Jul 19 (FT) NMSJ Chairman and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in a statement yesterday emphasised the primary responsibility of the new Prez and the Govt is to find solutions to the country’s crisis through a common consensus. Following is the full text of the statement. We as a country are now at a critical juncture where we must choose a new leadership for our motherland. We consider it an extremely important task that must be carried out with great responsibility. more..

Jul 19 (EN) Sri Lanka’s central bank has spent 222.73 million US dollars defending a peg and engaging in monetary financing of imports in June 2022, three months after apparently running out of reserves, official data show. Sri Lanka defaulted in April 2012 after two years of money printing to suppress interest rates combined with tax cuts in the worst currency crisis triggered by the central bank in its history. At the time officials said the country had run out of reserves. more..

Jul 19 (CNN) Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the country's previous administration was covering up facts about its crippling financial crisis. Former leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa's govt did not tell the truth, that Sri Lanka was bankrupt and "needed to go to the IMF," Wickremesinghe told CNN from parliament in Sri J'pura Kotte Monday. "I would like to tell the people I know what they are suffering," more..

Jul 19 (ST) Apparel buyers and brands are looking at contingency plans to overcome the possibility of work disruptions against their orders as a result of the current upheaval in Sri Lanka. One of the main clothing retailers in the UK told the Business Times that there is quite a lot of nervousness with all the uncertainty going on. In this respect they, like many other brands and buyers, are looking at contingency plans though most may not have made any major decision to move elsewhere. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Bar Association of SL (BASL) yesterday called on Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to revoke the state of emergency declared by him days ahead of the election of a new Prez through Parliament. Issuing a statement following the announcement, the BASL said the proclamation must be revoked to ensure fundamental rights including the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, in which are all aspects of the sovereignty of the people are respected and protected more..

Jul 19 (FT) Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has requested all MPs to work collectively to vote for a President who can realise the people’s expectations, setting aside corruption, party politics, enticing MPs with money and being true to their conscience. In a letter to all MPs, the Cardinal requested the House to seize the opportunity to ensure maximum participation in fulfilling the aspirations of the people, considering it a historic moment. more..

Jul 19 (TM) As nominations are to be accepted today for the Parliamentary vote to elect the next Prez, security has been tightened in and around the Parliamentary complex. Police Media Spokesman, SSP Nihal Thalduwa stated that the road leading from the Polduwa Junction towards Parliament has been closed with Police roadblocks since yesterday. He also said that the necessary steps have been taken to ensure the safety of the Parliamentary complex and the surrounding areas. more..

Jul 19 (TM) The June 2022 syndicated survey conducted by Verité Research revealed that 70% (plus or minus 2%) of the country’s population is of the opinion that the Executive Presidency should be abolished, with only 15% saying that the executive presidency should not be abolished. The balance 15% had various other opinions (such as reducing the powers, instead of abolishing it), or refused to state an opinion, it added. more..

Jul 19 (Island) SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella claimed that over 25 SLPP MPs had pledged their support to SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa at tomorrow’s vote in Parliament to elect the next Prez. Kiriella said the SLPP had gone disarray without leadership. “People do not need another SLPP President to lead this country out of the present crisis. They neither need an SLPP PM. The MPs using their votes at Wednesday’s election should keep in mind whether they uphold the wishes and aspirations of more..

Jul 19 (DM) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has submitted a written complaint to the IGP requesting an investigation into the posts published on social media threatening Members of Parliament, police said. The Speaker informed the IGP that arrangements have been made by the Parliament to receive nominations tomorrow and to hold the poll on Wednesday to elect a President in accordance with the provisions of the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981. more..

Jul 19 (AD) Parliament is meeting at 10 a.m. today to accept nominations for the office of Prez which remains vacant following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week. Secretary-General of Parliament is calling nominations for the vote in the House to elect a new Prez, pursuant to the provisions of the Prez Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 02 of 1981. A parliamentary vote is scheduled for tomorrow to elect a MP, more..

Jul 19 (FT) It was virtually an impossible task until last week to force a sitting Executive President of SL to resign, especially with all the powers Gotabaya Rajapaksa got himself by bringing in the 20th Amendment. The failure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa was because he used to think he was very successful, powerful and important and was egged on by his advisers. Those Basils, Jayasundaras, and Attygalles who advised him to make himself an uncrowned king by pushing 20th Amendment more..

