News

Former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived at the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), this morning going on to give a 3 hour statement. He was summoned by the FCID to record a statement on his alleged involvement in misusing state funds amounting to Rs.90 million to build D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana.

Heavy taxes will be levied on fruit imports going forward President Maithripala Sirisena has said.

"They will be taxed heavily so that imports will decrease" he said adding that instead local fruits will be promoted. 

Going forward cutting down of fruit trees will also not be allowed without permission he claimed.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says steps will be taken to develop Galle as a major tourist destination according to a systematic plan.

“We are not talking only of the Galle Fort but the Galle town as a whole” he said addressing a function in Galle yesterday. 

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also stressed that the government has taken steps to give priority to the tourism sector in the process of moving Sri Lanka forward as an economically developed country.

According to the PM the country will also be taken forward by getting foreign investments and generating new income avenues.

“The debt burden will not be left to the future” he said adding that with the investment from the China Merchant Company the debt burden of the country has been reduced by one billion dollars. He said the Chinese Company will develop Hambantota Port and talks are being held with India about also utilizing the Mattala International Airport.

Postal unions say they will continue with the strike until their demands are met. “We will only stop the strike if our demands are signed off by the Wages Board at least prior to being presented to the cabinet” Convenor of the Joint Postal Trade Union Front, Chinthaka Bandara said. According to him, they will return to work once this occurs. The workers have now been striking for two weeks. 
 
Bandara says the authorities have failed to address their issues and give any favourable solutions regarding the problematic 6/2016 circular issued in 2006 which has resulted in recruitment to the department to come to a standstill along with promotions and salary increments for the staff. Therefore, they are requesting the new proposed scheme of recruitment drafted by the Department and the unions jointly is approved by the cabinet. 
 
 27,000 employees of the Department of Posts have joined the strike and over 600 post offices and 3,000 sub-post offices are still closed.  Despite repeated requests by the Minister and Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne asking the Unions to return to work, they have refused to do so claiming they have been tricked by false promises since 2006. Currently, a large number of government offices have been affected including the Police and Court system. Pension payments along with distributions of Senior citizens allowances too have stalled. “The whole country is affected and the government must take the responsibility,” Bandara said.

The Sri Lanka Army has urged the public not to be misled by the rumours spread by "disgruntled" politicians that the Army is in the process of withdrawing its units from the North and East and downsizing in strength.

"A canard, born out of some utterances, reportedly made by disgruntled political elements has been desperately attempting to mislead the public, saying that the Army is in the process of withdrawing its formations in the North and East and downsizing its strength, putting the national security at risk," the Army said in a communiqué.

"The Sri Lanka Army categorically denies having taken any such decision, nor has it contemplated implementing a move of that nature at all as alleged by those elements who try to showcase that 'they' are more patriotic than members of the armed forces in the country," it said.

The Army said while continuing amalgamation process without closing down any camp in the North and East it maintains combat readiness and efficiency in combat at all times at strategic and operational level and is always committed to enhancing its efficiency at all levels.

"The truth is that many in the civil society have no understanding on some of the military parlances, like amalgamation/combat efficiency, etc.," it said.

The Army currently engaged in its annual recruitment drive plans to recruit 213 Officers and 8,631 Other Rankers to the Regular Force and 97 Officers and 4,252 Other Rankers to the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force for the year 2018.

"The Army which has brought peace to this country after so many years would be the happiest in peacetime and is committed all the time to safeguard the national security interests of the country on a priority basis than anyone else. It is, therefore, requested that those 'super' patriots desist from bringing this unique organization to public ridicule by spreading blatant lies and misleading false information," the communiqué said

Source : Colombo Page

The Joint Opposition will not be able to come back to power in the year 2020, says UNP Parliamentarian Kavina Jayawardena. 

The reason was this, he said, was due to conflicting opinions among them.

Speaking to media in Ja-Ela, he said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has one policy and the United National Party (UNP) another policy and that when two parties with two policies unite and govern the country, certain issues are bound to emerge.

An Army Corporal has been shot and injured by unidentified gunmen on Chakkindarama Road in Ratmalana today According to the Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara, the incident had occurred around 7.20 am. The gunmen had arrived in a three-wheeler and a motorcycle to conduct the attack.

