Page 12 - Sri Lanka

Polling begins in Sri Lanka, island nation to elect next president

Polls opened on Saturday in Sri Lanka's crucial presidential election -- the island nation's first major electoral exercise since its worst economic meltdown in 2022. Some 17 million people are eligible to vote at over 13,400 polling stations. Over 200,000 officials have been deployed to conduct the election which will be guarded by 63,000 police personnel. Voting started at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. Results are expected by Sunday. Voters will choose among 38 presidential candidates. Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, is seeking re-election for a five-year term as an Independent candidate, riding on the success of his efforts to pull the country out of the economic crisis, which many experts hailed as one of the quickest recoveries in the world. The three-cornered electoral battle will see Wickremesinghe facing stiff competition from Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 56, of the National People's Power (NPP), and Sajith Premadasa, 57, of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) a

India less of an issue in Sri Lankan election, local factors predominate

"For Sri Lankans, this election is a way of overcoming the trauma of the economic hardship they have just been through, a way of speaking out. … India is not a factor."

How some nations manage upheavals successfully and others go to pieces

The Sri Lankan transition was smoothly managed. Check Bangladesh for contrast. They forced their incumbent into exile, and installed a mostly unelectable govt of non-political people

For Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils, election does not offer hope

Traditionally, Tamils have voted for Tamil parties which are active in northern Sri Lanka

Ahead of new election, many in Sri Lanka still waiting for change

Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. As the country prepares for its first election since then, many say they're still waiting for change. As Sri Lanka sank into economic collapse in 2022, people from various walks of life rallied to change a long-entrenched government they saw as responsible. The unprecedented island-wide public uprising they led was a moment of hope for the country long been fatigued by war and economic instability. Days ahead of Saturday's presidential election, many still complain of corrupt leaders, economic mismanagement, and the entrenched power of the political old guard, but former protesters are having a hard time coming together behind a candidate. They agree on one thing: Sri Lanka needs a new political system that can take it out of economic and political turbulence. Days after Rajapaksa fled the country, Sri Lanka's parliament replaced him with then-prime minister Ranil ...

Sri Lankans seek change but stability crucial amid economic uncertainty

Sri Lanka's new leaders must demonstrate they are more responsible than the old guard they revile

Sri Lanka's workers live on margins, politicians still want their votes

Whoever Sri Lanka's next president is, Muthuthevarkittan Manohari isn't expecting much to change in her daily struggle to feed the four children and elderly mother with whom she lives in a dilapidated room in a tea plantation. Both leading candidates in Saturday's presidential election are promising to give land to the country's hundreds of thousands of plantation workers, but Manohari says she's heard it all before. Sri Lanka's plantation workers are a long-marginalised group who frequently live in dire poverty, but they can swing elections by voting as a bloc. Mahohari and her family are descended from Indian indentured labourers who were brought in by the British during colonial rule to work on plantations that grew first coffee, and later tea and rubber. Those crops are still Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners. For 200 years, the community has lived on the margins of Sri Lankan society. Soon after the country became independent in 1948, the new government stripped them

Sri Lanka's JVP vows to cancel Adani wind energy project if elected

The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) on Monday vowed to cancel the Adani Group's wind power project in Sri Lanka if it gets elected in the presidential election scheduled for the weekend. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate from the broader front National People's Power (NPP), told a political chat show here that they would annul the project. Asked if the project posed a threat to the island nation's energy sector sovereignty, Dissanayake said: Yes. We will definitely cancel it as it threatens our energy sovereignty." The JVP, which led a bloody anti-India rebellion in the island nation between 1987 and 1990 following India's direct intervention in the Lankan civil war through the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, is believed to be leading in the unofficial polls ahead of the September 21 election. The JVP dubbed the Indo-Lanka Accord a betrayal of the nation and killed the then-ruling party members, supporters and other political activists who supported t

Rajapaksa heir running for prez even after Lankans' ousted powerful clan

When an uprising ousted Sri Lanka's president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family's hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Now, as Sri Lanka prepares to elect a new leader, Namal Rajapaksa is running for president. The 38-year-old is the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the nephew of the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa is presenting himself as an agent of change, but many see his bid for presidency as an attempt by the controversial political dynasty to regain power. By mid-2022, the clan's political career seemed in ruins. Some of its members were forced into hiding in military camps after angry protesters stormed their residences. Others simply gave up their seats in the government as people blamed them for hurtling the country of more than 20 million people into an economic crisis. Two years later, the family shunned and pushed to political wilderness is trying make a comeback via the Rajapaksa heir apparent who

Tamil party's support to Lanka's oppn presidential candidate in dispute

A dispute has been brewing among the leaders of Sri Lanka's main Tamil party over its support to the main opposition challenger Sajith Premadasa in the September 21 presidential election. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on September 1 decided to back Premadasa in the election. The decision was taken at the central committee meeting of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the main constituent of the TNA. However, the party's president, S Sritharan, who was in the UK at the time, said there was no such decision and they would be backing the Tamil common candidate P Ariyanethiran. Mavai Senathirajah, another party leader, told reporters on Wednesday that a party meeting held in Vauniya, with the participation of 10 executive committee members, decided to hold back the final decision on the matter until September 15. Senior TNA leader M A Sumanthiran, however, said: ITAK decision to back Premadasa was final and is not under review. The TNA had traditionally backed the main opposition

