Turmoil Unveiled: SLFP Executive Council Meeting Sparks Controversy with Surprise Decisions
Exclusive: Inside Politics Reveals SJB’s Stance on Government Alliance Amidst Speculation
Controversy Unveiled: Political Party Leader Linked to Bombings Attends SLFP Executive Council Meeting
Political Turmoil Unfolds: Sri Lanka’s History of Intriguing Presidential Elections
Geopolitical Chess: Sri Lanka’s Message to China Amidst Cold War Dynamics
Political Landscape Heats: Presidential Election Preparations Underway Amidst Uncertainty
Political Uncertainty Deepens: President’s Hesitation Amidst Polling Data Revelation
Presidential election heat
As the heat of the upcoming presidential election gradually intensifies across the country, mainstream political parties have begun their respective preparations. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, has embarked on a nationwide campaign as the SJB candidate, engaging in women’s and youth conferences while also implementing initiatives like the Sakwala program, which provides smart classrooms to schoolchildren. Recently, Sajith organized several Sakwala programs in the northern regions and scheduled visits to Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts. Similarly, Anura Kumara, leader of the National People’s Force, conducted meetings in Jaffna last week.
However, as revealed through the ‘Inside Politics’ column last week, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the government’s stance or the potential presidential candidate. In a notable disclosure, it was stated that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has only three remaining opportunities to contest the presidential election. It was speculated that should SJB or a SJB-affiliated group join the government in May, the president might decide to run. Yet, this remains speculative. Additionally, there’s mention of the President contemplating a presidential bid if he garners full support from Pohottuwa or if there’s success in restructuring foreign debt.
Time passed again
However, the primary challenge that has emerged stems from a misreading of the President’s intentions by a group of Pohottuwa-affiliated ministers who are close to him. Initially, the President had indicated to them that the election campaign should commence in January. This information was disclosed via the ‘Inside Politics’column in the latter half of last year. Subsequently, it was revealed last week that government ministers had been informed that the President’s term would extend until April, and then possibly until May. Observers familiar with the President’s demeanor and decision-making processes suggest that his hesitancy regarding a presidential run stems from internal conflicts.
Yet, a significant factor exacerbating the President’s indecision is the recent release of results from an opinion poll conducted by a globally recognized polling agency. The President himself awaited these results, as he has relied on such polls for the past two decades to inform his political strategies. According to this poll, apart from the North and Eastern provinces, opposition leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa is projected to secure 39% of the votes, with the National People’s Force expected to garner 20%. Conversely, Pohottuwa is anticipated to receive 9% of the votes, and Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, as the UNP leader, is forecasted to garner 5% of the votes. Four weeks ago, we undertook the unprecedented step of disclosing this information to the nation via the ‘ inside politics’ channel as an extraordinary report. Although ethical considerations prevent us from divulging the name of the polling institution, its reputation within political circles and diplomatic circles is well-known.
Where are the people who promised to come?
Aside from this, the “mantra” of those surrounding the President has been that a sizable crowd would be joining him ever since he took the oath of office. When UNP leaders like Vajira Abeywardena, Range Bandara, and P. Harrison gave interviews to the media in the past, they consistently claimed that 10, 20, and 40 MPs cross from SJB. We made it very clear even then that no MP would accompany the President. We made it very clear that no member of parliament, with the exception of two or three individuals who have repeatedly jumped from one political party to another and are nearing the end of their political careers, would make such a decision
However, recent reports from a certain businessman with close ties to the President have suggested that a faction within the SJB is poised to align with the government come May. Contrary to these claims, we, through the ‘inside politics’ column, assert with utmost responsibility that no SJB MP is currently inclined to join the government in May. Reiterating our stance, we assert unequivocally that aside from a handful of individuals engaging in erratic political maneuvers and a few involved in dubious dealings with the government, there is a widespread reluctance among SJB members to join the government ranks. Furthermore, we pledge to disclose the names of individuals who were engaged in negotiations with the President and the government once a national election is announced. This disclosure is deemed imperative, especially considering the upcoming major election following the resignation of an executive president amidst significant public outcry. In light of these circumstances, it is crucial for the public to be informed about the political actors engaging in opportunistic behavior, and we consider it our national duty to unveil their identities.
