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The Cabinet of Ministers have granted approval for a proposal put forward by the Minister of Justice, Thalatha Atukorale, to amend the Criminal Procedure Act in order to increase the age of a child responsible for a crime.

Currently, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Sri Lanka is 8 years and with the amendment, it is expected to be increased up to 12 years.

It was also decided to gazette the propose amendment and present in Parliament for approval.

It is reported that Minister Palitha Range Bandara, who was the organizer of the Anamaduwa electorate in the Puttalam district, has resigned from his post as electoral organizer.

Resignation is only from the electoral organizer post

It is reported that Palitha Range Bandara has communicated of his resignation to the party general secretary. However he is said to have not resigned from his ministerial portfolio.

Political sources claim the resignation of the state minister could possibly be the first signs of a cross over from within the government.

Was disappointed about the UNP leadership

It is also reported that Minister Range Bandara has been displeased with the leadership of the UNP for a long time and that the minister was of the opinion that the Prime Minister should have resigned from the position of party leader after the election results were announced.

Under the current political scenario, the PM has two options says a website maintained by an official attached to the Presidential Secretariat.

The website appears to have warned the PM that if he does not comply with the President's request to step down from the Premiership it is most likely that he will not only lose the post of PM but also his party leadership and reputation as well. According to the post, the only way he will receive any relief from the bond scam accusations are if he steps down honourably as requested it further added.

Will the PM go home honourably? Or head to prison after destroying the party and the UNP government? is a crucial choice to be made by him alone the site said.

Minister of Law and Order Sagala Rathnayake has tendered his resignation after making a special statement at the Parliamentary group meeting of the UNP.

In a Facebook post on his page, Rathnayake said that he would not hesitate to sacrifice his positions for the betterment of the party and reiterated that his loyalty to the party and the party leadership remains as strong as ever.

“I will make any sacrifice needed for the uplift the party and will not hesitate to do whatever that is best for the party” the Minister said adding that it was a personal decision made by him to resign from the post. While affirming his continued loyalty to the party Sagala went on to say that he is ready to accept any position granted by the UNP in order to serve the people of this country.

According to government sources a cabinet reshuffle is imminent in the coming days.

Several rights organisations have written to the head of UN peacekeeping operations requesting to stop Lieutenant Colonel Rathnappuli Wasantha Kumara Hewage due to lead the 12th Force Protection Company (FPC) for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on 18 February 2018.

A commander with frontline combat command experience in the final phase of the civil war in 2008-9, Lt Col Hewage “should have been screened out of all UN peacekeeping duties,” says the letter marked “very urgent” to Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

“We note that the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has been asked to vet UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka but consider that ultimately the responsibility lies with your department,” it adds.

Extensive violations

The letter details the commander’s wartime record in a period when extensive violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law perpetrated by the Sri Lankan security forces.

“These violations involved repeated targeted attacks on civilian objects, such as hospitals and food queues, denial of food and medicine to civilians, as well as extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearance by the military, which met the threshold for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Referring to the official website of the Sinha Regiment, the letter points out that Lt. Col. Hewage (then Major) was present in Puthukkudiyiruppu frontline after he 'took over duties as the Commanding Officer of the 14th Battalion on 20th February 2009'. This was after his active participation in the massive military assault on Kilinochchi as the Acting Commander of 4 Sinha Regiment, which functioned under the 57 Division led by Major General Jagath Dias.

This information already in the hands of the UN would have been enough to reject his application, says the letter, which highlights that the failure to screen Sri Lanka troops and senior personnel ended up in sending three commanders with a war record for peacekeeping operations in Lebanon immediately before Lt Col Hewage.

The commanders are Lieutenant Colonel C.A Rajapaksha, Lieutenant Colonel Dinesh Udugama and Lieutenant Colonel G.P Kodithuwakku.

“All of this suggests inadequate screening by both the UN and Sri Lanka who also has a due diligence obligation, and this is only the contingent commanders, not the men serving under them,” Under Secretary General Lacroix was told.

The Lebanon-bound Sri Lanka Force Protection Unit contingent comprises of 10 officers and 140 other rankers, says the Sri Lanka army.

Source : JDS Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s coalition government, an alliance between the two main political parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), will continue despite losing local government polls, a spokesman said.

A Cabinet reshuffle will be decided upon this week itself, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told a news conference.

The coalition did badly at last week’s local government polls, where the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a proxy party of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, emerged as the single largest party.

The polls result led to speculation of changes in the government with calls by the opposition for both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down.

 Source : Economy Next

A SLFP stalwart is reportedly presenting bids to lure in MP’s to form a SLFP led UPFA Prime Minister sources said.

This politician is said to be approaching a large number of UNP MP’s querying as to what the MP expects to cross over and what can be offered by the SLFP to them. When asked a UNP MP said a SLFP MP in connection to a popular sport is attempting to lure UNP MP’s by trying to get them to cross over.

 However the UNP MP said the party is not troubled by the actions of this politician and instead is now focusing on giving effect to the people’s mandate of 2015.

UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said today (15), that the UNP parliamentary group has decided to continue with the unity government and carry out party reforms following a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He further stated that it was agreed to restructure the party while taking measures to stabilize the government.

The National Media Centre has noted that legal action could be taken against the Sirasa television channel belonging to the Capital Maharaja Organization for their telecast recently titled ‘The current situation of the political crisis - Live’ on February 13 running in five segments from 12 in the afternoon to 10 in the night.

According to Centre certain material of the telecast by way of statements and allegations can be deemed defamatory which may be legally actionable. It also noted that the program was clearly focused on creating a public opinion that PM and leader of the UNP Ranil Wickramasinghe should resign from his posts by blaming him for the recent low performance of the government at the recent LG polls. The National Media Centre also noted that media ethics has been clearly violated as none of the accused were given an opportunity to respond to the claims and allegations being made.

The Centre says program had attempted to say that the UNP has suffered a major defeat, that it was caused by the leadership of Wickramasinghe while also criticising the move to form a UNP government. The presenters had also gone on to bring up the past actions of the PM and insinuating that he is attempting to remain in power with the help of known businessman. The program had gone on to level a large number of one sided allegations of the UNP throughout the program bringing in to question the independence of the media organization.

President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed the members of the commission to inquire and report the malpractices in Sri Lankan Airlines, Mihin Air and Sri Lankan Catering, during the period of 6th of January 2016 to 31 of January 2018, the president's media division said.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gunarathna has been appointed as the President of the commission, and Court of Appeal Judge Gamini Rohan Amarasekara, Retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, Retired Deputy Auditor General M. D. A. Harald, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board Ms. W. J. K. Geeganage have been appointed as the members of the Commission.

Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) Nuwara Eliya District MP for Kurunegala District Muthu Sivalingam has been appointed as the Deputy Minister of Primary Industries.

He was sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat.

President Maithripala Sirisena will make a special statement on the future actions of the government before Friday, Minister Susil Premajayantha said today. 

Meetings between key parties have been held on a frequent basis on the way forward after the upsetting local government poll results which saw the SLPP sweeping the board.