The Corporal had been shot while he was at the house of a Lieutenant Colonel and was admitted to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital for treatment. Mount Lavinia Police are investigating

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday joined in the criticism against remarks by a senior member of the Buddhist Clergy, calling on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to “be like Hitler”, saying he would have condemned the statement immediately if it had been made in his presence.
 
“There is no way Buddhism and Hitler’s brutality can be reconciled,” said the Premier addressing crowds at an event in Matara yesterday, “as Buddhists such a thing is against our dhamma.”
 
“Buddhists cannot tell someone to be like Idi Amin or Hitler or Pol-Pot, it goes against the Buddha’s teachings,” he added.
 
Democratic rule is about gathering peacefully, discussing matters peacefully and dispersing peacefully, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said. The Premier said that if such a remark had been made in his presence, the media would have ripped him apart. “They would have attacked me from morning till night,” he said with a chuckle. “I am shocked that this didn’t happen. Only one newspaper even carried the story. Electronic media carried the story only once. In print, editorials and news stories went missing. If this is how the media behaves now, imagine what would happen to the media if ‘Hitler’ was in power?” the Premier quipped.
 
At religious ceremony to mark the 69th birthday of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter Ven Wendaruwe Upali Thero suggested that the former powerful defence official should “be like Hitler and establish military rule to develop the country.”The monk clarified his remarks in an official statement issued yesterday, saying he only meant that the country needed strong policy, and did not mean that rulers should behave brutally like Hitler.
The appropriate reaction to a recent statement by a senior monk to ‘be like Hitler’ would have been to condemn the remarks.
 
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe vehemently condemned the statement by Anunayake of Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Wendaruwe Upali Thera where it was suggested that the Former Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should form a military regime in the country like Hitler.
 
Addressing the 125th-anniversary celebrations of the Maha Manthindana Pirivena in Matara last evening premier further stated that Hitler and Buddhism are two things that can never be reconciled.
 
“If someone said to be like Hitler in my presence I would have condemned the statement then and there. Print media editorials and news items on the Hitler remarks have gone missing. it appears only once on electronic media. if the media is like this now what will happen to the media if Hitler comes to power?” premier questioned.

While stating that Hitler ensured the complete whitewash of Buddhists in Germany back in 1930 went on to say that Buddha never preached anyone to be like Hitler.
 
“We can have different political opinions, that’s accepted. but, we cannot ask someone to be like Idi Amin, Polpot or Hitler. it should be condemned at the very outset,” Premier continued.

Source : Sunday Observer

Expressing his views on the 2020 Presidential election, MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake says he will be pleased if Pohottuwa organizer and Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa is nominated as the JO presidential candidate as opposed to former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

He made these comments at a recent meeting held in Ampara with SLPP members. 

However, he also said he would support any person nominated by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Speaking at the same meeting, Basil Rajapaksa quipped that the best person to be the Presidential candidate is Mahinda Rajapaksa while any such persons win is assured.

Many shops in Matara remained closed today in honour of the Policeman killed in a recent shootout with a group of underworld members in Matara town. Police Sergeant Suranga Pradeep Weerasinghe (33) had bravely fought with the group who were attempting to rob a famous jewellery store only to be gunned down by the criminals. While he was admitted to hospital Suranga later succumbed to his injuries. 

The officer has been greatly commended for his heroic efforts to prevent the gang from fleeing after CCTV footage of the incident was revealed. The Police posthumously promoted him to the rank of Sergeant. 

His last rites will be held today with full Police guard and honours. He leaves behind his wife and two children aged 5 and 3.

Eight citizens of Sri Lanka have been arrested by the border police and state security service for attempting to illegally cross the border in the Adjara region, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Investigators say that the detainees were trying to cross the Georgia-Turkey border aiming to enter Turkey and avoiding border control.

The offence committed by foreign citizens is punishable from four to five years of imprisonment.

According to official data there have been 38 cases of attempted illegal border crossings revealed by the Interior Ministry of Georgia in 2016, while 55 such cases were recorded in 2015.

Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne has announced that every citizen of the country will receive the e-Health card stating their health information within four months time. 

The Minister made this announcement while attending a function at the Borella Castle Street Hospital recently. 

According to the Minister, the lack of drugs in hospitals lead to the e-Health card being introduced and it will help the hospitals to order necessary drugs and medicines in the future through the new software introduced.