By: Staff Writer

January 23, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s crucial 2024 elections, presidential or parliamentary will decide Sri Lanka’s future compelling voters to cast their votes very cautiously and intelligently as it will be their last chance to elect their leader and representatives in parliament to rule the country without fooling masses, several political analysts warned.  

The focus is not only on the economy but also on the need for stronger institutions and governance mechanisms. Weaknesses in governance are largely faulted for triggering the economic crisis.

All these issues may make voter behaviour more unpredictable and tempt presidential or parliamentary election candidates to make impractical promises in their attempt of attracting votes, they said.

While the tax burden is deeply unpopular, Sri Lankans will have to live with higher taxes, a public spending squeeze and a drop in living standards regardless of the promises politicians make before the 2024 elections

In this context, the voters have been advised to think twice before leap as some political parties who have not been able to come to power with the ballot will be trying to fool the people by propagating corruption slogan with a promise punishing previous corrupt rulers and confiscating their wealth.

Therefore intelligent voters have the responsibility of demanding financial reports, Constitutions and manifestos of all the political parties contesting the upcoming elections.

Politics is one of the biggest businesses in the country. Party leaders talk eloquently about endemic bribery and corruption in the country, but political parties are the biggest bribe-takers.

Slush funds are maintained from milking businessmen at village and city levels whose favours have to be returned by doctoring tenders.

These unaccounted-for funds go into paying for party rallies, and buses to transport their supporters, while a part goes to the pockets of organisers. Separately, monies have to be spent to buy members at crucial votes.

Vajira Abeywardena, Member of Parliament, who commented further on this matter, said: There is no other country in the world that has about 75 political parties like Sri Lanka.

That is how the divisions of our country have been created. It has created disunity in the country. That situation also led to many destructions in the country after independence. 

How do these parties get money? There is no system to track who is spending. Therefore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has passed a bill in the Parliament that will enable him to find out how these parties spend money in elections.

On January 19, 2023, the Parliament of Sri Lanka passed the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, the first framework to regulate election campaign finance in the country.

The Leader of Mawbima Janatha Party Dilith Jayaweera said that all funds of political parties should be investigated and brought under income tax.

He noted that the JVP which is campaigning to catch thieves will have to publish the assets and liabilities of its leaders who are leading luxury lives.

Financial records of eight political parties released by the Elections Commissioner through a RTI request put forward by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), several years ago has shown the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to be the most financially secure and asset rich party among the main political parties.

TISL has released financial records for the parties; JHU, SLMC, JVP, SLFP, UNP, CWC, ITAK and UPFA some time ago.

January 23, Colombo (LNW): The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is set to launch a continuous strike from tomorrow (24), in response to the non-disbursement of the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance, Union Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge disclosed during a briefing today.

Following the Cabinet’s approval on increasing the DAT allowance from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000, the government has failed to issue the allowance as promised, the GMOA pointed out.

January 23, Colombo (LNW): Parliament has taken a ten-minute adjournment this (23) morning to convene a Party Leaders’ meeting to address matters related to the proposed Online Safety Bill.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa requested that a Party Leaders’ meeting be held prior to a parliamentary debate on the proposed bill.

Accordingly, the Speaker adjourned Parliament for a period of ten minutes.

January 23, Colombo (LNW): Trade unionist representing Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees, Ranjan Jayalal, is set to be summoned before Parliament over allegations of disseminating false information, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara said.

Wijesekera has proposed the summoning of Ranjan Jayalal, accusing him of spreading inaccurate claims.

The Minister clarified that Jayalal falsely asserted that both Parliament and the President’s office had not settled their electricity bills for months.

He emphasised that both institutions have consistently paid their electricity bills, warranting parliamentary scrutiny of Jayalal’s statements.

January 23, Colombo (LNW): The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) has recorded three dengue-related fatalities with over 7,000 cases being registered within the initial 20 days of 2024.

Jaffna registered the highest number of cases at 1,602, followed by Colombo with 1,536 cases and Gampaha with 637 cases.

Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana expressed concern over the inadequate public support in controlling the dengue spread across the country.

January 23, Colombo (LNW): 955 more suspects have been apprehended under the ‘Yukthiya’ (Justice) Operation within the last 24 hours, ending at 12.30 am, the Ministry of Public Security disclosed.

Accordingly, 187 grams if heroin, 126 grams of crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’) and 136 narcotic pills have been taken into custody, the Ministry added.

The Yukthiya Operation was launched in December last year to crackdown illicit activities across the island.