Colombo (LNW): The No-Confidence Motion forged against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is due to be taken up for debate in Parliament today (06).

The debate on the No-Confidence Motion will be held on Thursday (07) and Friday (08) as well.

It has been decided to debate motion against the Health Minister from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm on these two days, and the vote is scheduled to be held at 5.30 pm.

The No-Confidence Motion was tabled by the Samgi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

Colombo (LNW): The Constitutional Council has approved the appointment of new members of the National Election Commission.

Accordingly, the Constitutional Council has approved the appointment of Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake for the vacant post at the Commission.

The decision was made when the Constitutional Council gathered yesterday (05) under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Meanwhile, it was expected that new members may be appointed for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), but no such event has taken place.

Colombo (LNW): The Parliamentary debate on Inland Revenue (Amendment) and Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bills will take place today (06) and tomorrow (07).

Accordingly, today from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm and the next day from 4.30 pm to 7.00 pm, the second reading debate of said two bills will be held.

It has also been agreed to hold the vote on the second reading of the two bills on Thursday at 7.00 pm. Then the committee stage and the third reading of the two bills are scheduled to be held till 7.30 pm.

The decision was taken at the meeting held by the Committee on Parliamentary Business under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday.

1. Govt’s domestic debt stock passes USD 50bn after the first 6 months of 2023, with an increase of 28% during the period: analysts say Govt is continuing to borrow from the domestic market at a premium.
   
2. Minister Bandula Gunawardane says the Cabinet has decided to consider the supply of drinking water as an urgent and priority requirement until sufficient rainfall is received: also says around 84,000 families in 17 districts face a shortage of drinking water.
   
3. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara says the UNP’s Party Convention, originally scheduled for 10 Sept, has been indefinitely postponed due to ongoing adverse weather conditions across the country.
   
4. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa calls for an international probe into the Easter Sunday 2019 terror attacks.
   
5. Supreme Court determines that the new Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill is not inconsistent with the Constitution and can be passed in Parliament by a simple majority: the bill was challenged in the SC in terms of Article 121(1) of the Constitution.
   
6. Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena says it is essential that there is no holdback of reform of State Owned Enterprises and the Govt places new legislation to lock in this critical step to ensure sustainable socio-economic growth: also says the SOE reform measures already in place and those in the pipeline will help minimise their losses while providing efficient services to the public.
   
7. State Urban Development Minister Thenuka Vidanagamage says the National Housing Development Authority had to allocate Rs.1,537mn annually for nearly 2,100 workers recruited from the Hambantota district during Sajith Premadasa’s tenure as the Housing Minister from 2015 to 2019.
   
8. Minister Nimal Siripala Silva says the Mattala Airport has lost a billion rupees so far in 2023: earnings Rs.163mn, while expenditure Rs.1,200mn: the airport was built with a USD 189mn loan at 2% interest rate from the Exim Bank of China payable in 15 years.
   
9. Ovin Gamage & Desandhi Gamage secure top positions in the “Below 1700 Rating Category” at the UAE 2023 Asian Amateur Chess Championships: Desandhi wins the gold and placed overall 2nd: tournament organized by the UAE Chess Federation on behalf of FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation.
   
10. Sri Lanka beats Afghanistan in the Asia Cricket Cup 2023 – Match 6, by 2 runs: SL 291/8 (50 overs); Kusal Mendis 92, Pathum Nissanka 41; AFG all out 289 (37.4 overs): Kasun Rajitha 79/4.

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Kurunegala District MP Asanka Navaratne has joined the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today (05), expressing his support towards the politics of Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition.

The crossover takes place following a meeting held with the Opposition Leader yesterday (04).

Navaratne pointed out that he has joined the Opposition with the aim of working towards the common goal of a shared democracy.

Navaratne entered Parliament as a National List MP for the SLPP the Ruling Party during the last General Election.

Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Susil Premjayanth speaking in Parliament today (05) emphasised that it is not possible to postpone the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination this year, pointing out that a postponement would result in affecting the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examinations and the completion of the syllabus for the 2024 school year.

The 2023 AL Exam, therefore, will be held from November to December as scheduled, the Minister asserted.

Colombo (LNW): The Cabinet of Ministers has shed its green light for the gazetting of the newly drafted bill for the proposed Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA), a replacement to the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), with intentions to table it in Parliament for approval.

The Act, according to the government, was spearheaded by the Legal Draftsman and was initially published in the Government Gazette in March 2023, only to meet a severe backlash from a number of parties, including the civil society, political parties of the Opposition and human rights groups concerning what they described as questionable provisions in the draft bill.

The Justice Minster thereafter had sought feedback and suggestions from stakeholders to the dialogue and even personally got involved in some of the focus group discussions.

Following revision, a collective feedback was received to the proposed ATA bill and the Legal Draftsman undertook the task of amending the original version that had earlier seen the light in the Government Gazette.

The clearance of the Attorney General has also been granted for the new draft bill upon review, and subsequently, with the nod from the Cabinet, the ATA bill is set to be gazetted, later to be tabled in Parliament.