priority Plan; a joint strategy agreed by the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka to support long term post-conflict peacebuilding in Sri Lanka. (Colombo Gazette)

A Cabinet paper to ban tuition classes on Poya days and before 2 pm on Sundays will be presented to the Cabinet within the coming few days says, Minister of Buddha Sasana Gamini Jayawickrama Perera.

The said Cabinet paper was compiled according to the requests of all religious leaders according to the Minister.

He made this statement attending an event held in Gampaha recently.

The Government has decided to appoint a Special Salaries Commission to make necessary recommendations to increase the salaries of the entire public sector staff and to remove the salary anomalies in public sector institutions, including the Railways Department.
 
The Cabinet of Ministers has granted its approval to appoint the Salaries Commission, on a recommendation made by the Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera.
 
The salaries commission will conduct an in-depth study on the provisions of the existing circulars dealing with payment of salaries and other allowances paid to public sector employees and will make its recommendations to the government within the next two months, the Finance Minister said.

Many rumours are circulating within the legal fraternity with regard to the next Chief Justice as the incumbent Chief Justice Priyasath Dep is set to retire in October.

It is reported that Supreme Court judge Eva Wansundera, the most senior judge after the incumbent, is viewed widely as the next Chief Justice.
Wansundera was sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice when Priyasath Dep was overseas on official engagements.

However, senior counsel Nagananda Kodituwakku said recently that Judge Jayantha Jayasuriya is likely to be appointed as the next Chief Justice.

Furthermore, justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena and Sisira de Abrew are recognised as the most senior judges of the Supreme Court after Eva Wansundera.

If Wansundera is appointed as the next Chief Justice, she will become only the second woman in history to hold this position.

Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake became the first woman and the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka prior to her controversial impeachment which drew much criticism and concern from within and outside of Sri Lanka.

SLFP General Secretary Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa says he challenges the JO to submit their decision to act as independent MP’s in writing to the Speaker. With majority of the MP’s having been voted in after having contested under the SLFP banner he says the group cannot act independently in parliament. 
  
He also pointed out that there are no MP’s voted in under the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna banner  and they are only able to represent the party on permission given by the SLFP. 
 
Piyadasa also threatened that if they wish to leave the party voluntarily then the party will appoint new MP’s to the posts of those leaving.

Meanwhile the Joint Opposition has now decided to set up a committee to look into whether the MPs representing the party should act independently in Parliament. 

The decision was reportedly taken following a meeting with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the participation of JO parliamentarians and party leaders.  The committee will be headed by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and former minister Professor G.L. Peiris while it will also include the leaders of the parties in the Joint Opposition. 
 
The committee will decide whether the MPs representing the Joint Opposition will sit independently in the Parliament.  The MPs representing the Joint Opposition were elected to the Parliament after contesting under the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). 
 
The Joint Opposition is not recognized as the main opposition party in the parliament as the UPFA is part of the unity government formed with the United National Party (UNP).
 
The Joint Opposition had recently requested for the Opposition Leader post to be given to MP Dinesh Gunawardena, but were unsuccessful as the Speaker decided against it.

Pacific island nations are holding talks which could lead to a coordinated request that China forgive mounting debts in the region amid concerns Beijing may start seizing strategic assets, Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva said on Thursday. Tonga, one of eight island nations in the South Pacific carrying significant debt to China, is due to start repaying loans next month after borrowing heavily in the aftermath of deadly riots in 2006 that destroyed large parts of its capital.

China’s possession of a Sri Lankan port as Colombo struggled with a spiralling debt crisis meant asset seizures could not be ruled out, Pōhiva told Reuters in a phone interview from Tonga.

“If it happens in Sri Lanka, it can happen in the Pacific - so it is entirely an option for China to consider,” said Pōhiva, who did not identify any specific assets at risk of being seized.

“If we fail to meet the requirements and conditions set out in the agreement ... we have to pay the cost for our failure to meet the conditions.”
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. It has previously said there was no evidence China was responsible for creating unsustainable debt and that it retained good relations with Tonga.

In April, media reports suggested China wanted to establish a military base in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu after funding a wharf big enough to handle warships. Both China and Vanuatu denied the reports. 

(Reuters)

The CID has informed that its officers will visit Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on August 17 to obtain a statement from him. According to sources, the purpose of the visit will be to record a statement regarding the abduction and torture of former Editor of the Nation newspaper Keith Noyahr. 

CID said the notice regarding the visit was handed over on August 13. The statement is set to be recorded at his residence in Wijerama Mawatha at 10 am on the said date. 

Police HQ says the reason for obtaining a statement from Rajapaksa is due to the information revealed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. The CID had recorded an almost five-hour-long statement from the Speaker previously. He is said to have claimed that he received the first information regarding the abduction and spoke to Rajapaksa in a bid to save Noyahr.