By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): Residents of Wariyapola, Walpola – Bamunakotuwa area staged a protest against the opening of a Culture Centre by Minister Vidura Wickramanayake and State Minister D.B. Herath.

Booing at the Ministers, the protesters claimed that this Cultural Centre had previously been ‘opened’ by several ministers of government on several occasions.

The Police Riot Control was also deployed over the heated exchange occurred at the scene.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): A huge stock of rotten eggs left in the Mahakumbukkadawala – Walpaluwa reserve has been recovered during a joint operation by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) and the Police yesterday (11).

The stock of rotten eggs was found based on a tip by the residents, and fragments of smashed egg shells were all over the forest floor during the recovery.

Officers of the CAA believe that someone might have brought about 100,000 eggs that were hidden last season to this place after they were rotten.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The printing of ballot papers for the Local Government Election may further delay in the backdrop where no funds were released to the Department of Government Printing, said Government Printer Gangani Liyanage.

Speaking to media, the Government Printer reminded that although about Rs. 200 million should have been allocated for printing, only Rs. 40 million has received this far, and revealed that the Finance Ministry, despite being informed on March 08 that over Rs. 500 million has been estimated for the printing affairs of the Polls, has made no response whatsoever.

The Department of Government Printing, therefore, is not able to recommence the printing affairs and the portion of Rs. 200 million should be released in this regard, she added, warning that even if the Dept receives the said allocation within next week, it may not be able to hand over the postal ballot papers to the Election Commission before March 20, 2023.

Further strengthening the arguments raised by critics on the government’s alleged attempt to disregard the people’s franchise, the date of holding the Local Government Polls has once again led itself into uncertainty. If the Election Commission fails to receive the postal ballot papers before March 20, the postal voting for the LG Polls may not be held as declared on March 28. Currently, plans are underway to distribute the postal ballot papers to the polling centres from March 21 onwards.

1. Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella says the Judiciary may take drastic steps if the Legislature takes action against it re. the order by the Supreme Court to the Finance Secretary to allocate funds for the LG election: MP Rauff Hakeem says this situation would create an unwanted conflict between the Judiciary and the Legislature.
   
2. Bar Association says MP Premnath Dolawatte and State Minister Shehan Semasinghe’s references to an ongoing case in the Supreme Court pertaining to the LG elections constitute an interference with the judicial process and undermine the independence of the Judiciary in Sri Lanka.
   
3. Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says the ADB, World Bank, USAID and JICA have communicated their assistance towards the restructuring of the CEB: also says the reforms that can be implemented before the final Act is passed, will be initiated next week.
   
4. Residents protest the opening of a Cultural Centre by Minister Vidura Wickramanayake and State Minister D B Herath: claim the cultural centre had been previously “opened” by several ministers on several occasions.
   
5. PUC Chairman Janaka Ratnayake files FR petition in the Supreme Court against the recent 66% electricity tariff hike: says the purported approval given by the Commission was unlawful.
   
6. Govt decides to penalise those undergraduates who engage in anti-Govt protests and riots, by not offering them state sector jobs in the future: Govt to take steps to identify and maintain records of those who are engaged in “unnecessary” anti-Govt protests.
   
7. India’s Congress Party accuses the Central Govt of lobbying in favour of the Adani Group for projects in Sri Lanka: recently, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said the Sri Lankan Govt views business with the Adani Group as being similar to “Govt-to-Govt” business.
   
8. US Embassy in Sri Lanka declines to comment on PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila’s statement regarding CIA Director William Joseph Burns’ alleged top secret visit to Colombo on 14th February.
   
9. GMOA spokesman Dr Chamil Wijesinghe says the Govt’s actions were forcing thousands of health professionals out of the country: warns it would be impossible to manage the healthcare sector with the on-going exodus of health professionals: laments the Govt doesn’t care.
   
10. Sri Lanka Cricket targets July & August to conduct the 4th season of the Lanka Premier League: says the intention is to make that period to become the permanent window for the tournament.

Colombo (LNW): The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Mr. Janaka Ratnayake, has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) Application challenging the February electricity tariff hike. The Application is both in his capacity as an electricity consumer and in the public interest, especially in the interest of those falling within the lowest brackets units of electricity consumed, who are hardest hit by the tariff hike. The basis of the challenge is twofold.

