Sri Lanka Political News Forum

Sri Lanka news articles on politics are discussed here on this sub forum of Lanka Newspapers

India dedicated to protect the political and ecSri Lanka imports one million barrels of crude, no purchases of crude from Iran onomic stability of Sri Lanka - outgoing envoy Thursday, 23 May 2013 - 10:34 AM SL Time

Sri Lanka`s Minister for Petroleum Industries Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said one million barrels of crude oil had been imported to restart the operations at the country`s only refinery on the 24th of this month and no purchases of crude had been from Iran. Addressing the media at the Cabinet press briefing held at the Government Information Department today (22), the Minister said Sri Lanka had not imported any crude from Iran after June 2012. He briefed that following the embargo on the import of oil from Iran imposed by the United States in June 2011, Sri Lanka imported 20 percent of the requirement of crude oil from Iran during the first six months of 2012 and only 10 percent during the second six months. Full Story     Post Reply To This

`Mahasangha should be well-informed of plots to rouse communal tensions` Thursday, 23 May 2013 - 10:31 AM SL Time

The Mahasangha should be more concerned and well-informed about a situation being plotted to rouse communal tensions and create a crisis situation among religions and sects of the same religion to breach the religious harmony in the country. It is evident that certain NGOs are drafting agendas to dislodge the place given to Buddhism in the constitution. But the government will never allow these forces to achieve their sinister targets, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. President Rajapaksa was addressing the state festival to mark the 260th anniversary of the establishment of the Siyam Mahanikaya Upasampada ceremony at the historical Mahamaluwa of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy yesterday. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Sri Lanka Opposition Leader says teachers not paid salaries for this month Wednesday, 22 May 2013 - 10:55 AM SL Time

Opposition Leader of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremasinghe has said that teacher in the state sector have not yet been paid their salaries for this month. He told parliament that the teachers have not been paid their salaries despite an assurance that it would be paid today. He explained that state sector teachers have been paid their monthly salaries on the 20th of each month, but had been informed this month that the salaries would be paid on the 21st. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Nimal warns colleagues against switching allegiance Wednesday, 22 May 2013 - 10:53 AM SL Time

Senior Vice President of the SLFP and Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on Monday said that whatever the differences among members of a particular political party were, it would be a grave mistake on their part to switch sides. Switching allegiance to another party would be beneficial to individuals, but it could cause debilitating setback to that particular political party, Minister de Silva said. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Now country savors freedom Tuesday, 21 May 2013 - 11:10 AM SL Time

In May19, 2009, our valiant forces defeated and annihilated Neo-Nazi LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran In May19, 2009, our valiant forces defeated and annihilated Neo-Nazi LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran May 19 is our victory day. It will be remembered by Sri Lankans, not for decades, but for many centuries to come. It was the day, in May 2009, our heroic forces defeated and annihilated Neo-Nazi LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran (VP) with his foreign friends at Nandikadal lagoon. If that annihilation had not taken place, at least 15,000 people would have been killed during the last four years. It was on that victory day our valiant forces not only rescued over 300,000 Tamils taken hostage and used as human shields by the LTTE, but also gave lives to thousands who were destined to perish in the battle. Full Story     Post Reply To This     Read Replies ( 1 )

Chairman of Sri Lanka power authority says a price has to be paid for continuous power supply Tuesday, 21 May 2013 - 11:08 AM SL Time

Chairman of Ceylon Electricity Board W.B. Ganegala says that consumers would have to pay a certain price for receiving a continuous power supply. He told the media that Sri Lanka is the only country in the SAARC region that provides electricity throughout the day. `If we were able to cut electricity supplies for four hours a day we would not have affected an increase. There is a certain price one has to pay for the availability of electricity. We do not impose power cuts,` Ganegala pointed out. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Govt. has no option but calls for polls in 2014 Sunday, 19 May 2013 - 10:49 AM SL Time