Another opinion poll
Nonetheless, the President is delaying the formal announcement of his candidature even longer given the current political climate. Because of this, the “inside politics” column has learned that the President is currently feeding fresh lies to government ministers who are close to him. He claimed that while the opinion poll that was revealed to our nation was on the sidelines, he turned the reins over to a particular organisation to conduct a fresh survey.
One survey was conducted regarding the presidential contest. I observed it. Yes, that is correct. However, I can’t be content with that. I therefore gave another team the task of conducting a fresh survey. I won’t know the answer for other six or seven weeks. According to reports, the president has told those close to him that people brought into the government by other parties should be brought in during that time. However, the name of the organisation the president has assigned to carry out this survey of public opinion has not been made public.
‘Debt’ in trouble
Furthermore, through the “inside politics” column this time, we are prepared to share a startling new discovery regarding the restructuring of the foreign debt, which the President had prioritised in order to run for president. By the end of July, the president was prepared to complete the restructuring of the foreign debt, declare it a major national accomplishment, and use it as a springboard for the next presidential contest. As a result, we also started looking into the most recent state of foreign debt restructuring following the revelation of this last week. We discovered there that a definitive agreement on China’s debt restructuring is still pending. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena abruptly departed for China in an attempt to come to a resolution on this matter.
However, only nine agreements were ultimately signed during that trip to China out of the thirteen that were scheduled to be signed. Remarkably, neither China’s government nor Sri Lanka government have not revealed why they chose not to sign the final four agreements.
Paris club hesitant
In this background where there is no final agreement regarding the Chinese debt, the Paris Club and the United States are also somewhat hesitant regarding debt restructuring. According to the information we have, it is said that these negotiations will probably drag on until October, after which a final decision will be taken. As the presidential election would be announced by that time, it is possible to see a way in which a big ‘trump card’ that the president has is inactive.
China suspicious
In the past, there existed a ‘Cold War’ dynamic involving China, India, and Sri Lanka concerning the presence of Chinese research vessels. The contention stemmed from India consistently opposing Sri Lanka’s granting of Chinese research ships into its waters. Consequently, the current situation involves the disclosure of a noteworthy communication from Colombo to Beijing regarding these ships, which is unveiled through the ‘inside politics’ column.
The message conveyed from Colombo to Beijing indicates a temporary restriction on Chinese ship access to Sri Lankan waters due to India’s ongoing general elections. It suggests that permission may be granted after the conclusion of the Indian elections. However, despite this communication, it’s been revealed that China remains sceptical, viewing it as a strategic move by Colombo to leverage China into agreeing on debt restructuring terms. With India’s general elections expected to conclude by June and Sri Lanka’s presidential election announcement anticipated around the same time, China doubts the reliability of such assurances. Consequently, China’s official stance, particularly regarding debt restructuring negotiations, is anticipated to prolong until October.
‘Saturn’s’ spell on Maitri
In the realm of Sri Lankan politics, occasional upheavals are not uncommon. Such instances were notably evident during the 2010 presidential election, where Mr Sarath Fonseka, previously appointed as the military commander under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, contested against him. Similarly, in 2015, another significant political shift occurred when Mr Mahinda, serving as both chairman and leader, faced opposition from Secretary General Maithripala Sirisena, who departed from the party ranks to run against him. While Fonseka was defeated in 2010, Sirisena managed to secure victory in 2015, subsequently assuming the chairmanship of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). However, recent developments within the SLFP indicate a tumultuous internal landscape.
A bomb allegation
Last week, Maithripala unexpectedly convened the party executive council, providing no prior indication of the agenda. Going the extra mile, Maithripala extended invitations not only to the party’s top officials but also to a select group of special guests whose identities remained undisclosed. However, the veil of secrecy was lifted when Mr. Udaya Gammanpila, leader of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, swiftly called a press conference to unveil the guest list. During the conference, Udaya revealed that a political party leader, implicated in the bombings at Shahrukh Khan’s concert and a discussion held at Abayaramaya attended by the late Sobhitha Thero, was among the attendees at the executive council meeting.
The mention of these events, both of which had sparked controversy as the Easter bomb attack, stirred anticipation nationwide regarding the identity of the implicated political party leader slated to attend the SLFP Executive Council gathering. Consequently, all eyes were on the awaited revelation of the individual’s identity. However, only Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksa turned up at the Executive Council session over the weekend as an external participant.
