May 10 (DM) By the time of this writing, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly submitted his resignation. Assuming he does not recant his decision for yet another time, he might be leaving the office, but only after coming almost close to setting the country on fire in political violence that could have an unprecedented toll on the nation. The nation is already celebrating. Firecrackers are going off across the country. more..

May 10 (DM) The tremendous power of the masses in action was displayed for the first time in post-independent SL on Aug 12, 1953 when the enraged people rose in active dissent. A new factor re-entered our politics; the wisdom of mass power directed a mass intervention. The vast expansion of people was observed in towns and villages, symbolising an active vote of no-confidence of the then UNP govt, somewhat similar to May 6, ‘22. Despite its insurrectionary nature, more..

May 10 (DM) Rotary District 3220 held a press conference on May 8, 2022 at Radisson Hotel. Rotarians at the press conference voiced out their demands for good governance. They also called upon the state, private and public sectors to be accountable and transparent. The Rotary District 3220 shared how they have worked towards alleviating the burden of the crisis on the citizens. The speakers at the Press Conference were K.R. Ravindran (Past President- Rotary Int'l), more..

May 10 (GV) After 30 days of peaceful protests, the Rajapaksa regime unleashed its thugs on the protesters outside Temple Trees. After demolishing the tents and assaulting the people gathered there, the thugs proceeded to Galle Face where they destroyed tents at GotaGoGama including the medical tent and the library, as police watched. Finally the police began to disperse the attackers with water cannon and tear gas. more..

May 10 (FT) Events outside Temple Trees on Monday demonstrate that a patronage network built over a decade has some residual energy left for a last hurrah. Tyrants don’t ride into the sun set. Tyrants don’t retire. Tyrants don’t walk away quietly. How do tyrants fall? People put up with tyranny for years. Suffering tyranny often becomes an acquired habit. That is what happened to Sri Lanka until we ran out of dollars. When deprived of essentials needed to survive people were driven mad. more..

May 10 (CT) Premier and two times President Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa have sent his letter of resignation to younger brother Prez Rajapaksa, his Press Secretary Rohan Weliwita said yesterday. Just prior to his resignation, Mahinda’s goons ran amok, which, according to the Bar Association of SL (BASL), “a gang of persons armed with poles and clubs marching from Temple Trees towards Galle Face. They have attacked anti-Govt protesters opposite Temple Trees. more..

May 10 (TM) Pro-Govt mobs said to have been led by leading SLPP Govt politicians, some of whom were reported to have been seen among the said mobs, including those who were seen holding talks with PM Rajapaksa a few days ago, yesterday wreaked havoc on the GotaGoGama peaceful protest site, which had become a headache to the Govt for a month, when they attacked peaceful protesters. In the aftermath, the two Heads of the Govt (Premier Rajapaksa has since resigned) more..

May 10 (FT) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned attacks on peaceful protestors and insisted the entire the Govt must resign. In a statement Wickremesinghe said: “GoGotaGama which had been a peaceful demonstration, was attacked. We completely condemn this act of thuggery. We all have to accept the responsibility for this. The response we gave to the crisis was not enough. We wanted to make that difference. We didn’t react fast enough to the situation. more..

May 10 (ST) Unionists condemned police violence against peaceful protesters near the Parliament complex and the late night emergency proclamation, and vowed to continue their struggle to free the country from Rajapaksa rule, following the success of the country-wide hartal on Friday, which drew widespread support from the masses. Large-scale protests involving the masses, and state and private sector workers erupted more..

May 10 (Island) Hawala is a word in the Arabic language and suggests the concept of sharing. Term Hawala has also been used from ancient times to designate a method of sending money from one country to another in an informal manner, which is outside of the banking system. Depending on where you live, this system might be called as Hawala or Undial. Although Undial and Hawala have a long-dated history in the monetary world, the modern world refuses the Undial and Hawala due to more..

May 10 (Island) SJB is reported to have agreed to help implement the solution proposed by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) to the present crisis. It is expected to support the proposed interim administration, and modalities are being discussed, we are told. This certainly is good news. Whether the SJB will accept any positions in the administration to be formed remains to be seen. Solutions to the current economic and political crises must be found strictly within the framework of more..

May 10 (TM) IGP Chandana D. Wickramaratne, acting on instructions from Public Security Ministry Secretary Jagath Alwis, had instructed senior Police officials, including SSP – Colombo Central Nishantha Chandrasekara not to use water cannons and tear gas to disperse supporters of the SLPP who attacked peaceful protesters in front of the Temple Trees and the Galle Face Green yesterday more..