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said yesterday that it was only after party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe gave a public assurance to establish a law-abiding, just society devoid of violence, corruption and malpractices in 2014 that many eminent astrologers have come out with predictions that he (Wickremesinghe) stood a bigger chance of being elected to power next year. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Don t infringe on civil liberties-BASL Sunday, 19 May 2013 - 10:45 AM SL Time

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) while recognizing the rights of civil societies and trade unions to protest called upon all parties to act within the framework of the law. The BASL in a statement yesterday warned that it would act to uphold the Rule of Law against those who infringe the rights. The BASL said civil society and trade unions had the rights to engage in such matters of importance within the framework of law and in the exercise of their fundamental civil liberties including the freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly, which are inalienable democratic rights enshrined in the Constitution. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Protests about politics not light bills Friday, 17 May 2013 - 10:21 AM SL Time

Leading Trade Unions yesterday accused opposition political parties for attempting to promote their political agendas in the guise of protesting against the electricity tariff hike. Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya Secretary Ranjith Hettiarachchi told a press conference that the objective of the JVP and other parties organising trade union action is not to reduce electricity bills, but to gain political mileage and create an environment for forces hostile to Sri Lanka including NGOs to reverse the post-conflict gains achieved by the country. Full Story     Post Reply To This     Read Replies ( 1 )

Health Ministry spends Rs.4,000 per day one in-house patient Friday, 17 May 2013 - 10:20 AM SL Time

The Health Ministry spends Rs. 37 million annually, just for salaries, and Rs. 4,000 is spent on one in-house patient per day. This amount increases to Rs. 10,000 per patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This is in addition to the cost of drugs. This is done in order to realise the objectives of a free health service in Sri Lanka, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. The Minister was speaking at a ceremony to present internship appointment letters to 250 medical graduates. Full Story     Post Reply To This     Read Replies ( 1 )

Over Rs. 3,500 m to upgrade Blood Bank network Friday, 17 May 2013 - 10:18 AM SL Time

The Blood Bank network of Sri Lanka will be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 3,500 million with modern medical equipment and high technology with the assistance of Simed International, Netherlands, a Health Ministry Spokesman said. According to the spokesman, a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Health Ministry and Simed International recently in connection with the project. The project is aimed at further improving the Blood Transfusion Service and Blood Banks countrywide, preventing blood related infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis. Sri Lanka`s blood transfusion service has been internationally recognized as the best in Asia. Full Story     Post Reply To This

Questions continue to hang over milk powder Thursday, 16 May 2013 - 3:08 PM SL Time

The question of whether powdered milk from New Zealand contains any toxic substance and to ascertain whether it is harmful for human consumption has been dragging on since April. Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Rumy Marzook told The Island yesterday (15) that the Food Advisory Committee, of the Health Ministry, whom he met on Tuesday (14), wanted fresh samples to be sent abroad once again for testing. They had said that based on those reports a decision on whether or not to ban the import of powdered milk from New Zealand would be taken. Full Story     Post Reply To This

National security won t be compromised - GR Thursday, 16 May 2013 - 3:06 PM SL Time

Military presence in the Jaffna peninsula as well as the Vanni was meant to guarantee the security of people living in the northern region, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday. He told The Island that security forces presence was nothing but a necessity, though various interested parties and a section of the media were playing politics with purely a national security issue. The country had paid a very heavy price due to the failure of previous governments to adopt proper security measures. `I have no intention of repeating the same mistake,` he said. Full Story     Post Reply To This     Read Replies ( 1 )

Sri Lanka to probe delay in getting crude oil Thursday, 16 May 2013 - 3:03 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka`s Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa has said that the delay in getting crude oil for the operation of the country`s sole refinery at Sapugaskanda will be probed. The petroleum authority Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) yesterday said the refinery will be closed for 5 days from Wednesday since it has not been able to get a shipment of crude oil on time to continue operations at the refinery. Full Story     Post Reply To This