Accordingly, the leader of the political party who has been accused of bombing by Udaya Gammanpila, cannot be Mr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, we called Gammanpila the very next day and asked if Wijedasa is the leader of the political party who has been accused of bombing, whom he referred. Gammanpila denied it and informed us that the person he uncovered was not Mr Wijayadasa Rajapaksa.
‘No, I am not talking about Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakse. After the disclosure I made that day, this person was afraid to come to this meeting. Also, after Mr. Maithripala Sirisena’s controversial statement that he knew about the Easter attackers, this party leader was afraid to come there. Accordingly, he has gone and told Maithripala Sirisena that he cannot come to that meeting. It was only after that Mr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa was invited to come to this meeting,’ Udaya Gammanpila told the ‘inside politics’ column.
Backstage story
There is a special story behind Maithripala inviting Wijayadasa to the executive council meeting. A week ago, after a visit to Kandy, Wijayadasa had announced to the media that he was ready to run for the presidential election if he received an invitation from the people of the country. Maithripala planned to present an alternative presidential candidate from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for this year’s presidential election. In this regard, Maithri had also discussed with the Nimal Lanza group representing the government. But after the failure of the negotiations, Maithri called Wijayadasa and promised to give him the presidential candidacy from the SLFP-led coalition. It has been learned that Wijayadasa attended the SLFP Executive Council meeting as per that promise.
All three sacked
However, the SLFP Executive Council meeting that day was not only notable for Wijayadasa’s presence; several other significant incidents unfolded. Among these, the most pivotal was the execution of a decision unknown to most attendees, known only to Maithripala and a select few in his inner circle. Concluding his address, Maithripala announced his intention to remove government ministers Mahinda Amaraweera and Lasantha Alagiyawanna, along with Duminda Dissanayake, who advocated for cooperation with the government. He called for a show of hands from those present, stating it as the unanimous decision of the assembly. Subsequently, Maithripala revealed plans to appoint Hector Bethmage, Sarath Ekanayake, and K.G Gunawardena to fill the vacancies created by the removals.
This unexpected turn of events left Amarweera and Duminda, among others, in a state of shock. In response, the trio promptly held a press conference following the meeting’s conclusion, denouncing Maithripala’s actions as illegal and vowing to pursue legal recourse. Indeed, the next day, the three individuals sought an injunction against Maithripala’s decision, taking their grievances to court.
Chandrika to the ‘party’
Moreover, with this incident, these three took steps to discuss the matter at length with Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunga, a former president of the Sri Lanka freedom Party. The result was that Chandrika went before the court to get an injunction against Maithripala’s party Presidentship. Duminda, Lasantha and Amaraweera, who were removed from the party’s positions after taking the injunction order, went to the Darley Road office where the party headquarters is located and held a press conference against Maithripala. There they showed that the SLFP had recaptured the power and they could not wait to see what was happening inside the party they went before the court and took an injunction against the chairmanship of Maithrie and said that the people who left the SLFP now can come back to the SLFP.
However, Maithi said in this regard to the media that all these people went before the court and unilaterally gave injunctions and they will present their arguments against it before the court in the future.
Wimal with Wijayadasa
However, with Wijayadasa attending the controversial Sri Lankan Freedom Party Executive Council meeting, another independent party from Pohottuwa, the Northern Lanka Coalition headed by Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, is likely to support Wijayadasa. One of the main points emphasized in the discussions regarding the presidential candidate within Wimal’s Northern Lanka coalition was that a young member of the government’s cabinet with no corruption charges should be taken out and put forward for the presidential election battle. Accordingly, this group took steps to hold several rounds of discussions in this regard with a middle-aged powerful minister representing the Southern Province. But during these discussions, Wimal and others realized that this minister does not have the guts to compete in the presidential election and that he also does not have much desire for it. Therefore, the discussion ended abruptly.
However, with the emergence of Wijayadasa through the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, there is a high probability that Wimal’s Uttar Lanka coalition will also support Wijayadasa. Because Wijayadasada represents the Sinhala Buddhist forces represented by Wimal’s party. Wijayadasa also has a large group of Theros. Although there have been political shifts by him on several occasions, there have been no allegations of corruption and irregularities against Wijayadasa.
