- President Ranil Wickremesinghe meets ITAK leader Mavai Senathirajah in Jaffna, where Senathirajah expressed confidence in Wickremesinghe’s victory and the development of the North: Despite this, the Party had previously decided to support Sajith Premadasa in the 2024 presidential election: The party also agreed not to back Tamil candidate P. Ariyanenthiran, though Senathirajah claimed he was unaware of this decision.
- The first public debate for the 2024 Presidential Election, organised by the ‘March 12 Movement’, saw only one confirmed candidate, Dilith Jayaweera of the ‘Sarvajana Balaya’ movement, participate: Other confirmed candidates, including Sajith Premadasa, Namal Rajapaksa, and Tamil candidate P. Ariyanethiran, were absent: Notably, other major candidates Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Ranil Wickramasinghe had not confirmed their participation in the debate, further reducing the expected lineup: Jayaweera criticises their no-shows, expressing disappointment in the lack of open dialogue.
- National People’s Power (NPP) leader and Presidential Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasises the party’s commitment to ensuring judicial supremacy and equality before the law under its government: criticises the current lack of respect for Supreme Court rulings and promised to re-establish judicial independence and equality, rejecting the need for political interference in the judiciary.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe swears in four new Court of Appeal judges at the Presidential Secretariat: The newly appointed judges are High Court Judges K.M.G.H. Kulatunga, D. Thotawatta, R.A. Ranaraja, and former Senior Deputy Solicitor General M.C.L.B. Gopallawa: These appointments are effective immediately under Article 107 of the Constitution.
- Minister of Aviation and Shipping Nimal Siripala De Silva reveals India has granted $65 million to expand Sri Lanka’s Kankesanthurai (KKS) port: The expansion aims to accommodate cruise lines, boosting the region’s connectivity and tourism potential.
- The Department of Posts has distributed approximately 3 million official polling cards for the 2024 presidential election: Distribution, which began on 3 September, will continue until 14 September: Deputy Postmaster General Rajitha Ranasinghe announces that Sunday, 8 September, is designated for door-to-door distribution from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., urging residents to remain at home for collection.
- The Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) expresses concerns over the misuse of public resources during the 2024 Presidential Election, with 580 complaints reported: highlights government vehicles and officers involved in election campaigns and called for decisive action from the Election Commission: urges citizens to remain vigilant, report violations, and ensure a free and fair electoral process without undue influence.
- Sri Lanka’s plan to launch Elon Musk’s Starlink operations has been delayed until after the Presidential Election due to pending clearance with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission: Although preliminary approval was granted and amendments to telecom laws were passed, the launch is postponed until after the 21 September election: Musk’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected post-launch, with planned discussions via Zoom.
- SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa pledges to ensure transparency in government spending and recover stolen resources for public welfare: promises that all details of government expenditures would be accessible to the public and emphasised his commitment to utilising recovered assets for the benefit of the people.
- Sri Lankan Cricketers Dunith Wellalage and Harshitha Samarawickrama are shortlisted for the ICC Player of the Month awards for August: Wellalage is nominated for his all-round performance against India in the men’s category, while Samarawickrama is recognised for her standout batting during the Asia Cup and Ireland tour in the women’s category: They compete with South African, West Indian, and Irish players for the awards.
