- Over 17 million Sri Lankans will have the chance to vote for the country’s next president today (September 21) in a crucial presidential election, the first major poll to be held after Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis in 2022. A record-breaking 38 candidates are contesting this year’s election, the highest number of presidential candidates in the country’s history.
- The National Election Commission has informed that it is mandatory to provide leave for employees of private and public institutions to cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential Election. Issuing a statement, the Election Commission said it had previously announced that leave must be provided for employees of state and private entities, especially factories, private-owned stores, and hotels for the election.
- A fundamental rights petition has been submitted before the Supreme Court requesting the court to issue an order declaring that the government’s decision to restructure the debt associated with Sri Lanka’s international sovereign bonds has violated the basic human rights of the citizens.
- The chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has stated that the university entrance cut-off marks for G.C.E. Advanced Level examination 2023 candidates were released last evening (20). The cut-off marks can be viewed through the website www.ugc.ac.lk.
- The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that no decision has been made to arrest former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeysekera, and former Senior DIG in charge of the CID Ravi Seneviratne, in connection with the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks.
- Commonwealth observers, working across various teams, have reported to their posts across all nine provinces in Sri Lanka, ahead of the country’s presidential election on 21 September 2024, a statement said. The teams have been deployed to; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, Northwestern, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva and Western and will be observing pre-poll arrangements in the run up to election day.
- The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has confirmed party founder Basil Rajapaksa’s departure from the country prior to the 2024 Presidential Election. Confirming that Rajapaksa had left the island early this morning, the SLPP said he would return soon to lead the party’s general election activities.
- In preparation for the upcoming presidential election, a comprehensive security arrangement has been established across the island. Police Spokesperson DIG & Attorney-at-Law Nihal Talduwa, announced that approximately 63,000 police officers have been assigned to election duties to ensure a smooth and secure voting process.
- The Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Thilaka Jayasundara, announced that the paper marking process of the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, which was held on September 15, has been temporarily suspended.
- Sri Lanka women’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu says the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is a platform to showcase the women’s game to the world and show the distance it has come from small beginnings, adding that for Sri Lanka and the team, it was a huge platform.