On the other hand, Wimall was looking for a way to get a cabinet minister out of the government and present him in the presidential election. Because Wijayadasa is compatible with all of them, in the future Wimal’s team may have more opportunities to support Wijayadasa. If that happens, the people of the country will no doubt see many more interesting moves during the upcoming presidential election. Because in the 2015 presidential election platform, the accusation against the Rajapaksa could only be seen. Maithripala swam in the wave of robbery and won. In the 2019 presidential election stage, the accusations levelled at the good governance government based on the Easter attack and the central bank bond incident.
Gotabhaya swam in that wave and won. But now these accusations against Rajapaksa in 2015 are invalid. The allegations of corruption and fraud against the current government will be valid. Accordingly, many believe that if the cabinet minister steps out of the government and contests for presidential election in the 2024 presidential election, there will be more space on the election stage for the alleged corruption scams that have taken place under the current government in the past two years.
The bud splits
In the midst of all this, it can be seen that Pohottuwa is creating the necessary political background to go on a separate journey these days. Especially since Basil Rajapaksa, who held the position of national organizer of the party until now, left it and Namal Rajapaksa, who was the crown prince of the Rajapaksa family, was given that position. Accordingly, Namal held his first political meeting in Hambantota, his political stronghold, and after some time Mahinda was also included in the political platform. A significant group of MPs and a large group of party members could be seen standing together.
However, at Namal’s Hambantota meeting, the division within Pohottu was seen. This was due to the absence of a large number of Ministers such as Prasanna Ranatunga, and Kanchana Wijesekera, who are in the government representing Pohottuwa. After Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat in 2015, Prasanna, who was a key member of the group that joined the meeting held in Nugegoda to start the Mahinda wind, was not to be seen at the Hambantota rally where Mahinda returned to the stage this time. Accordingly, it was seen how this group including Prasanna boycotted the Hambantota meeting organized by Namal.
Prasanna’s counterattack on the 12th
Not only that, Prasanna, Kanchana and other groups met separately after that and took steps to hold discussions on how to respond to the incident. During these discussions, it was decided that a separate rally should be held to respond to the Hambantota rally in Pohottuwa. Kanchana undertook to hold it in Matara district. There was a lengthy exchange of views regarding the holding of this meeting against Namal and Pohottuwa and in favour of the President. April 12 was chosen as the date for that.
There is also a story behind Kanchana’s undertaking to organize this meeting. That was the last time the disturbance happened at the party office at Nelum Mawatha in Battaramulla. On that day, Eranda Ginige, who represents the media unit of Pohottuwa, called Kanchana Ranil’s child. Accordingly, many people believe that Kanchana is preparing to hold a rally in Matara on the 12th and officially put an end to the politics of Potottuwa. Also, through this rally, the country will be able to see the number of MPs in Pohottuwa who will be with the President on the 12th.
Namal’s position resisted
In addition to this, last week Prasanna Ranatunga made a strong criticism of Namal’s position as the national organizer as well as Namal’s attempt to run as the presidential candidate in Pohottuwa. After accepting the post of national organizer of Pohottuwa, Prasanna said that it would be easier to deal with Basil if he continued to work in the post of national organizer. Apart from that, Prasanna joined the 360 political programs last week and launched a serious attack on Namal. When asked if he would support Namal as the presidential candidate in Pohottuwa, Prasanna bluntly said that he would not support Namal in that case. Prasanna also said that he would remain politically silent in such a situation.
Banking amendment bill
With this statement by Prasanna, the division that had been behind the scenes in Pohottuwa until now was seen to come out in public. That was at the meeting of the ruling party MPs held last Monday. On that day, the government presented a banking amendment bill and Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe also attended the MP group meeting to present further details in this regard. The majority of MPs in Pohottuwa protested against this bill saying that they could not agree to it. Madhura Vithanage, who is known as an MP representing Basil, was the first to express that protest. Madhura pointed out that he cannot raise his hand to every bill brought by the government.
We can’t raise our hands to everything the government brings. The government should accept the responsibility of the bills that will be brought. Or the last thing that will happen is that our houses will be burnt…’ When Madhura said, Prime Minister Dinesh also protested against this bill.
Governor have been given the power to appoint people to the boards of directors of banks by this act. How to do that, Parliament has full power in financial matters. Dinesh was seen protesting that saying, “If Parliament has monetary power, and Parliament should have the right to know who is appointed to the boards of directors of banks.”
