In the wake of controversies surrounding the recent appointment of Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara as Presidential Advisors by President Wickremesinghe, the Election Commission stated it is carefully monitoring whether the duo is abusing their privileges for election purposes.
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a rise in dengue cases, with the latest data from the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) indicating 35,118 cases reported up to the 33rd week of 2024, an increase from 30,575 cases recorded during the corresponding period of 2023 .
Only ballot boxes made of cardboard will be used at the presidential poll on September 21, instead of traditional wooden boxes, and the election authorities are currently in the process of making them, an official said. Ballot boxes will be made in small, medium and large sizes to be dispatched to polling stations depending on the number of registered voters with each.
All the presidential candidates are required to submit the campaign financing report outlining the income and expenditure within 21 days after the Presidential Election and in the event of a failure to do so, they will have to face legal action, Chairman of the Elections Commission Saman Sri Rathnayake said yesterday.
Three opposition MPs, Rauff Hakeem, Patali Champika Ranawaka and M.A. Sumanthiran said the persistent non-compliance of the Supreme Court Order by the controversial and allegedly corrupt visa scheme related functions by the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Ministry of Law and Order continue to hamper tourist arrivals.
The government’s proposed salary hike for public servants along with the increased cost of living allowance is to come under scrutiny by the Election Commission to determine whether it will influence voting, particularly postal voting at the presidential election, an official said yesterday.
Senior advisor to President Ranil Wickremesinghe on climate change Ruwan Wijewardene, in his meeting with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn and U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, briefed that Sri Lanka is grappling with issues such as medical wastes from neighbouring countries.
In another landmark judgement, the Supreme Court held that the actions and omissions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance, along with the Election Commission and the Attorney General, violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution due to their arbitrary and unlawful conduct, which led to the non-holding of the 2023 Local Government Elections.
Colombo Municipal Council yesterday warned legal action against any candidate or political party that would decorate city roads, streets or public places for any election related propaganda without their permission or paying due charges.
UNP Leader and Independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe’s rallies will include a multi coloured backdrop on stage during the campaign season as these colours represent all the parties that are supporting him in the upcoming Presidential Election, the Daily Mirror learns.
The driving licenses including heavy vehicle that do not have an expiry date will be cancelled by the end of this year and those license holders will be provided with a reasonable time to obtain their new licenses, Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe said.
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the dominant Tamil party based in the north and the east, decided to institute disciplinary action against its member P. Ariyanethran who is running for presidency as the common Tamil candidate with the backing of a few other parties, a party official said.
SLPP Presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa has officially accepted the invitation extended by the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa for a live presidential debate with the main contenders ahead of the Presidential Election on September 21.
A candidate running for the 2024 Presidential Election is lawfully entitled to spend up to Rs.109 per each and every registered voter in the country as decided by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, which was to be officially announced midnight yesterday, the Daily Mirror learns.
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