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Ruling Party reiterates importance of Opposition’s presence at All-Party Conference (VIDEO)

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Ruling Party reiterates importance of Opposition’s presence at All-Party Conference (VIDEO)

The President had convened an All-Party Conference at the request of all members of the the Ruling Party and the Opposition, reminded Justice Minister Ali Sabry, reiterating that the Opposition should be taking the advantage of the opportunity.

The Minister made this observation speaking media during his attendance to a discussion on the construction of a new court complex at the Kaduwela Court Premises today (22)

All parties should get together and discuss solutions to be implemented against the prevailing crisis, Sabry noted, adding that even a regime change may not solve such a crisis at this point.

He emphasised that the Opposition’s stance on not attending the event is not fair.

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Opposition Leader Premadasa appoints a Five-Member Committee for a wider alliance

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Opposition Leader Premadasa appoints a Five-Member Committee for a wider alliance

Raising the need to adopt a collective responsibility towards the crisis befallen the country, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to establish a wider political alliance to foster solutions.

Accordingly, the political alliance is expected to join political parties and organisations, civil organisations, trade unions, civil and social activists and professionals of various fields.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has appointed a five-member committee for the initial affairs of the new alliance. The committee is chaired by Party Secretary General MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and comprises MPs Tissa Attanayake, Kabir Hashim, Thalatha Athukorala and Eran Wickramarathne as members.

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Ranil confirms attendance to All-Party Conference despite growing opposition

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Ranil confirms attendance to All-Party Conference despite growing opposition

Leader of the United National Party (UNP) MP Ranil Wickremesinghe said he will be attending the All-Party Conference convened by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa despite growing opposition from elsewhere.

The Conference is called in tomorrow (23) in the objective finding solutions to the economic crisis befallen the country but the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National People’s Power (NPP) confirmed subsequently that they will not be attending the event.

However, the United National Party (UNP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have agreed to attend the Conference.

The 43 Division (Hathalis Thuna Senankaya) headed by SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has also been invited to attend the event considering it as a separate political party and a majority of its members have expressed their interest in joining the event, political sources disclosed. Although the team being a branch of the SJB is committed to implementing the mainstream’s decision, MP Ranawaka is of the view that it would be appropriate to attend the All-Party Conference convened by the President, according to sources.

Meanwhile, UNP Leader Wickremesinghe has reiterated the importance of attending the Conference with his closest associates stating that first and foremost everyone should have a country before politics and that the crisis befallen the country is not political, hence his decision to attend the event, the sources further revealed.

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MP Harin Fernando discloses Cabinet paper selling Sri Lankan Airspace to India (VIDEO)

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MP Harin Fernando discloses Cabinet paper selling Sri Lankan Airspace to India (VIDEO)

A Cabinet paper selling the entire Sri Lankan Airspace to India under the guise of security system was presented yesterday, disclosed Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harin Fernando, calling in a briefing today (22).

Accordingly, the Sri Lanakn Airspace is being sold to India for US$ 29 million under a period of two years, the Opposition MP alleged, emphasising that the President who came to ensure the country’s security has sold the security of the country as well as the Navy to India.

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Gammanpila resigns from the post of Chairman of the Seethawaka Regional Coordinating Committee

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Gammanpila resigns from the post of Chairman of the Seethawaka Regional Coordinating Committee

Udaya Gammanpila, Member of Parliament has decided to resign from the post of Chairman of the Seethawaka Regional Coordinating Committee. He has submitted his resignation letter to the President today (22).

Gammanpila has stated in his letter that it is not appropriate for him to continue as the Chairman of the Regional Coordinating Committee, which is an executive post, as he has been removed from the post of Cabinet Minister.

Indonesia and Sri Lanka ready to enhance bilateral cooperation

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Indonesia and Sri Lanka ready to enhance bilateral cooperation

Indonesia and Sri Lanka are to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.The Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dewi Gustina Tobing held talks with Foreign Secretary, Prof. Jayanath Colombage, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“At the meeting, the Indonesian Ambassador and Prof. Colombage agreed to explore potential cooperation to strengthen further bilateral relations between the two countries and on regional and international fora,” Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Colombo,Heru Prayitno said.

Ambassador Dewi and Prof. Colombage also shared information on the historical ties between Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

The Ambassador further noted various opportunities for cooperation with Sri Lanka, considering that Indonesia is rich in natural resources by producing processed industry, semi-finished goods, near-finished and finished goods beneficial to Sri Lanka.

In addition, Ambassador Dewi updated the Foreign Secretary on the process to commence the Indonesia-Sri Lanka Preferential Trade Agreement (ISL-PTA) negotiations discussed with the Sri Lankan Minister of Trade, Bandula Gunawardane.

“The negotiations are important in intensifying cooperation between Indonesia and Sri Lanka, especially in the economic sectors, including trade and industry,” Ambassador Dewi said.

At the meeting, they also discussed the 70th anniversary of Indonesia-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations and the plan to hold the 3rd Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation.

In a previous meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa recently, Ambassador Dewi Tobing offered Indonesia’s electric motorcycles to Sri Lanka, considering that Sri Lanka is intensively promoting environmentally friendly technology.

Besides that, Indonesia’s aluminum products are also encouraged to support the Sri Lankan industry.

They also explored the future cooperation not only on trading but also partnerships or joint ventures by investing in Sri Lanka. In this case, it will supply the Sri Lankan domestic market and utilize the position of Sri Lanka as an economic hub in the South and Central Asia region.