May 10 (EN) SL’s star cricketers condemned the former PM Rajapaksa and the govt for allowing pro-govt mobsters to carry out attacks on non-violent demonstrators. On Monday, following a meeting with PM Rajapaksa, the pro-govt supporters turned aggressive toward non-violent demonstrators who had set up a protest camp opposite the PM’s residency Temple Trees. “The only violence was perpetrated by your supporters – goons and thugs who came to your office first before more..

May 10 (FT) Attorney-at-Law Nishan Premathiratne expressed that persons suspected of corruption should be prevented from fleeing the country: however highlights the constraints in the law. Premathiratne is of the view that the Provisions of the Law should be enforced to the letter, expeditiously to prevent anyone with any allegation of corruption from fleeing the country. However, the law entails the requirement of an ongoing criminal proceeding as set out In terms of more..

May 10 (CT) SL leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga said the clarity of his role as a wicket-taking bowler in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side was helping him in the ongoing IPL. Spin-bowling all-rounder, who became the most expensive SL player in IPL history when RCB bought him for a whopping Rs 10.75 crore at this year’s auction, returned with figures of 5/18 to inflict a fourth straight loss on Sunrisers Hyderabad. “I’m a wicket-taking bowler and the team also thinks like that. more..

May 10 (CT) The independent group of MPs yesterday, while condemning the attack on nonviolent anti-Govt protesters, called for the arrest of former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa for instigating violence. Addressing a Media briefing held yesterday former President Maithripala Sirisena observed that the attacks were planned ahead with the help of certain Ministers and their thugs. He said the batons which were used in the attack were inside the buses that brought the people to Temple Trees more..

May 10 (TM) Archbishop of Colombo Archdiocese Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday condemned the attacks on the GotaGoGama and MynaGoGama protest sites, noting that it is shameful that such acts were carried out from Temple Trees, the official residence of PM Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa resigned from the Premiership yesterday. “Last morning, after a meeting held at residence of PM Rajapaksa more..

May 10 (FT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena said that the present Govt has committed the most foolish act in recent history by aiding and abetting a mob attack on peaceful protesters in front of Galle Face Green and Temple Trees. The former Prez said the country would suffer the consequences of the Govt’s action both locally and internationally, adding that this was an act that should not be done by a Govt. Sirisena made this statement addressing a media briefing at office of Communist Party more..

May 10 (FT) Several countries via their diplomats condemned yesterday’s violent attacks by supporters of ruling SLPP on peaceful protestors. The British High Commissioner to SL Sarah Hulton in a tweet said: “Strongly condemn the violence against peaceful protestors today. The authorities have a responsibility to safeguard citizens’ rights to protest peacefully and to hold the perpetrators of violence to account.” The US Ambassador to SL Julie J. Chung in her tweet said: more..

May 10 (FT) TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran yesterday said that former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa must be arrested and prosecuted. “Mahinda Rajapaksa who just resigned, must be arrested and brought before the law along with all others who organised and brought the attackers to Colombo,” he tweeted on his official handle yesterday. Soon after the attacks on peaceful protestors yesterday afternoon, he called for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, PM and IGP. more..

May 10 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar emphasised that people have no faith in the current political system and have even lost faith in Parliament. He told journalists that people are tired of games and deals that have become commonplace in SL’s political culture and despite Parliament having met for three weeks since the onset of the crisis, its members have only been pointing fingers at each other as opposed to finding solutions. “People don’t care who said what and when. more..

May 10 (AD) The island-wide curfew imposed with effect from 7 p.m. today (9) has been extended to 7 a.m. on Wednesday. PMD conveyed this in a statement issued a short while ago. The curfew order, declared as per the provisions of Section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance, was previously scheduled to be lifted at 7.00 a.m. tomorrow (10). “No one is permitted to stay on a public road, railroad, public park, more..

May 10 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa clamped a countrywide two-day curfew last night in a bid to stop escalating violence across the country which saw houses and offices of more than 15 ruling party politicians set on fire and crowds attempting to break into Temple Trees where PM Rajapaksa and his family were reportedly staying. Army and police personnel battled crowds that had surrounded the PM’s official residence, firing tear gas several times to disperse the crowd but many of the angry protestors more..

May 10 (Island) A large number of trade unions have declared that they will hold countrywide protests against yesterday’s goon attacks on peaceful protesters near Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green. Trade union activist Saman Rathnapriya said that more than 1,000 unions representing health, ports, education, and other key service sectors had pledged their support for the union action. Rathnapriya said the workers would stage demonstrations at their workplaces across more..

