With the Government’s image bruised by its desire to railroad the proposed 22nd Amendment and its reluctance to face a referendum, the Opposition has found a cause to unite.
Last week, former President and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met party faithful at his Flower Road office, where he stressed the need for the Opposition to build momentum and seize the opportunity at hand to build a robust parliamentary opposition. It is learnt that Wickremesinghe had asked his team to liaise closely with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to mount pressure against the Government’s move to impact judicial operations.
Several senior lawyers and party seniors had met with Wickremesinghe to discuss the UNP’s petition regarding the 22nd Amendment. They had later addressed a group of social media activists to instruct them about reporting on the amendment and the court proceedings, cautioning them about not criticising the Judiciary or making comments that could amount to contempt of court.
It is learnt that Wickremesinghe had also paid close attention to the arrest of former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake and spoken to several lawyers regarding the latter’s defence.
Both Karunanayake and Wickremesinghe had last month warned about debt servicing, national reserves, and the end of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Wickremesinghe had cautioned about Colombo’s preparedness to face fiscal realities and honour international commitments once the IMF guardrails come off.
Some in the UNP and the broader Opposition have opined that if the concerns raised in relation to economic issues by both Karunanayake and Wickremesinghe harmonise over the next month, then Karunanayake may be in a favourable position to be considered as a future ‘spokesperson on economic issues’ in the coming months. That is, if he is not remanded.
UNP’s 80th anniversary
Wickremesinghe had also spoken to Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa early in the week to invite him to join the UNP’s 80th anniversary celebrations, where Premadasa was expected to garland his father’s monument and Wickremesinghe was expected to garland the statue of former President J.R. Jayewardene.
It is learnt that Premadasa had politely declined the offer and had stated that he would be out of Colombo as he was expected to attend a function in Matale. Wickremesinghe had also spoken to several district organisers, where he had encouraged them to join the SJB rally in Colombo Fort on Thursday (3).
SJB’s protest in Fort
Meanwhile, several SJB bigwigs met Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s Office, some joining the meeting online to plan the SJB’s protests against the 22nd Amendment, which was held in front of the Fort Railway Station.
According to sources, Kabir Hashim, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and Premadasa had participated in the discussion and agreed on staging a series of protests. SJB members Kavinda Jayawardana, Mujibur Rahman, and others had also joined the discussion.
Premadasa had accordingly organised a Zoom meeting with key supporters, where plans were made to convene 1,000 supporters from Kalutara, 1,500 from Gampaha, and another 1,000 from Colombo for the protests. The Opposition Leader later joined the protest which was held in Fort.
Namal, CIABOC and the rally
It is learnt that Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa is steadfast on holding an Opposition rally in Anuradhapura despite resistance from the area.
The Sunday Morning learns that attempts to book the Salgado and Harischandra Grounds for the rally, planned for Saturday (12), have been met with refusals from the management of both grounds. However, SLPP sources claim that the party has managed to secure a booking for the Municipal Council Grounds.
The sources further note that Namal has tasked party organisers to ensure that 15,000–20,000 supporters attend the rally. Plans were also being made at the SLPP Headquarters to arrange for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to attend the rally if Namal was arrested for ongoing investigations, it is learnt. The SLPP National Organiser had been steadfast that the rally must go ahead, with or without him, party sources said.
Meanwhile, Namal had made arrangements with his lawyers to face a summons by the corruption watchdog on Friday (4), where he was expected to arrive in the morning to give a statement.
Namal, along with political colleague and former SLPP MP Johnston Fernando, who was also summoned before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Friday, were both arrested by the commission. The Colombo Chief Magistrate ordered that Namal be remanded until 18 September, while Fernando was granted bail.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court concluded its consideration of 15 petitions challenging the Government’s Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, which petitioners alleged would curtail judicial power and infringe on fundamental rights. The three-member bench announced that its confidential determination on the constitutionality of the bill would be communicated to the Speaker of Parliament and the President.
UN chief’s warning about adverse weather
Meanwhile, the world has entered a “danger zone of extreme weather” as the impacts of El Niño start to be felt globally, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres warned last week. This comes as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released the latest data on the natural weather phenomenon, showing that it could be the strongest in more than 70 years and last until at least February 2027.
El Niño is changing weather patterns around the world, pushing some regions into drought whilst others experience stronger typhoons and flooding. The Sri Lankan Government has also finally begun to take the issue seriously and is actively planning for the upcoming period.
UN forecasters also say that El Niño will boost temperatures in some places, coming on top of rising heat globally from human-induced climate change. “El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up,” UN Secretary-General Guterres said.
In Colombo, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) representative last week warned that Sri Lanka’s preparedness plans, especially in relation to agriculture, water, and food security, needed to account for more than one possible outcome. Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche met with the Opposition Leader and discussed climate change, the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, and the need for decentralised climate adaptation mechanisms to improve resilience.
PTA, reconciliation and elections
Franche also met Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara to discuss the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), prison reforms, and capacity building of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), which has been identified as a key institution in reconciliation.
He also paid a visit to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva to discuss trust-building initiatives and reconciliation. It is learnt that the top UN official in Colombo also discussed the much-delayed Provincial Council Elections with Silva and the promised constitutional reforms agenda.
