Tag: lbo

Former opposition leader and Sri Lanka Freedom Party stalwart from the South, 59-year-old Mahinda Rajapaksa took oaths as the new Prime Minister in President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaranatunge government at 11.26 on Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Rajapaksa, the seventeenth Prime Minister to be appointed since independence in 1948, earned the highest preference votes in the Hambantota […]

The absence of a coherent economic policy, ranging from fiscal discipline, economic reforms, together with how fast new government will woo foreign donors to resume stalled aid, still remain a relatively grey area.rn rnldblquote The key thing is to see who will be the actual public face behind key ministries and state institutions, dblquote observes, […]

Sri Lanka is lined up for a ’80 5.5 mn assistance package from the European Commission (EC) to resettle and rehabilitate over 270,000 displaced people.The funds will help nearly 250,000 displaced people rebuild their livelihoods and improve living conditions of 27,000 internally displaced persons in welfare centres, said a press release from the EU office […]

As the Freedom Alliance prepared to form a government, outgoing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that a government without an absolute majority in parliament is likely to be unstable.ldblquote From the information we have the president is planning to swear in a Prime Minister from the Alliance. And that this will be a minority government […]

The absence of a coherent economic policy, ranging from fiscal discipline, economic reforms, together with how fast new government will woo foreign donors to resume stalled aid, still remain a relatively grey area.rn rnldblquote The key thing is to see who will be the actual public face behind key ministries and state institutions, dblquote observes, […]

Sri Lankans voted in a hung parliament, after President Chandrika Kumaratungas United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won Fridays poll, but fell short of an absolute majority.The final results on Sunday gave the UPFA 105 seats (including 13 national seats) and the outgoing Premier Ranil Wickremasinghes United National Party 82 seats (including 11 national seats).rn rnThe […]

After an overwhelming anti-government vote at Fridays election, JBIZ Chief says the business community should accept the will of the people and work with the new government to map out an economic agenda.The majority United National Party led by Premier Ranil Wckremasinghe lost to the President and JVP led United Peoples Freedom Alliance, at final […]

Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayake has opted not to go for fresh polls in two districts, which were reported to have voting irregularities and instead release the final results late Sunday.The Elections Dept., stopped declaring results late Saturday, due to complaints of vote rigging in the districts of Kandy and Digamadulla.rn rn”I do not believe that […]

The polls were called early by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to end a power struggle with the rival prime minister over peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, but observers noted they have merely served to usher in an assembly filled with extremists. rn rnrnFor the first time, Sri Lankas parliament will have an all-clergy party taking […]

A hung parliament resulting from Sri Lankas elections could further hamper efforts to end three decades of ethnic war as a weak government cannot engage in tough talks with Tamil Tiger rebels, diplomats and analysts said. President Chandrika Kumaratunga called the poll four years early to seek a strong mandate after accusing her rival, Prime […]

President Chandrika Kumaratungas United Peoples Freedom Alliance is still leading Fridays polls, however, her party may still fall short of an absolute majority.rnrn rn rnKumaratungas UPFA has so far secured little over 46. percent of the votes as rnagainst Premier Ranil Wickremasinghes United National Front governments 34.5 rnpercent.rn The Lanka rnAcademic websites ongoing projections show […]

Sri Lankas final election results could be held up for a week pending a fresh poll in two areas affected by vote rigging, a top election official told AFP.rnDeputy Commissioner K. Senanayake said the vote at booths in two districts was annulled following reports of irregularities, which would now lead to a fresh poll.rn rn […]