The back row rises
However, during the parliamentary debate regarding this draft, it was seen that the ‘pot’ was avoided in the debate. Pohottu MP Professor Ranjith Bandara was supposed to comment after the speech of Dilum Amunugama, a Pohottu minister representing the government, but he was not present in the assembly at that time. Ranjith is considered to be an MP representing Basil. It was a special incident that not only Ranjith, but none of the speakers of Pohottuwa were present in the House to speak for the government in favour of the draft. It can be considered as a serious signal given to Prasanna who is the Chief organizer of the ruling party.
This division was also seen in the Parliament adjournment debate. There, the Chief organizer of the opposition, Mr. Lakshman Kiriella, presented a proposal to give an extra hour for the debate, and the leader of the house, Mr. Susil Premajayantha, took steps to express his agreement. But when Kokila Gunawardena, a member of the back row representing the Basil party, took steps to protest against it, the government finally took steps to reduce the one-hour time given to half an hour. But it was seen how Kokila, who also protested, and the group of Pohottuve’s back row MPs left the council. Many think that if the opposition had strategically asked for a poll to pass the bill, there would have been a chance of sending the government into a crisis within the parliament.
Basils comment
However, it seems that Mr Basil Rajapaksa, the mastermind, is acting with full awareness of the crisis based on a statement he made by him somewhere. There, Basil said that Prasannala and Kanchanala are planning to leave the party, but they will have to come back soon.
Prasanna and Kanchan are about to leave the party. But these people have less time to go. These people behave like this without knowing many things to come. When those things start happening, the day is not far when these people will have to come to the gate of ‘Pohottuwa’ office. Let’s wait until then…’ was Basil’s remarks there. Accordingly, Basil is working on some political plans.
Both together?
Meanwhile, there is news that Basil, who had informed the President to hold a general election before the presidential election, has submitted another new proposal to the President after the President’s objection. That is, if the general election cannot be held at first, it has been proposed to the president to hold the presidential election and the general election together. Basil thinks that in such a situation, the damage to both parties can be minimized. Although it is not clear what the President’s response will be to this, there is a possibility to get some hint in this regard through a special event that happened last week.
In a special piece of information that Sajith received last week, it was said that the President’s Secretariat has submitted a special letter to the Election Commission, through which it has been asked how much money will be spent to hold a referendum. Sajith had immediately taken steps to find out the information about the referendum because the topic of referendum suddenly came to the fore in the middle of the presidential election and general election. There, Sajith came to know that it is true that such a letter has been submitted to the Election Commission by the Presidential Secretariat, in which it has been asked about the expenses not only for a referendum but for all three elections namely Presidential Election, General Election and Referendum. Accordingly, the problem now is whether the government is planning to hold not only the presidential election but also a general election and a referendum together.
Ranil Basil reunion
Meanwhile, another special meeting took place between Basil and Ranil last Thursday night. This is the fourth time that Basil has met the President after coming from America. However, just before going to meet the President, Basil got a special phone call from a friend of his and gave a special notice about something that the President was ready to announce in this discussion. There, this friend told Basil that he accepts the opinion poll of a certain special agency that has been released now, but he is ready to announce that the president has asked for another opinion poll. Accordingly, he informed Basil that the results of the opinion poll will be received by the end of next June, and accordingly, the President will announce that he is ready to declare his position regarding the presidential election in July. Basil went to the discussion with Ranil keeping in mind the tip given by this friend.
However, after the Ranil-Basil discussion was over, this friend called Basil again and asked what happened during the discussion. Basil smiled and said, ‘Who gave you that tip? The one who said it has told the exact story. During the discussion, Ranil told me that story in the same way. He said that he has entrusted to do a survey. He said he will give his opinion in July. Then all the things that should happen will be over.’
A good debate
Sajith was been in Vavuniya and Mullaitiwal for the past two weeks offering smart classrooms to children under the Sakwala programme. While Sajith was in the North, a matter that had led to a lot of discussion in the South was about a challenge by SJB to the National People’s Force. The challenge called for a public debate with the public on how to build the country’s economy. First, this challenge was made publicly in the Parliament by Nalin Bandara, a youth MP. Nalin said that he will challenge the National People’s Power Economic Council to come to a debate with the SJB Economic Committee regarding the economy. Although Nalin made this challenge three or four times not only in the parliament but also outside it, he did not get a proper answer from the National People’s Force.