On the one hand, Mr. Ratnayake has challenged the process by which the PUCSL has purportedly approved the tariff hike proposed by the CEB contrary to established legal procedures. The approval of the PUCSL is a necessary requirement for a change in tariffs, and Mr. Ratnayake says that there was no such lawful approval of the Commission given to the proposal. he claims that the purported approval given by the Commission is an unlawful decision of three of the Members and not a decision of the Commission.

The second basis of the challenge is that the PUCSL is duty-bound to ensure that the interests of all citizens are met when approving a change in tariffs. A tariff that disproportionately affects those within lower usage brackets would put those at the lowest income levels at risk of ‘de­electrification,’ making even the limited units of electricity consumed by them for basic necessities inaccessible.

Ratnayake explains in his Petition that the most economically generated hydropower-based electricity alone (approximately 4,400 GWh) would be more than sufficient to service all domestic consumers within the 0-30, 31-60 and 61-90 bands, with a significant portion of such electricity remaining for distribution among other categories.

Thus, it is unreasonable that consumers within these brackets are made to pay the price of electricity generated at a much higher cost.

Uncertainty over the postponement of local government elections continues to grow.  Recent statements by government leaders and debates in parliament show them openly expressing the view that elections at this time would not be conducive to either economic growth or advantageous to them, and so ought not to be held.  This follows the postponement of local government elections scheduled for March 9 due to the failure of the government treasury to release the required funds for the elections.  It is important that government departments should cooperate with the Election Commission when it has declared elections as mandated by the Constitution.

Two landmark rulings of the Supreme Court have sent a clear message to the country at large that the elections should take place without delay. The National Peace Council is particularly distressed at the open calls being made within parliament to government departments to disregard the court orders on the grounds that they breach parliamentary privilege.  The open questioning and mockery of democratic processes by government members that is taking place at all levels was not expected under the leadership of so experienced a parliamentarian as President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

The sovereignty of the people, and their right to elect their representatives at all levels of government through free and fair elections, and respect for the judiciary, constitute the foundations of democracy. The failure to uphold the rule of law and the system of checks and balances would severely undermine democracy, the country’s international credibility and the national interest. NPC appeals to the government to expedite the electoral process by heeding the decisions of the Supreme Court and abide by the new date of April 25 as set by the Election Commission for the local government elections to be held.  

The National Peace Council is heartened by the joint initiative of civil society organisations to bring the opposition political parties to one forum to uphold the principle of timely and free and fair elections and to convince the government of the need for elections.  Leading representatives of all the main opposition political parties came together to sign a “Public representatives pledge to protect the right to vote” at a meeting convened by the Civil Society Collective for Protecting the Franchise.  Although the political parties represented widely different ideologies and ethnic affiliations, they stood without any division on the issue of upholding the democratic franchise.

We want the government to heed the voice of the opposition parties and civil society organisations on this issue of the franchise and not be isolated as that would not be conducive to the political stability and economic recovery it seeks. The government’s development strategies require the willing cooperation of the rest of political society which is unlikely to be secured without timely elections being held as guaranteed by the Constitution.  The government also needs to show respect to judicial decisions and to constitutional provisions related to the rule of law that are essential for investor confidence, both national and international, without which the prospects for economic recovery will be a chimera.  

National Peace Council of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka participated in its 6^th Periodic Review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 8 and 9 March 2023in Geneva.  The Review was conducted in a hybrid format, during three 2-hour sessions over two days by the Human Rights Committee. The preparations for the Review were led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the past several weeks and included participation by a number of government agencies.

The Human Rights Committee is a body comprised of 18 independent experts that monitor the implementation of the ICCPR. The Reviews of all States Parties to the Covenant are conducted by the Committee.In addition to Sri Lanka the Committee also reviewed Egypt, Turkmenistan, Zambia, Peru, and Panama during its 137^th Session from 27 February to 24 March 2023.

In her opening statement, the Head of the Sri Lanka Delegation Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Himalee Arunatilaka, said that since the submission of Sri Lanka’s 6^th Periodic Report in 2019, many significant developments in the country have taken place, including the enactment of the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution, further strengthening democratic governance through the Constitution, Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act and drafting of anti-terrorism legislation, reconciliation through independent domestic mechanisms, convening of an  All Party Conference, establishment of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation and release of land held by military for security purposes in the North and the East to the legitimate owners. Ambassador Arunatilaka also pointed out that the period under review posed unprecedented socio-economic challenges for Sri Lanka and the Government’s main objective during the past year was to restore economic and political stability and on delivering urgent socio-economic necessities.

The Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee Tania María Abdo Rocholl in her opening remarks commended the high representation of women in the Sri Lanka delegation. During the Review, the Human Rights Committee acknowledged the progress made by Sri Lanka including resettlement of internally displaced persons, welcomed the releasing of private land held by the military to legitimate civilian owners and the adoption of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, and recognized the efforts made to combat gender-based violence.

The interactive discussion between the Sri Lanka delegation the Committee covered a wide range of issues relating to the constitutional and legal framework within which the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is implemented.

The Committee members raised issues concerning interalia, the constitutional reform process, independence of the judiciary, rights of freedom of association, expression, assembly and religion, states of emergency, alleged discrimination against LGBTI persons, allegations ofintimidation against journalists, human rights defenders and civil society. The Sri Lanka delegation responded and engaged constructively with the members of Human Rights Committee during the Review and also undertook to provide written responses to some of the questions raised.

In her closing remarks, Ambassador Arunatilaka highlighted that Sri Lanka participated in the Review in a spirit of openness and constructive engagement amidst several socio-economic challenges.

The delegation comprised senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Presidential Secretariat, Attorney-General’s Department and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva participating in person. Senior officials participating from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo joined the Review virtually representing the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Health, Department of Prisons, Department of Police, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office on Reparations (OR), Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN

Geneva

10 March 2023

 On 09 March 2023, the Minister of Education of Sri Lanka Hon. Dr. Susil Premajayantha and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka H.E. Gopal Baglay formally dispatched a consignment of textbooks printed with Indian support at the State Printing Corporation (SPC) for use in various schools across Sri Lanka. The State Minister of Education Hon. A. Arvind Kumar, senior officials of the Ministry including Secretary to the Ministry of Education Mr. Nihal Ranasinghe and officials from the SPC attended the event.

2.   A concessional Credit Facility of USD 1 billion was extended to the Government of Sri Lanka by the Government of India in March 2022 for supply of essential items including food, fuel, medicines, industrial raw materials etc. Out of this Facility, over USD 10 million has been used by SPC and private importers to procure printing paper and material from India. This is being used to print 45% of textbooks required by 4 million young students of Sri Lanka for the academic year 2023.

3.     Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner stressed that India’s support for text books is an investment in Sri Lanka’s future and will contribute to bright future of its young students. Hon. Minister of Education appreciated India’s support to Sri Lanka in the last one year and timely assistance through the Indian Line of Credit to import paper for printing textbooks for school children. The State Minister of Education appreciated India’s helping hand to the people of Sri Lanka in these difficult times. The dignitaries also undertook a tour of SPC’s facilities and were briefed by the officials on its operations.

4.     India and Sri Lanka enjoy a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral partnership. In line with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, Government of India’s assistance to the people of Sri Lanka is extended in various forms, including through concessional Credit Facility and Lines of Credit. Till date, Lines of Credit worth over US$ 4 billion have been extended to Sri Lanka in diverse sectors including supply of essential items, petroleum, fertilizers, etc. development of railways, infrastructure, defence sector and renewable energy etc.

***

Colombo

11 March 2023

Six Sri Lankan Theros were conferred with Honorary Religious Titles “Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru” and “Aggamahapanditha” by the Government of Myanmar.  Most Venerable Prof. Kumburugamuwa Vajira Maha Thero, Most Venerable Dr. Ittepana Dhammalankara Mahanayaka Thero, Most Venerable Omare Kassapa Anunayaka Thero, Most Venerable Balangoda Sobhitha Nayaka Thero, Most Venerable Iguruwaththe Piyananda Mahanayaka Thero, Most Venerable Prof. Muwaetagama Gnanananda Thero are the title recipients.

The Conferring Ceremony was held on 05 March 2023, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.  The Venerable Theros were conferred by the Myanmar Prime Minster Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Ambassador Janaka Bandara and the other officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon, coordinated this event successfully with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture of Myanmar.

The title recipient Theros are due to return to Sri Lanka on 12 March 2023.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Yangon
10 March 2023