Jul 19 (FT) The word manifesto traces its roots to the Latin manifestum, which means clear or conspicuous and presently defined as a document publicly declaring a set of ideas, opinions or views or the intention, position, program or plan of action of its issuer. Yet, it is understandable that the word manifesto tends to have more disliking than not because the word has taken a beating over the decades in SL. Main causative factors for such repulsion towards manifesto are undeniably more..

Jul 19 (NWN) A dengue fever outbreak is growing across SL amid the persistence of its economic crisis, affecting more than six million people in the country. However, the economic degradation does not only affect the economic aspect of the South Asian country but also an ongoing scientific study about the said outbreak. The emergence of the outbreak came following a series of economic turmoil, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, details of the outbreak's impact more..

Jul 19 (AD) The Court of Appeal ordered today (19) that the decision on whether it will issue or not an interim order suspending the order given by the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court regarding the police officers involved in Rambukkana shooting incident will be announced on August 30. Kegalle Magistrate’s Court had recently ordered the four police officers including the former SSP in charge of Kegalle, K. B. Keerthirathna to be arrested and remanded in custody, over the said incident. more..

Jul 19 (AD) The parliamentary procedure to elect a new president commenced today with the presenting of the nominations for the position. The names of three MPs were proposed and seconded in the Parliament today (19) for the vacancy of the Presidency. The names of Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma and NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were officially nominated for more..

Jul 19 (AD) The SJB has decided to support SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma’s candidacy for the Presidency. SJB leader, Sajith Premadasa says he withdraws his candidacy for the position of President and that their alliance and opposition partners will work towards ensuring victory to MP Alahapperuma. “For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of President.” “SJB and our alliance and our opposition partners will work hard more..

Jul 19 (AD) Supreme Court has dismissed a fundamental rights petition filed seeking an order to invalidate the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as a MP. The decision was delivered today by a judge-bench comprising Justices Gamini Amarasekara, Shiran Gunaratne and Janak de Silva. Announcing the decision, bench noted that the petition was rejected by accepting the objections presented by the counsels who appeared for the respondent. more..

Jul 19 (EN) SL’s Presidential hopeful Dullas Alahapperuma and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who withdrew his nomination to back his rival in a surprise move, said they started a collaborative journey to bring the country out of crisis. Premadasa, who announced his nomination last week finally proposed Alahapperuma’s name in a rare coalition which analysts see as a move to defeat their more..

Jul 19 (AD) Union of Independent Parties led by MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara has decided to back SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma in the election in parliament to elect a new President tomorrow. MP Weerawansa announced this in a media briefing held in Colombo this afternoon. “This is the establishment of a regime in which all the insecure feelings and moods of millions of people in this country will disappear,” NFF leader said. more..

Jul 19 (DM) SLPP youth wing unanimously decided to vote for acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to nominate him as the successor to the president. Its executive committe representative, Heamantha Sri Lal, today said the decision was taken by the executive committee that gathered yesterday. He said that the central committee had decided to propose the acting Prez as the person who could overcome this current economic situation and other issues in the country other than former PM more..

Jul 19 (AD) Prez hopeful SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma said the main opposition and the ruling party united today upon a consensus, heeding the voice of the people who called for a change in this current political culture. Issuing a joint statement with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the parliament complex earlier today, MP vowed to uplift the lives of the people and to introduce a new political culture in the country. He said the lawmakers, whom he referred to as more..

Jul 19 (EN) Stocks gained over 1% today, rising for a third consecutive session to end at near four week closing high on hopes of an all-party govt after the parliament vote to elect a new Prez on July 20, brokers said. Analysts said the chances of former Minister Dullas Alahapperuma winning has increased after opposition leader Sajith Premadasa withdrew his candidacy on Tuesday against acting prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. ASPI closed 1.43% or 107.51 points up at 7,644.12, more..

Jul 19 (CI) For so much of the afternoon and the evening sessions, it seemed as if Pakistan were marching non-plussed towards their monumental target. Abdullah Shafique had hit as flawless a hundred as you could hope for on a fourth-day Galle surface. Babar Azam had been solid in partnership with him, and the stand was nearing a hundred. Best of all for Pakistan, SL's bowlers seemed to be getting very little more..