IMF team’s visit
An IMF staff team will visit Sri Lanka from 10 to 23 September to hold discussions with Government authorities on the Seventh Review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme and the 2026 Article IV Consultation.
The mission will be led by IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou and will assess the country’s progress under the IMF-supported economic reform programme while reviewing recent macroeconomic developments. The IMF team is expected to communicate its findings at the conclusion of the visit.
The upcoming review comes as Sri Lanka continues efforts to consolidate its economic recovery, strengthen public finances, and rebuild external buffers following the country’s recent economic crisis. The IMF’s latest assessment noted improvements in economic growth, revenue mobilisation, and foreign exchange reserves, while highlighting continued risks from external shocks and the need to maintain reform momentum.
US maritime heavyweights in Colombo
Meanwhile, two senior US Government officials, heavyweights in the US maritime sector, will arrive on the island on Sunday (6) to advance US-Sri Lanka cooperation on maritime trade, investment, and shipping networks, according to the US mission in Colombo.
US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairperson Laura DiBella and FMC Commissioner Robert J. Harvey, both said to be close to the Donald Trump administration, are expected to attend the eighth Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference to be held this week and meet senior Government officials and stakeholders in the maritime sector in Colombo.
Over the last decade, the United States has shown particular interest in Sri Lanka’s port services and infrastructure, working closely with regional partners to pitch proposals to develop part of the Colombo Port and gain a foothold in one of the most critical maritime infrastructures in the Indian Ocean. A recent visit by senior US diplomats and security officials also saw them call at the Colombo Port as part of their visit.
The US has supported initiatives to improve security and customs control at the Colombo Port for decades. Recently, a report by the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy titled ‘The Great Transshipment Scam,’ which examines changes in global trade flows since the US began imposing tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, identified Sri Lanka as one of more than 40 countries that have gained importance as manufacturing, logistics, and trade hubs amid the restructuring of global supply chains following the United States’ imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods.
The visit comes in the wake of several Iranian tankers sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury dispersing from their station-keeping outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, after concerns were raised about potential risks to local financial institutions and bunkering companies if they were found to be servicing the vessels. The Sunday Morning exclusively reported last month on the presence of over a dozen such tankers idling off the Galle Port.
The visit also comes as the US Pacific Command – until recently the Indo-Pacific Command – wraps up a five-day joint military training exercise, Atlas Angel II, focused on disaster response and humanitarian mission preparedness, with part of the programme including maintenance training of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, of which two remain in Sri Lanka Air Force inventories, neither in airworthy condition.
It is reliably learnt that Sri Lanka is in talks with the US to overhaul the two C-130s and has sought US assistance to acquire one more aircraft from surplus stock.
The United States is looking to expand logistics and servicing facilities for the US Navy, which is stretched thin due to multiple commitments, placing its ageing hulls under significant strain due to prolonged operations. Last week, the nuclear-powered US Navy aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived at the Laem Chabang Port in eastern Thailand after 286 days at sea, including combat operations around the Straits of Hormuz.
Visit of Indian Defence Minister
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected in Colombo this week, as India doubles down on its maritime security architecture in the Indian Ocean Region. He is expected to meet senior Government figures and defence officials during the visit.
It is learnt that India is concerned about the pace of implementation of the bilateral security arrangements entered into over the last few years, and is expected to seek answers from Colombo about their implementation.
The issue of foreign research vessels – particularly ones from China – entering Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and conducting surveys will likely be discussed, as Colombo has yet to publish the draft national policy and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) it said was being crafted to manage such visits. It is likely that regional security architecture such as the Colombo Security Conclave and its secretariat, which is currently in Colombo, will also be discussed.
The Indian Defence Minister’s visit comes as the Indian Ministry of Defence-controlled Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL) consolidates its control over the recently acquired Colombo Dockyard, the only ship repair and dry dock facility operational in Sri Lanka and a key piece of the island’s maritime infrastructure.
It is learnt that India is also keen on furthering defence industry collaboration with Sri Lanka. Since 2020, Sri Lanka and India have discussed establishing a small arms ammunition plant in Sri Lanka, with Indian State and private sector involvement. The proposals, which have been discussed under three governments in Colombo, are yet to gain Cabinet approval.
India is also expected to deliver a floating dry dock for the Sri Lanka Navy, which is currently being built at the Goa Shipyard. The keel of the dry dock, the first for the Sri Lanka Navy since admiralty facilities were discontinued in Trincomalee at the end of World War II, was laid down at the Goa Shipyard in December 2023.
Police turns 160
Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka’s law enforcement landscape continues to evolve. Sri Lanka Police celebrated its 160th anniversary last week by organising an International Research Conference, themed ‘Transnational Crime and Social Protection’.
The conference, the first of its kind, was organised by the National Police Academy and saw the participation of key officials and officers from the law enforcement and justice community in Colombo. Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth and Canadian High Commissioner Isabelle Martin attended the conference.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Police and the Ministry of Public Security are planning to introduce a digital complaint form and a digital case file system, which are expected to transform how the Police records complaints, investigates crimes, manages cases, and submits case documents to the Judiciary.