In the agriculture sector, like Sri Lanka, Indonesia puts a lot of effort into ensuring the sustainability of vegetable oil plantations. In this conjunction, Ambassador Dewi Tobing conveyed Indonesia’s readiness to discuss and share experiences to develop a sustainable agriculture sector, especially vegetable oil plantations.

People are frustrated with the government – Roshan Ranasinghe

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People are frustrated with the government – Roshan Ranasinghe

“People are frustrated with the government at the moment. I am also in pain. If there is an election, we will be defeated, ”said Roshan Ranasinghe, Minister of State for Provincial Councils and Local Government.

He was addressing a gathering of National Lottery Board vendors in the Trincomalee District at a hotel in Giritale.

The Minister of State stated that today the prices of goods have gone up and the moneylenders at hardwares are exploiting the people endlessly through selling cement.

The Minister of State said that when leaders provide information, the truth should be given to the people and he will not hesitate to tell the truth.

“The people worked to bring this government to power by trusting Mahinda Rajapaksa immensely. He appointed Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for that. Today the people are frustrated and saddened by this government. If there is an election we will be defeated. This can be changed. We have more time to rebuild this country. We have talented people in our government for that. Our main bond is with the people. Trust in this government that you have appointed. We are with you. Trust that we can do you justice. ” He further stated.

Russia labels Facebook parent company Meta ‘extremist’

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Russia labels Facebook parent company Meta ‘extremist’

A Russian court has labelled Meta Platforms Inc an “extremist organisation”, banning the activities of the United States company on Russian territory.

Moscow’s Tverskoi District Court on Monday upheld a lawsuit filed by Russian state prosecutors, the court’s press service said in a statement, which accused the tech giant of tolerating “Russophobia” during the conflict in Ukraine.

The court said the ban “does not apply to the activities of Meta’s messenger WhatsApp”.

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, did not immediately comment on the decision. Lawyer Victoria Shagina said in court that the company was not carrying out extremist activities and stood against Russophobia, the Interfax news agency reported.

Access to Meta’s flagship platforms Facebook and Instagram had already been partially limited amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Moscow took action after Facebook restricted Russian state media’s ability to earn money on the social media platform and limited access to the RT and Sputnik news outlets across the European Union.

Instagram was blocked after Meta outlined a moderation policy allowing social media users in Ukraine to post messages urging violence against Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Russian troops.

Meta has since narrowed its guidance to prohibit calls for the death of a head of state and said its guidance should never be interpreted as condoning violence against Russians in general.

However, the perceived threat to Russian citizens angered the authorities and led to the launch of a criminal case against the company.

Russia has previously attributed the label “extremist” to groups including Jehovah’s Witnesses and jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Social media networks have become one of the fronts in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with misleading information but also real-time monitoring of the developing war.

Facebook Inc rechristened itself Meta in October, decoupling its corporate identity from the eponymous social network mired in toxic content and highlighting a shift to an emerging computing platform focused on virtual reality.

Major tech and social media companies have faced pressure to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to economic sanctions against Moscow by governments around the world.

A solution to the fuel, electricity and gas problem will be given in two or three days!

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A solution to the fuel, electricity and gas problem will be given in two or three days!

SB Dissanayake, Minister of Industry said that the oil, electricity, and gas issues will be resolved within the next two to three days.

The Minister was speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting last night (21).

These issues were discussed at the Cabinet meeting and the Minister said that Sri Lanka is in a very good position in view of the increase in world commodity prices.

Dissanayake said that on average, about 4,500 tons of petrol and diesel are needed per day, but now, like everyone else, full tanks are being refueled and filled into cans, and that demand is now surpassing 8,000 tons.

He emphasizes that there is no shortage of petrol and diesel in this country except this.

Govt. formally requests for IMF support programme

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Govt. formally requests for IMF support programme

The Government sent the formal request for a support programme to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week.

The letter by Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle had indicated the Government’s readiness for an IMF program as well as requests for relevant meetings to discuss it during Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s visit to Washington DC in mid-April.

In parallel, the Finance Minister will also meet with officials of the World Bank during his stay in Washington DC.

Sources said that the request is being channelled via Sri Lanka’s Alternative Executive Director in the IMF Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara.

The letter follows President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday informing the nation that the Government has decided to engage with the IMF.

In his address, the President said the Government initiated discussions with international financial institutions as well as with friendly countries regarding repayment of loan installments.

“The Government is in discussions with various parties to implement a new method regarding this which will be beneficial to our country,” said the President, who also referred to his discussion with the visiting IMF delegation earlier last week.

“Through those discussions, we hope to find a way to pay off our annual loan installments, sovereign bonds, and so on. Subsequent to my discussions with the IMF, I have decided to work with them after examining the advantages and disadvantages,” the President said during his address to the nation.

The Government’s decision was despite reservations repeatedly expressed by Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal that Sri Lanka does not need to go to the IMF as “home grown” solutions were adequate and delivered the desired results.

Sri Lanka has nearly $ 7 billion in foreign debt servicing this year and a further $ 25 billion between 2023 and 2026.

IMF Communications Department Director Gerry Rice on Friday in response to international media questions acknowledged that Sri Lanka is clearly another country facing mounting economic challenges.

He said that in the Article IV consultation recently, the IMF highlighted the urgent need to implement a credible and coherent strategy to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while protecting vulnerable groups through strengthened well targeted social safety nets.

Though noting that he was not in a position to share further details, Rice said: “But I can tell you we stand ready to discuss all options for Sri Lanka.”

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