September 21, Colombo (LNW)Elections Commission Director General (ECDG) Saman Sri Ratnayake announced that disciplinary action will be taken against public officials who fail to report for their designated election duties. Ratnayake made this statement during a media briefing following his visit to the Pasdunrata College of Education in Kalutara to observe the operational process of the Presidential Election in the Kalutara District yesterday.

During his visit, Ratnayake held discussions with Kalutara District Secretary and Returning Officer Janaka K. Gunawardena and Kalutara Deputy Election Commissioner Kalindra Jayaweera Fernando. He noted that over 71,000 public officials have been given the opportunity to cast postal votes, with some also assigned election duties. “If a public officer fails to report for their designated duty, not only do they miss out on fulfilling that responsibility, but it also deprives another officer of the opportunity to serve,” he said.

Ratnayake urged public officials to ensure they report for election duty as assigned, warning that failure to do so would result in disciplinary action.

In addition, the Commissioner General called on private-sector employers and plantation managers to grant leave to employees and plantation workers, enabling them to cast their votes. He emphasized that private-sector establishments must provide sufficient time off, in accordance with legal provisions, to allow employees to exercise their voting rights. Ratnayake highlighted that this is a constitutional obligation and urged employers and managers to ensure that their staff are given the necessary leave to vote.

September 21, Colombo (LNW):Showers will occur at times in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts. Fairly heavy showers about 50 mm are likely at some places.

Several spells of showers may occur in North-western province and in Matale district.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Eastern and Uva provinces during the evening or night.

Strong winds about (40-45)kmph can be expected at times over the western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and Southern provinces and in Matale and Puttalam districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

September 20, Colombo (LNW):The National Security Council, chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, convened yesterday (19) at the Presidential Secretariat to review security arrangements for the 2024 Presidential Election. The council emphasized the need for an independent and fair election, pledging full support to the Election Commission to uphold law and order.

Discussions focused on the protection of candidates, the security of polling centers, and ensuring safety at polling stations. President Wickremesinghe instructed security agency heads to take all necessary measures to maintain peace and stability during the post-election period, aiming to minimize disruptions to citizens’ daily lives.

September 20, Colombo (LNW): Election Commission (EC) Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake announced that the results of the 2024 Presidential Election are expected to be officially released and the winning candidate declared by September 22. He made this statement at a special media conference held yesterday (19) at the Department of Government Information auditorium, attended by members of the Election Commission, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Rathnayake, Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa, and a team of European Union election observers.

The EC Chairman emphasized that voters are prohibited from carrying mobile phones into polling booths. Temporary election offices set up for all presidential candidates must be dismantled by midnight on the 19th, with strict legal action against those violating these regulations.

Counting of postal votes will begin at 4 pm on election day, with general vote counting starting at 7 pm. If no candidate achieves a majority of 50.1%, preferential votes will be counted to determine the winner. The police have been instructed to prevent any outdoor election-related propaganda and to arrest individuals attempting to influence voters near polling centers.

DIG Thalduwa highlighted that public screenings of election results on giant screens are prohibited, and any gatherings will be dispersed. Over 63,000 police officers and 10,000 civil defense personnel will be deployed to ensure security during the election, with special measures in place to protect sealed ballot boxes and maintain order at polling and counting centers.

September 20, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has announced agreements in principle for restructuring $17.5 billion of its external commercial debt as of the end of 2023. The agreements were made with holders of its International Sovereign Bonds following negotiations with the Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders (AHGB) and the Local Consortium of Sri Lanka (LCSL), which collectively hold over 50% of the bonds.

The agreements entail a present value concession of 40.3% in the baseline scenario, using a discount rate of 11%. This offers Sri Lanka enhanced debt relief compared to the Joint Working Framework agreed in July 2024, including additional reductions in interest payments.

Sri Lanka has also reached an agreement in principle with China Development Bank (CDB) on restructuring approximately $3.3 billion of sovereign debt. Combined with previous agreements with Eximbank of China and members of the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), the country will secure over $17 billion in debt service relief during the IMF program period. This includes around $2.4 billion from Eximbank of China, $2.9 billion from the OCC, $2.5 billion from CDB, and $9.5 billion from bondholders.

September 20, Colombo (LNW): Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, founder of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), reportedly left the country early this morning (20th), a day before the presidential election. According to sources, Rajapaksa boarded Emirates Airline flight EK 659, which departed from Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport at 3:05 am, heading to Dubai, from where he is expected to continue his journey to the United States.

Rajapaksa used the Gold Route Special Entry of the airline and was traveling alone. Reports indicate that former State Minister DV Chanaka, along with MPs Sanjeeva Edhirimanna and Jayanatha Katagoda, also accompanied him to the airport to his departure.

Basil Rajapaksa has been a key figure in the election campaign of Namal Rajapaksa, the SLPP candidate in this year’s presidential election.