DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS
Tamil Headlines
Virakesari: No barrier to conduct the presidential poll; official announcement will be made by the end of this month; 17,140,000 people are eligible to vote – Election Commission | Continue reconciliation processes: USA expresses it will provide necessary assistance | Prices of food items must be reduced by 20%; government insists after the electricity tariff reduction
Thinakaran: “Allowance for patients from the President’s Fund has been increased to 100%; arrangements are being made for the provision within one week after the receipt of applications” – Ranjith Siyambalapitiya | “Prices of goods and services can be reduced by 20% due to the reduction of the electricity tariffs” – Kanchana Wijesekera | “Presidential election will be announced before the end of this month; Election Commission is authorised to announce the election from today (17th) till August 20” – R.M.A.L. Rathnayake | Director-General of UNESCO meets president | Cabinet approves implementing a pricing formula for water from 2025 | Cabinet decides to amend the term of the president in the constitution and to publish it in the gazette; Cabinet also approves to submit it in parliament | NWSDB decides to reduce the water tariffs considering the electricity tariff reduction | “‘Randora Urumaya’ programme to hand over title deeds to 50,000 low-income families living in flats in Colombo city will be held today at Sugathadasa Stadium” – Prasanna Ranatunga
Thinakkural: “The authority to conduct the election has been given [to the Election Commission]; presidential poll will be conducted between September 17 and October 16; announcement will be made by the end of this month” – R.M.A.L. Rathnayake | Did Lohan Ratwatte indimidate Anura Kumara Dissanayaka? | “We will not support the government if the election is postponed” – Namal Rajapaksa
Thamilan: Presidential Election – 2024; the date will be announced by the end of July; Election Commission announces that more than 17,140,000 persons are eligible to vote | Cabinet decisions
Sinhala Headlines
Lankadeepa: Nimal Siripala called to court for locking the party office | MP Raheem, on whom an open warrant has been issued, visits a school with the police
Divaina: “Received authority from midnight; will announce the date before July 31 if no limitations from the SC are received” – Election Commission chair | Presidential Election 2024: Who will join the battle?
Ada: Another pyramid scam worth Rs. 5 billion? Immigration and Emigration controller ordered to arrest anyone who tries to flee the country and hand them over to the CID; five directors of Pastwin banned from leaving the country
Mawbima: “The statement that influenced the verdict against Deshabandu over attacking an individual in Mirihana is a ‘fake’ one” – AG | Will not touch [remove] aesthetic subjects in schools – An assurance from the government
Dinamina: “President’s Fund increases financial assistance for patients to 100%: Payments to be made within a week of receiving applications” – Siyambalapitiya
Aruna: Reading electricity meters between 0 and 30 units is a loss for the CEB; a cost of Rs. 280 to read a Rs. 280 electricity bill | “360 out of the 400 files shown by Anura are empty” – President
Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only
TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: Daily News
“Prices of goods and services can be reduced by 20%” – Kanchana Wijesekera
Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera stated that the prices of goods and services in the market can be reduced by approximately 20% following the revision of the electricity tariffs. He added that there has been a significant 20% price reduction for factories and small businesses in this electricity tariff revision. He further added that despite this reduction, it appears unlikely that the prices of goods and services, which typically rise on the same night as electricity tariff hikes, will decrease accordingly.
Dr. Ramanathan Archuna was granted bail
Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
Former Acting Medical Superintendent of the Chavakachcheri Base Hospital Dr. Ramanathan Archuna was granted a surety to the value of Rs. 75,000 by the Magistrate’s Court of Chavakachcheri yesterday (16th). The court granted this bail when the five cases filed against Dr. Archuna were taken up for hearing yesterday. The court further ordered Dr. Archuna to stay away from the hospital and not to upload any post on Facebook about the hearings in court. The court also ordered him to give statements to the police with evidence about the doctors against whom he has made accusations.
Kokkuthoduwai mass grave excavation process has ended
Thamilan, Thinakkural
The mass grave excavation activities at Kokkuthoduwai, Mullaitivu were brought to an end yesterday (16th) after one year. The pit which was dug during the excavation was also partially closed. It was decided to completely close the pit in the presence of officials from the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and the families of the enforced disappearances. The court has ordered all parties that engaged in the process to submit their reports. The case on this matter has been fixed for trial on August 8.
