Category: Politics

Jan 07, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s parliament will vote on the impeachment of chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake on January 11 after a two day debate, the state information office said, despite a court order nullifying the findings of a parliamentary committee.The parliamentary committee from which the opposition out had not accorded due process to […]

Jan 06, 2012 (LBO) – Friday Forum, a Sri Lankan citizens group has called for changes to an upcoming bill on a new agency called Divineguma Development Department and has called upon parliament not to impose it on the Northern Province with a two thirds majority. The full statement is reproduced below Friday Forum on […]

Dec 21, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s court of appeal has summoned parliamentary Speaker and legislators who were in a committee that found the Chief Justice guilty of misconduct in controversial circumstances. Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake went court asking to quash the decision of the committee saying she was denied natural justice, the […]

Nov 23, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is expecting closer economic ties with Kazakhstan following a visit to the country by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the state information office said. The information office quoted President Rajapaksa as saying that the two countries will commence negotiations on economic and technical co-operation, avoiding double taxation, investment protection and […]

COLOMBO, Oct 17, 2012 (AFP) – The last leader of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers, who is wanted by India over the assassination of former premier Rajiv Gandhi, has been freed from military custody, the defence ministry said Wednesday. Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who was arrested in August 2009, was no longer in detention and was free to […]

Oct 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s district judges and magistrates are striking Monday, while several lawyers associations had decided to keep away from court work, over the assault of a the secretary of the island’s independent judicial services commission. Sri Lanka abolished a civil service commission, which was in charge of appointing, transferring and […]

Oct 07, 2012 (LBO) – Contrary to popular belief that Chinese arms sales to Africa fuel wars and human rights abuses, it is the United States that sells more weapons to autocracies there, a Sri Lankan scholar says. Much of the ‘China-bashing’ in the Western media is driven by domestic protectionist pressures and is reminiscent […]

September 20, 2012 (LBO) – The United States Thursday reiterated that it had nothing to do with an anti Islam film that sparked violent protests by Muslim hardliners across the globe and cost the lives of US embassy staff including that of the ambassador in Libya. “It should be noted that the United States strongly […]

Sept 13, 2012 (LBO) – The Commonwealth is ready to help Sri Lanka strengthen its public service and key institutions, build leadership capacity of senior officials and uplift professionalism of the media, a top visiting official said. Sharma said the Commonwealth is also looking at developing youth entrepreneurship in rural areas, sports and development for […]

Sept 9, 2012 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party secured victory in three provincial council elections including one area ravaged by the island’s ethnic war that ended in 2009, according to results released on Sunday. President Mahinda Rajapakse’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) swept the council polls in the north-central and central regions with near […]

Sept 04, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to connect a 24MegaWatt heavy fuel oil fired power plant to boost supply to the northern Jaffna peninsula by January 2013, the island’s power ministry said. The 4.0 billion rupees plant is designed and built for the Ceylon Electricity Board by Lakdhanavi, an affiliated firm. Three 8.6MW […]

Sept 04, 2012 (LBO) – India’s central government is taking measures to ensure the safety of visiting Sri Lankans to the country, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman has said as tourists were targeted by Tamil Nadu protestors for the second day. On Monday Sri Lanka issued a travel advisory asking citizens not to travel to […]