DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS
Tamil Headlines
Virakesari: Supreme Court suspends Rs. 1,700 plantation wage gazette | “My journey will not be affected by the Tamil common candidate” – Sajith Premadasa | “Agreement with bond holders is the important achievement of the government” – Shehan Semasinghe | Pictorial: R. Sampanthan’s corpse paid respect to in Jaffna | Sri Lanka reaches an agreement with the international bond holders; there is a possibility to obtain 28% debt relief for the debts worth USD 12.5 billion
Thinakaran: “Action taken by Election Commission is correct; term of the president is five years; petitioner Chamindra Lenawa did not consult me or my lawyers before filing the petition” – President expresses his stance | “Discussion with the international bond holders on debt restructuring conditions is successful; there is progress in the resilient process of debt sustainability” – Shehan Semasinghe | World Bank’s new country director David Sislen met the president
Thinakkural: “What happened to the local authorities election will happen to the presidential election due to the petition filed seeking an interim injunction; this is the serious risk in comparison with past times” – Udaya Gammanpila | “My tenure is five years; presidential election will be held in 2024” – President | The petition on postponing the election will be heard on Monday before a bench comprising five justices
Thamilan: “Term of the president is five years” – Ranil Wickremesinghe makes a special announcement explaining the stance of the government | Have the students of Kompanna Veediya died in an accident?; investigations are being conducted from different angles
Sinhala Headlines
Lankadeepa: Rs. 90 million worth of accounts belonging to the Keheliya family frozen: The CIABOC goes to court | “The PHI was shot mistakenly because the PHI’s photograph was sent mistakenly instead of the SI’s photograph. The Rs. 1.1 million contract was given by Saman Kolla” – Gunman tells the police
Divaina: Contracted gunman caught in Mount Lavinia: PHI killed for a Rs. 1.1 million contract; firearms found; doubts that the shooting was a mistake; Saman Kolla has deposited money into the wife’s account | Accounts holding Rs. 93 million belonging to Keheliya’s family frozen | Bus and cement lorry collide in Irattakulama hospitalising 40
Ada: 16 fixed deposits and three insurance policies belonging to the Keheliya family frozen: Rs. 93.125 million deposited in fixed deposits
Mawbima: Suspect in the Karandeniya PHI’s murder caught after four months; suspect had gone from Pepiliyana to execute the Rs. 1.1 million contract; gun used for the shooting also confiscated | An interim order against the wage increase of the plantation workers
Dinamina: “The term of the president is five years. The EC is correct” – President assures
Aruna: A 1,500 staff shortage; the archaeology department is drawing its last breath; 42 positions across the board are vacant | The road accident in Madampe: 27 hospitalised; bus driver dies |Pictorial: Fisherfolk with the deadly bottle found in the ocean
Anidda: Governors ignore the orders of the commission: Political representatives appointed to local bodies as governors’ liaisons; the liaisons are requesting vehicles and offices
TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: The Island
“My journey will not be affected by the Tamil common candidate” – Sajith Premadasa
Virakesari
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa stated that not only if a Tamil common candidate but whoever contests in the election, it will not be a barrier for his journey. He added that he is not aware of the matter regarding the Tamil common candidate and that every citizen is entitled to contest in the elections as a candidate as everyone has the freedom to do so.
“Election will be conducted according to the constitution” – Prasanna Ranatunga
Thinakkural, Thamilan
Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga stated that there is no need for the president or the government to postpone the presidential election or any other election. He added that the opposition parties which do not have the backbone to face the election are talking about the postponement of the election, but the government will conduct the election according to the constitution.
“Election must be postponed” – C.V. Wigneswaran
Thinakaran
Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) MP C.V. Wigneswaran expressed his stance that the election must be postponed. He added that formation of a national government is good for the country, but it is not suitable for the Tamil parties to join such a national government. He further added that he agrees with the idea that the Tamil parties must join a national government that would work to resolve the issues of the Tamil people through negotiations.