May 10 (TM) After violent altercations took place in Colombo, especially near the two main peaceful protest sites of GotaGoGama at Galle Face and MynaGoGama in Kollupitiya yesterday, where pro-Govt supporters attacked the peaceful protestors and sites, several parties, including religious leaders, politicians, diplomats, human rights activists, sportsmen, lawyers, doctors, and academics issued more..

May 10 (AD) The resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM has been notified in a Gazette Extraordinary published today (9). The communique was issued by the Secretary to the Prez, Gamini Senarath, on the directives of Prez Rajapaksa. It was published under Article 47(2)(b) of the Constitution. Earlier today, it was revealed that Mahinda Rajapaksa had tendered his letter of resignation to the Prez after tensions escalated across the country with the brutal attack on more..

May 10 (CT) SL’s military chief General Shavendra Silva has appealed for calm as sporadic violence erupted across the country with property linked to ruling party officials damaged after loyalists of ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful protestors in Colombo. “The tri-forces are currently working to protect the people. We are asking you very kindly to think intelligently and act calmly,” General Silva told reporters. “We have to go forward as a country. We cannot only fight and kill and burn. more..

May 10 (FT) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa called for the resignation of the Prez alongside that of PM Rajapaksa. Premadasa who was also subject to attack when he approached Galle Face, said the Prez and PM are both fully responsible for the crisis in the country. The opposition leader added that protestors at GotaGoGama and MainaGoGama had engaged in their program peacefully for over a month and that no civilized society will condone the violence that was unleashed on protesters more..

May 10 (FT) The Mahanayake Theros of the Malwatu, Asgiriya, Ramanna and Amarapura Nikayas yesterday issued a joint statement strongly condemning the violent attacks on peaceful protestors in Colombo yesterday. Noting that the brutal attack on peaceful protestors is a blow to democracy and humanity at large, the Mahanayake Theros called for an impartial investigation into political leadership and everyone linked to brutal violence against innocent people. more..

May 10 (Island) The entire Cabinet of Ministers, including PM Rajapaksa, resigned hours after protests erupted in Colombo, its suburbs and several other parts of the country. SLPP Local Govt members and their henchmen attacked those who had been demanding the resignation of Prez Rajapaksa and the Cabinet of Ministers, including PM Rajapkasa over the current economic crisis. SLPP mobs destroyed Opposition activists’ more..

May 10 (FT) So, another day, another emergency proclamation. After a very animated hartal, clearly the powers that be are properly spooked, as Parliament felt the immediacy and presence of the protestors, as did MPs at their homes – the nation palpably expressing collective outrage. The ruling party keeps tap dancing, looking shell-shocked that they can’t swagger their way out of this, or arrest their way out of this, or curfew their way out of this, or strike sufficiently patriotic bellicose more..

May 10 (DM) SJB MPs decided that it would take over the govt, provided Prez Rajapaksa steps down from his post. SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that SJB has decided to take over the govt, in the event the Prez leaves office. “Most of the MPs had proposed that the party should take over the govt, only if the incumbent Prez leaves office,” he said. The party also met the other opposition political parties including the independent group and former PM Wickremesinghe to explain its stance. more..

May 10 (AD) IGP C.D. Wickramaratne has directed the CID to initiate a probe into the attacks on the anti-govt protesters outside the Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green. A mob of govt supporters who met with former PM Rajapaksa at the Temple Trees last morning (9) was seen assaulting the peaceful protesters and damaging the properties nearby. Police imposed a nationwide curfew and Army troops were deployed in Colombo as supporters of the ruling party then proceeded to attack more..

May 10 (DM) A protest has broken out, outside the Trincomalee Naval Base as reports have said that former PM Rajapaksa and some of his family members have sought refuge there after the violent clashes which erupted yesterday. A group of protestors has started a protest outside the Navy Camp demanding the former PM and his family be held accountable for the crisis and arrested. Mahinda Rajapaksa left Temple Trees today morning after security forces cleared the protestors more..

May 10 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa appealed for clam and an end to violence and acts of revenge Tuesday afternoon, as anti-govt mobs continued to destroy property and attack people linked to the govt, openly flouting a nationwide curfew. Rajapaksa tweeted Tuesday afternoon that the govt will make all efforts to restore political stability. The president’s tweet broke a radio silence he had maintained since a similar more..