Sri Lanka's presidential election: No female contender amongst 38 nominees

But since Sri Lanka introduced the universal franchise in 1931, the number of women in parliament has never crossed a threshold of 7%

Free on-arrival visa scheme to be implemented after Parl nod: Sri Lanka

The commencement of granting free on-arrival visas to tourists from 38 countries, including India, can only be implemented in October as it needs parliamentary approval, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has announced. The minister said on Monday that a new gazette to implement the change requires parliamentary approval. Last week, the presidential advisor on tourism, Harin Fernando, said the scheme was to be implemented with immediate effect following a proposal approved by the Cabinet. The Parliament is not scheduled to meet before the September 21 presidential election. The island's tourism industry has demanded an immediate end to the long delays experienced by travellers to the country. In April, a foreign company was engaged to issue on-arrival visas. However, it has caused much heartburn to the tourism industry that says travellers are made to spend hours before being allowed entry at the immigration at the Colombo International Airport. The tourism industry demands

Here's what is at stake in Sri Lanka's 1st election since economic collapse

Sri Lanka will hold its presidential election on Sept. 21 in a crucial vote that will decide the future of the South Asian nation still struggling to recover from its economic collapse in 2022, which provoked mass protests and forced the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and later resign. The election is seen as a referendum on President Ranil Wickremesinghe's two-year-long rule that has overseen a fragile recovery of the country's economy. He faces a tough challenge from the leader of the opposition in parliament, as well as from a left-leaning politician with a powerful alliance, who is gaining popularity among young voters. Almost 17 million of Sri Lanka's 22 million people are eligible to vote, and 38 candidates are running for office. Who are the main candidates? Wickremesinghe, whose United National Party has been weakened by a split, is running as an independent candidate. Even though Wickremesinghe remains unpopular for carrying out austerity measures

NSA Ajit Doval calls on Sri Lankan Prez, discusses economic collaboration

India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the ongoing bilateral economic collaboration. Doval arrived here on Thursday to attend the Colombo Security Conclave to be held on Friday. Doval called on President Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning, the President's Media Division (PMD) said. They discussed the ongoing economic collaboration between Sri Lanka and India. Senior Advisor to the President on National Security, Sagala Ratnayake, also attended the meeting, the PMD said. The Colombo Security Conclave brings together National Security Advisors and Deputy NSAs from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius. Bangladesh and the Seychelles have observer status at the conclave. The conclave deals with maritime security counter-terrorism and cyber security with India bringing to the fore its own strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean.

India hands over first payment to Sri Lanka for hybrid power projects

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha on Thursday handed over the first payment for the hybrid power projects on three Sri Lankan islands off northern Jaffna that are being implemented under Indian grant assistance of USD 11 million. The projects to install a hybrid renewable energy system in the Delft, Nainativu and Analaitivu islands are being implemented under Indian grant assistance. "HC @santjha handed over 1st payment for Hybrid Power Projects in Delft, Nainativu and Analaitivu islands to Secretary, Ministry of Power and Energy, Dr Sulakshana Jayawardena and Chairman, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA)," the Indian High Commission here said in a post on X. It said the project is aimed at addressing the energy needs of the people of the three islands that are not connected to the national grid. The three islets are located close to Tamil Nadu. The Memorandum of Understanding for the project was signed in 2022. It replaced the Chinese venture initially awarded the .

Sri Lankan Navy arrests 11 Indian fishermen, CM Stalin expresses concern

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for alleged maritime violation, and Chief Minister M K Stalin flagged the matter with the Centre on Saturday, seeking immediate steps for their release. One boat was also taken into custody. In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Stalin said, "I am writing to you with grave concern regarding yet another incident of apprehension of fishermen from Tamil Nadu," on Friday. The fishermen were apprehended while fishing southeast of Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district, he said. "I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishing community in Tamil Nadu continues to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests, which severely affect their means of subsistence," he said. Further, in the past two weeks, there have been a couple of instances of attacks on fishermen at se

Ather Energy to enter Sri Lankan market, expand global e-scooter footprint

Ather's move into Sri Lanka follows its expansion into Nepal, where it has established three experience centres and seven fast-charging grids since its entry

Sri Lanka to offer visa-free entry to Indians, 34 other nations from Oct 1

Citizens from various countries, including India, the UK, China, the US, and Germany, will enjoy this visa-free travel to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka to boost tourism, approves free tourist visas for 35 countries

The country of 22 million people, famed for its beaches, ancient temples and aromatic tea, saw its tourism industry pummelled first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by a severe financial crisis in 20

Sri Lanka ex-prez Sirisena settles compensation for Easter bombings victims

Sri Lanka's former president Maithripala Sirisena has settled in full the SLR 100 million compensation for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 270 people, including 11 Indians, during his tenure. Sirisena, 72, was ordered by the Supreme Court to pay SLRs 100 million as compensation to victims for his negligence in preventing the country's one of the worst terror strikes despite having credible information of an imminent attack. His lawyers said the full payment of rupees 100 million was completed on August 16. Nine suicide bombers belonging to local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500. Sirisena was also the minister of defence at that time. The attack stirred a political storm as the then President Sirisena and Prime Minister