But after that, the representatives of SJB Economic Committee, Dr. Harsha De Silva, Kabir Hashim and Iran Wickramaratne publicly challenged Sunil Handunnetty, Dr. Anil Jayantha, and Professor Seetha Bandara to come for a debate on the economy. But there was no response from JVP.
However, almost suddenly last week, Sunil Handunnetti attended a press conference and said that there is no point in debating with SJB representatives, and if they do, party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is ready to debate with Sajith Premadasa. At that time, many people said that Handunnetti had invited Sajith to debate to avoid the debate with the SJB Economic Committee and that Sajith would never join Anura in a debate.
Sajith is ready
When Handunnetthi made this statement, Sajith was participating in the program of providing smart classrooms to children in Mullaitivu. After being informed by a party member about this statement, Sajith immediately made a conference call and contacted Harsha, Kabir and Iran on his phone at the same time. Accordingly, Sajith, who asked them about Handunnetty’s speech, asked them to inform the country that he was ready to debate with Anura on the country’s economy and accepted Handunnetty’s challenge.
Harsha, who was surprised by Sajith’s response, asked, ‘Are you telling the truth?’ Sajith replied that he is not afraid to debate at all and he has no problem debating with Anura regarding the economy. Apart from this, Sajith called Nalin Bandara and asked him to inform JVP that he is ready to accept the challenge presented to him. Accordingly, Nalin made a special statement to the media and Harsha, Kabir and Iran held a special press conference to inform the country of this fact. There, Harsha said that there is no problem in holding the economic debate between Anura and Sajith, but since it was his group that first challenged the Economic Council of Malimawa, JVP should work to debate with them first. Taking another step forward, Iran also took steps to give the JVP some of the questions it would ask if an economic debate is held. There he was questioning what decision JVP will take regarding government institutions which are losing money and what decision JVP will take regarding education policy.
Apart from this, Sajith also made a special statement from Mullaitiwala and said that he will accept JVP’s challenges and is ready for an economic debate with Anura. Sajith said that he is ready to do it publicly on any channel.
Accordingly, Sajit, Nalin and Harsha announced that they would accept the challenge, but it has been 4 days since Anura, JVP, Sunil Handunnetty or Malima have not given any reply in this regard.
Sajith meets Cardinal
In addition to this, Sajith visited another special guest last week, which was 5 years since the Easter attack. It was none other than His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. He is undergoing knee surgery these days and is recovering. Due to the lack of proper investigation after the Easter attack, the cardinals have been refusing to give time to any politician of the government or opposition to meet them. But given Sajith’s special request, Cardinal took steps to allocate time for him.
In this meeting, Sajith not only went to meet His Holiness the Cardinal but also prepared a rough plan of investigations to be carried out regarding the Easter attack under a future SJB government. Accordingly, Sajith, who met him, showed the cardinal how to catch the masterminds under the law.
In the upcoming presidential election, if he is elected by the people as the president, he will appoint a commission consisting of 7 to 9 local and foreign members under the Commission of Inquiry Act No. 17 of 1948, which includes 2 months, and through that, in a study of the entire security program of the past and present season. Sajith also said that it is given the power to receive publications without any restrictions from any person in any institution fulfilling an unlimited responsibility.
Also, within 6 weeks after the establishment of the commission, a permanent investigation office consisting of foreign intelligence and security services including Scotland Yard, and FBI, as well as local intelligence agencies and security agencies will be established, and the recommendations and orders of the commission, according to the laws of Sri Lanka Sajith also pointed out to His Holiness Cardinal that the Attorney General must submit indictments or take necessary action.
Furthermore, Sajith said that Sections 7 (2) or 24 of the Commission of Inquiry Act No. 17 of 1948 will be amended as necessary and that a permanent High Court will be established to give verdicts on the persons accused of the above offences. He said that steps will be taken to amend Section 12 of the Judiciary Organization Act and legislation will be made to establish a Public Prosecutor’s Office independent of the Attorney General.
His Holiness the Cardinal, who listened carefully to Sajith’s explanation, was very happy and gave his approval. Also, the news we have says that the Cardinal, who is currently recovering, is planning to re-emerge with a huge program on April 21, which will be 05 years after the Easter attack.