Jul 19 (Island) Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to the people of SL, assuring that he joins them in prayer. Speaking during the Sunday Angelus he also issued an appeal to all parties who are engaged in finding a solution to the crisis, rooted in corruption and economic mismanagement, that has deprived the people of basic needs and livelihoods and led to a popular uprising. The Pope also said he joins the religious leaders of the country “in imploring everyone to refrain from any form of violence more..

Jul 19 (AD) Central Committee of SLFP has decided to back presidential hopeful SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma in the parliamentary vote tomorrow, party’s general secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara says. A parliamentary vote is scheduled at 10 a.m. tomorrow to elect a MP, who is qualified to be elected as the Head of State, to hold office for the unexpired period of the term of office of the President vacating office. The names of Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP Dullas more..

Jul 19 (EN) Pilot Project of the SL’s National Fuel Pass or fuel ration card will be implemented in multiple location within Colombo from July 21, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. Ministry of Power introduced the National Fuel Pass for the general public on Saturday to obtain fuel on a regular basis through regularizing the distribution and stop hoarding. The new fuel pass will allow each motorist to obtain a minimum quantity of fuel more..

Jul 19 (Island) Elephant experts yesterday expressed concern about the translocation by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of a she elephant for the first time in Sri Lanka. Supun Lahiru Prakash, an authority on elephants, said the Dept should have taken action to release the elephant back into her herd instead of relocating her. Prakash, who is also the Convener Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle, said, “We are surprised and disappointed to hear more..

Jul 19 (ANI) An all-party meeting on the situation in SL began here on Tuesday and senior leaders from various political parties are attending it. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief the MPs on the situation in SL which is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, DMK's TR Baalu, MDMK's Vaiko, and Communist Party of India's Binoy Viswam are among the MPs attending the meeting. Congress MP P Chidambaram, more..

Jul 19 (CI) Uncapped legspinner Rashmi Silva has been named in SL's 15-member squad for the Commonwealth Games which is scheduled to start later this month. Silva made her ODI debut in the home series against India earlier this month and is uncapped in T20Is, which is the format for the competition to be held in Birmingham. Wicketkeeper-batter Kaushani Nuthyangana, Hansima Karunaratne, left-arm seamer Tharika Sewwandi and Sathya Sandeepani more..

Jul 19 (DM) Professionals and new comers in Parliament have come to an agreement that Dullas Alahapperuma should be made President, former minister Channa Jayasumana said. He said that country is urging that someone who is free of fraud and corruption should lead the country and Mr. Alahapperuma bears such qualities. He said Mr. Alahapperuma manifested his plans to ensure political and economic stability during the next 18 months. more..

Jul 19 (EN) SL’s political parties are divided on who should be the next president at the parliament vote scheduled for July 20, political analysts say as the island grapples with a deepening economic crisis. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa struck a last-minute deal with former Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma for the Prime Ministerial post and withdrew from the presidential fray. Premadasa’s SJB is not happy about more..

Jul 19 (TM) The Acting Prez lacks credibility and cannot be considered to be a unifying force capable of leading an all party govt to overcome this most critical phase the country is going through, says an eminent group of medical professionals in SL. This was made known via a letter by the Medical Professionals today (19) addressed to all MPs. “The present acting Prez, who seems to be appointed to look after the interests of the outgoing rulers, is being universally rejected by the people. more..

Jul 19 (ANI) Amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, a protest broke out in Colombo on Tuesday against acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, demanding his resignation. "Recently the President of the country was forced to resign by the people. And when he resigned, he made a decision to appoint the prime minister he subsequently appointed as the president. The acting president doesn't have the people's mandate. So there is a move by the acting president to become more..

Jul 19 (Island) Civil society grouping, Direction SL, largely comprising professionals, called on MPs to act with conscience, solely in the national interest at this crucial juncture of our Country, forgetting all political and personal agendas and other interests, to ensure that the person most suitable and acceptable to the people, is elected as the Prez of the Republic. In a letter addressed to the MPs, DSL said: SL is currently going through the worst economic, political crisis since independence more..