The re-appointed Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that he has initiated discussions with a number of political parties for abolishing the Executive Presidency and with the Tamil National Alliance and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna for bringing about a political solution in which all citizens can live in harmony in a unitary state.
Colombo, Dec 16 (newsin.asia) – Leader of Sri Lanka’s United National Party, Ranil Wickremesinghe who was sacked as Prime Minister on Oct 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena, was sworn in as the Prime Minister once again on Sunday, ending a nearly two month long political turmoil.
Meet Allirjah Subaskaran, 46, who produced India’ costliest 3D movie 2.0 starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. Subaskaran fled Sri Lanka with his family at the height of the ethnic conflict there three decades ago, and moved first to France, and then later settled in the U.K. He said that he loved watching Tamil films while growing up, and that’s why he started Lyca Productions, a production and distribution company based in Chennai, in 2014.
Mahinda Rajapaksa who resigned from the Premiership of Sri Lanka on Saturday to make way for the re-appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister has vowed to come back with voters’ support to “bring forces opposed to the country to their knees.” Wickremesinghe would be sworn-in as Prime Minister on Sunday along with a 30-member cabinet. In his five-page parting statement on Saturday, Rajapaksa warned that the UNF government and Sri Lanka will be held hostage to the divisive, separatist and anti- national agenda of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Colombo, Dec 15 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s challenged Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his premiership on Saturday, paving way for a new government to be established under President Maithripala Sirisena. Rajapaksa signed his resignation letter, surrounded by his party members at his official residence in capital Colombo, television footage showed. Shehan Semasinghe, a lawmaker, […]
Colombo, Dec 14 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s challenged Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa will step down from his premiership on Saturday after the Supreme Court earlier Friday continued a suspension order on him and his cabinet from continuing in office. Rajapaksa’s son and Parliamentarian from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Namal Rajapaksa said that his father […]
Sources close to the President told newsin.asia that this means that Sirisena will continue to conduct cabinet meetings as the Head of the Government, but will not participate in its decision-making process. However, he will continue to exercise his powers as the constitutional Executive President, Head of Government and Head of State.Given the nature of the Sri Lankan constitution which endows the Executive President with vast and decisive powers, an Executive President can put spokes in the wheel of the cabinet and countermand its decisions.
But Sirisena has a plan to continue his resistance to Wickremesinghe. After hearing the judgment on Thursday he told his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that if he has to appoint Wickremesinghe he will not participate in the government’s decision-making process but will continue to carry out his responsibilities as the Executive President. This could mean that the Executive Presidency will be pitted against the Prime Minister and his cabinet. An Executive President could put spokes in the cabinet’s wheel, forcing the government to come to a grinding halt. But the scenario will be radically different if the United National Front puts forward Sajith Premadasa as its Prime Ministerial candidate, sources close to the President said.
Colombo, Dec 13 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, on Thursday, ruled against President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dissolve Parliament and conduct a snap Parliamentary Election in early January. A seven judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nalin Perera, delivered the verdict saying the President’s decision was unconstitutional with Chief Justice Perera further explaining that if […]
The petitioner alleged that first Respondent Ranil Wickremesinghe held, as at the time of the Parliamentary Elections held on August 17, 2015, a financial interest in several contracts entered into by public corporations on behalf of the Republic of Sri Lanka with his family company “Lake House Printers and Publishers PLC”, by virtue of his having been a major shareholder of the said company.