Despite the general public reeling under the rising living costs, Cabinet endorsed a proposal yesterday to allow former provincial council members, who had served for more than two and half years, but were  not elected this time, to import duty free vehicles, Daily Mirror learns.  

Earlier, Cabinet approval had been given to issue permits for the importation of duty free vehicles to the sitting provincial council members who had served for more than two and half years. However, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister A.L.M. Athaullah submitted a Cabinet memorandum yesterday seeking approval for  the same benefit to be given to members who had served on the former provincial councils for more than two and half years, but not been elected to the current council.

Only ten percent of members in the Youth Services Council had voted at its last election, indicating that the Youth Parliament, established at huge cost, had not served its purpose, UNP MP Harin Fernando said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, he said that the legislature meant solely for the youth had proved ineffective, going by the low voter turnout at the last election.

The future generation had obviously realised that it was futile wasting their time in an assembly which did not help resolve their burning problems including unemployment and the high cost of living, the MP noted.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has scoffed at the recent warning given by his cabinet colleague and Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities and the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa, that if the UPFA government were to go ahead with the holding of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) polls later this year, his party would be compelled to sever links with the government.Minister Seneratne has said that Minister Weerawansa's threat to leave the government was no big deal for them, as they still had a two-thirds majority in the parliament and maintained that the best way possible to find a long-lasting solution to the national issue was to hold the NPC polls and thereby devolving power through such a mechanism.

Colombo District UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala recently received the honour of being the first Sri Lankan to be elected as a Board Member to the Executive Committee of the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), an international non –profit, non –partisan organization with a worldwide network of over 1,000 MP legislators in approximately 130 elected parliaments. Headed by H.V. Ross Robertson – Member of Parliament from New Zealand, the PGA Executive Committee decides on the programmes to be implemented globally by the organisation, a task in which Sumathipala joins the likes of Senator Jim Walsh from Ireland, Mrs. Irene Naa Torshie Addo – Member of Parliament from Ghana,

UNP Parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe questioned how it is that the government is giving the green light for award winning singers Nelly and Sean Kingston to perform in Sri Lanka and yet had issues with Akon a few years ago.

Reading off an entertainment news item from the Colombo Gazette, the MP told Parliament that both Nelly and Sean Kingston will be performing in Sri Lanka in July as part of a concert organised by the Carlton Sports club.

The Member of Parliament of the UNP for the Badulla Distract Haren Fernando had quipped that the non participation of the Queen for the CHOGM to be held in Sri Lanka could be compared to wedding that is to be held without a bride.

At a meeting held in this connection it was said by Haren Fernando, the Queen would be the cynosure of all eyes and she would be the most prominent personality in it. In this regard the summit cannot be regarded as one that could be recognised properly as the Queen had participated for this summit during the past 40 years.

Azad Salley had been arrested for making some fabricated stories to the Tamil Nadu media. He was arrested by the CID on these grounds.

However he has now realised the gravity and had written to the President seeking regress and his release admitting he had make some irrelevant statements.

He has written that his  statements made to a Tamil Nadu magazine had been fabricated by them causing him to be accused for giving wrong statements,

Facing stiff opposition from the masses, the government had to release Azath Salley, who was treated as a “terrorist” until yesterday, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe said today.

The former CMC member and National Unity Alliance General Secretary, who was receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital under CID custody, was released today and transferred to a private hospital in Colombo.

S.M. Chandrasena, Deputy Minister of economic Development said that the request from Chandrika Bandaranayaike not to insult the President who established peace by eradicating terrorism from Sri Lanka.

The Minister said that in a media conference in his home. He further said that the former President is now a lunatic and hold meetings with Medias to abolish Executive Presidency giving excuses why she could not do it.. She did work with Ministers .for 12 years when she was the Executive President. Now she says that the executive presidency powers to be abolished as it is not good.

With the recent arrest and detention of opposition politician Azath Salley, Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has once again come under critical scrutiny. The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and other civil society groups have condemned the use of the PTA to stifle dissent and reiterate this call yet again, urging for its repeal and replacement as set out below.