Sri Lankan fisherfolk encountered Rs. 700 million worth of losses due to the bottom trawlers of Indian fisherfolk
Thinakkural
The Ministry of Fisheries has estimated the damage caused to fishing gear of Sri Lankan fisherfolk by Indian bottom trawlers at Rs. 700 million, and communicated it to the Indian authorities including Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar. The issue of Indian bottom trawlers engaging in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing has strained relations between the two nations. The India-Sri Lanka ministerial meeting on fisheries and the Joint Working Group (JWG) have met multiple times, but Sri Lanka is now calling for these meetings to be reconvened to address the ongoing issues.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: The Island.lk
Contracted gunman caught in Mount Lavinia: PHI killed for a Rs. 1.1 million contract; firearms found; doubts that the shooting was a mistake; Saman Kolla has deposited money into the wife’s account
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna
The gunman involved in the murder of the Karandeniya Public Health Inspector (PHI) in February this year was arrested in Mount Lavinia yesterday (4th). The police stated that the suspect had two firearms in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Lankadeepa highlights the statement of the gunman that the PHI was shot mistakenly because the wrong picture of the person to be shot was given to him. The Rs. 1.1 million contract had been carried out on orders of an underworld figure named Saman Kolla, which was reportedly deposited into the gunman’s wife’s bank account.
“Siripala does not have the power to issue letters to me” – Jayasekara
Divaina, Mawbima, Anidda
MP Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that MP Nimal Siripala de Silva who has illegally taken up the position of chairperson of the SLFP has no power to suspend his party membership. He added that letters were sent to both the Maithripala Sirisena and Nimal Siripala de Silva factions of the party to attend his official resumption of the post of the party’s general secretary. He further added that he had heard back from the Sirisena faction but the Siripala faction has not responded to his invitation yet.
What will happen if the election is postponed?
Anidda
Anidda features opinions of several politicians regarding what would unfold if the presidential election were to be postponed. MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has stated that the nature of the court’s verdict on the issue will affect the sovereignty of the people, and that when a situation like this arises at a time when the people are expecting an election, it will agitate the public and that will be beneficial to those who oppose democracy. Commenting on the same issue, NPP member Vijitha Herath has stated that the president is putting up a media show about the postponement, and that the public must get ready to vote, despite the drama. General Secretary of the SLPP Kariyawasam has stated that if anyone is trying to hang on to the post of president, it will be a massive blow against the democracy of the country, and that if President Wickremesinghe works to postpone the election it will cause massive damage to the country as well.
SJB goes to court against the petition to postpone the presidential election
Mawbima
Member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Alliance MP G.L. Peiris stated that the alliance has decided to request the court whether the alliance could intervene and present facts regarding the petition that has been submitted to postpone the presidential election to be held this year.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS
Photo credits: Reddit
“The term of the president is five years. The EC is correct” – President assures
Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated firmly that the term of the president of Sri Lanka is five years, and that the Election Commission (EC) is correct in taking steps to hold the presidential election in 2024. The statement released by the President’s Media Division (PMD) quotes President Ranil Wickremesinghe as stating that the petitioner did not consult him or his lawyers prior to filing this application in the Supreme Court (SC).
An interim order issued against the gazette which increased plantation workers’ wage to Rs. 1,700
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (4th) issued an interim injunction order preventing the implementation of the gazette notification issued by the minister of labour increasing the daily wage of the plantation employee to Rs. 1,700. The SC issued the order allowing the hearing of a petition filed by plantation companies against the gazette.
Common priorities: Additional stories
1. A five-judge-bench to hear the petition regarding the president’s term – Lankadeepa, Dinamina, Thinakkural
2. “Sovereign bond holders agree to debt restructuring” – Semasinghe – Lankadeepa, Dinamina, Virakesari, Thinakaran
3. “The presidential election cannot be postponed without a referendum” – Gammanpila – Mawbima, Thinakkural