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The Department of Motor Traffic has begun the process of making the place ‘bribe free’ by putting up signs saying, “Offering and accepting a bribe is a punishable offence.”

The department is one of the government institutions which is notorious for solicitation of bribes to expedite the licence-issuing process.

At the DMT, a worker installs a board warning that offering and accepting a bribe is a punishable offence.

Commenting on the move, Transport Minister Bimal Ratnayake posted an X message yesterday, saying, “It’s launched. CCTVs will also be installed within weeks! Zero tolerance. No bribing (at the Department of Motor Traffic). Hope citizens and clean officials will fight hand in hand with the Government to eradicate this cancer in DMT within months.”

His X post also carried photographs showing boards warning that “offering and accepting a bribe is a severe punishable offence.”

Canada’s Conservative Party leader, who vowed to bring Lanka before ICJ, loses seat

Canada’s Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who had pledged to prosecute Sri Lanka at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), lost his seat in Canada’s general election held last week.

His party, which was looking to win the election, lost to the ruling Liberal Party.
Mr. Poilievre’s stance on Sri Lanka might have been an election ploy to win over voters in his electorate. However, he lost the seat
he had held for over 20 years to a new candidate from the opposition party.

Two candidates but one man

It has come to light that the same person is on the candidate list from two different political parties at Tuesday’s local government election.

The candidate, who is contesting for the Yatiyanthota Pradeshiya Sabha in the Kegalle district, had submitted nominations from two prominent political parties. Both parties have even printed campaign leaflets featuring the name and photograph of the same person.

Referring to the matter, Elections Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake told a media briefing that a person who is on the ballot from two different parties is unsuited to sit in a local authority. In the event he ends up being elected as a member, a legal challenge can be initiated to prevent him from sitting as a member, he observed.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has written to the EC informing it that there is a second person who is also contesting from two political parties for the Thunukkai Pradeshiya Sabha in the Mullaitivu District.

Namal talks tough in polite and pointed message to President

At the SLPP’s May Day rally, the party’s parliamentary group leader, Namal Rajapaksa, who took the stage to deliver his address, gave a polite yet pointed reminder to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

“The government is intimidated by our transformation,” Rajapaksa announced. “Honourable President, I remind you today that although you are scared of us, we’re not scared of you,” he said amid loud applause and hoots from the rally attendees.

He continued, “You can sling mud at us, put us in prison, bear false witness; you can try to mentally demotivate our people by saying anything—but Honourable President, remember that the Pohottuwa consists of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s people.”

At Aadivasi people’s all-party meeting, NPP speech triggers protest

An all-party meeting convened by the indigenous Aadivaasi people’s leader, Uruwarige Wannila Aththo, for candidates contesting for the Mahiyangana Pradeshiya Sabha, the local authority in his area, triggered protests over the National People’s Power (NPP) candidate’s speech.

Aadivasi leader Wannila Aththo trying to sort out the row that erupted at the all-party meeting he convened

Explaining the situation, the Aadivasi leader told the media that the NPP candidate was telling the audience that if his party were to win the council, it would give Aswesuma benefits, distribute land deeds and provide benefits to senior citizens. This provoked an independent candidate who said these were matters for the central government.

The Aadivasi leader said the independent candidate and others questioned how the NPP candidate could speak about things the central government provided and pass them off as campaign promises.

Wannila Aththo said he then stepped in and instructed all candidates to only speak about how they intend to serve the people using funds allocated through their local Pradeshiya Sabha if elected. He played down the incident and said he had given freedom to ‘his people’ (the Aadivaasi community, earlier known as the Veddha community) to vote whichever way they wished at the upcoming election. A true democrat.

CMEV complaint alleges PM defied warnings and conducted polls campaign inside Jaffna temples

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya for violating election laws by holding NPP campaign meetings inside Hindu temples in the Jaffna District.

The CMEV’s complaint alleges that the PM attended the NPP’s campaign meetings at two Hindu temples in Jaffna on April 11, in violation of election laws that prohibit holding campaign activities and meetings in places of worship.

The complaint states former Jaffna District MP M.K. Shivajilingam had informed the EC’s Jaffna Office about the planned meetings. Acting on his complaint, EC officials had visited both these locations well before the election campaign meetings were held and informed the temple officials that it was illegal to conduct such meetings within the temple premises.

“It is despite this timely warning and advice that the Prime Minister chose to defiantly conduct political meetings, masquerading as ‘Jana Hamuwas” [Meeting with the People], at the very premises where they were informed not to do so,” the complaint notes.

Aadivasis allowed to carry axes to polling booths

The Election Commission (EC) says members of the Aadivaasi community can carry their traditional wooden axe with them when they go to the polling booth to vote.

Elections Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake clarified that those from the Aadivaasi community would be allowed to carry their traditional axe with them when they enter the polling booth, and they can have it with them when voting.

He made the clarification after Aadivaasi Chief Uruwarige Wannila Aththo said that he had asked those from his community to refrain from voting if election officials tried to prevent them from taking their traditional axe with them into the polling booth.

Price of protest outside Pakistan HC: Just Rs 1000

A group calling itself the ‘Our Generation Party’ staged a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo against the terrorist attack in Kashmir in India.

A few of the protestors were seen
screaming out slogans calling on Pakistan not to support terrorism.

At the end of the protest, some of the media personnel covering the event saw that each of the protestors was handed over an Rs.1, 000 note for their presence. Protesting has also become a business now.

Youth arrested over NPP/JVP stage pic

On the subject of photographs, using your phone camera too could get you into trouble with the police, as was evident from an incident that took place at Galle Face Green where preparations were underway for the NPP/JVP May Day rally.

A young man had been taking photographs of the stage that was being erected for the event. He had been spotted by the police and taken to the Fort Police station. A subsequent inquiry, though, found that he had no criminal record and was simply taking photographs out of genuine interest. He was thus released.

In the past, under emergency regulations, taking photos of designated high-security zones in Colombo was banned, but how taking photographs can be considered a crime under normal law is something only the police will know.

No lotus in modified Modi medal

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’, the highest national honour granted to non-nationals, by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake last month.

However, by a gazette notification issued a few days before the award was granted, the design was somewhat modified from what the original design was. Previously the silver medal awarded was studded and adorned with nine kinds of Sri Lanka gems (Nawaratna) with the symbols of a Lotus, the globe, Sun, Moon and sheaves of rice”. For Mr. Modi’s medal, it was slightly modified with the silver medal studded and adorned with nine kinds of Sri Lankan gems (Nawaratna) being retained but the symbol being changed from a lotus to a traditional grain vase. The Globe, Sun, Moon and Sheaves of Rice were also retained. No reason was given for the change made to the medal.

SJB stalwart in botched attempt to retain the crowd at May Day rally

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) May Day rally at Talawakele came to an abrupt end when party leader Sajith Premadasa made a hasty exit from the stage soon after his speech ended. As he made his exit, party supporters who had gathered for the meeting too began to leave.

Former MP Thushara Indunil made a valiant effort to retain the crowd by explaining that the SJB leader had urgent matters to attend to and had to leave soon after his speech. He said there were several prominent speakers, including SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Dr. Harsha de Silva, who were yet to address the gathering.

However, by then the majority of people were on their way out, leaving those left on stage to address a half-empty ground.