Continue reconciliation processes – USA
Virakesari
The USA has instructed Sri Lanka to continue forward in promoting reconciliation, human rights and inclusion, and that it will extend the necessary support to accomplish it. This recommendation was made by the US delegates at the Fifth US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue held on July 12 in Washington D.C to express their shared commitment to economic prosperity, security cooperation, sustainable development, democracy and human rights, and people-to-people exchanges.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES
Photo credits: Ada Derana
Nimal Siripala called to court for locking the party office
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima
Senior Vice President of the SLFP Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was issued summons by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court yesterday (16th) following a private case filed by General Secretary of the United People’s Freedom Alliance and the Free People’s Alliance Thilanga Sumathipala. Nimal Siripala de Silva was called to court on the grounds that he had taken measures to close and lock the main office building of the United People’s Freedom Alliance and the Free People’s Alliance.
Aesthetic subjects are compulsory – Ministry of Education
Divaina, Ada, Mawbima
The Ministry of Education, releasing a statement, points out that according to the proposed education reforms aesthetic subjects are essential to general education, and that no decision has been made to remove aesthetic subjects from being taught at schools. The ministry added that aesthetic subjects can be studied in primary, secondary and tertiary education and further added that aesthetic subjects taught in higher education will remain the same.
26 institutions allowed to award degrees to foreign students
Ada, Dinamina
Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana stated that the Cabinet has granted its consent to the proposal on the criteria for minimum qualification for enrolment of foreign students in 26 degree-awarding institutions in Sri Lanka. Gunawardana made the statement while speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held at the Department of Government Information yesterday (16th). The minister stated that 5% has been allocated annually for foreign students in 17 universities which are under the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Presidential Election 2024: Who will join the battle?
Divaina
Deputy Leader of the UNP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam statedd that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be competing in the upcoming presidential election as an independent candidate under a new symbol. General Secretary of the SJB Ranjith Madduma Bandara stated that Sajith will be competing in the 2024 Presidential Election and that Premadasa will secure a large percentage at the poll. Leader of the NPP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka stated that he will be joining the presidential battle and that he is certain that he will emerge successful from the election. General Secretary of the SLPP Sagara Kariyawasam stated that a majority of the SLPP are in favour of nominating someone from within the party for the presidential race. He added that, however, the party has not yet made a decision as to who it might be. Leader of the Tamil People’s National Alliance C.V. Wigneswaran stated that a Tamil common candidate will be nominated as per the request of the people in the North.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS
Photo credits: Sulochana Gamage
“Presidential election to be announced before July 31” – EC
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran, Thamilan
Chairperson of the Election Commission (EC) R.M.A.L. Rathnayake stated that the EC has from midnight yesterday (16th) received authority to announce the date of holding the 2024 Presidential Election and the date of receiving nominations from the presidential candidates. Accordingly, he added that the dates will be announced before July 31, 2024. Rathnayake, addressing the media, further stated that according to the country’s constitution the presidential election must be held between September 17 and October 16, 2024. 16 to 21 days after the date for receiving nominations is announced, nominations from the candidates must be received on the assigned date within a two hour time period.
Cabinet approval to gazette amendments to the constitution
Divaina, Ada, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thinakaran, Thamilan
The Cabinet has given its approval to publish the amendments to the constitution concerning the limits of the presidential term via gazette. The proposed amendment involves changing the existing provision in Article 83 paragraph (b) from “exceeding six years” to “exceeding five years”. A bill reflecting the proposed amendment has been prepared by the legal draftsman, with the clearance of the Attorney General (AG).
Common priorities: Additional stories
1. A price formula for water from 2025 – Divaina, Ada, Thinakaran, Thamilan
2. “President’s Fund increases financial assistance for patients to 100%: Payments to be made within a week of receiving applications” – Siyambalapitiya – Mawbima, Dinamina, Thinakaran
3. A Rs. 10,000 allowance for those who reported for work on strike days – Dinamina, Thinakaran