President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Government are continuing their rollercoaster ride of governing the country, with the Opposition parties also gradually gathering steam in their attacks against the Government. While President AKD will mark one-and-a-half years in office this month, there has been an increase in Opposition attacks on the Government, especially in holding those in high offices accountable to the pledges made to the people.

The Government for its part has found solutions to the issues being raised by the Opposition by way of distractions aimed at keeping the public occupied, ranging from expedited action on long-delayed cases, high-profile arrests, promising relief to the masses, and the most popular move of getting AKD to address the masses with his charming smile. Amidst these efforts, the JVP/NPP Government continues to present the Opposition with more opportunities to cast aside their differences and unite on many fronts.

The masses too, while being distracted by these tactics, continue to centre their attention on the ‘charming and humble President,’ with statements like “the Government is not doing well, but the President is doing everything in his power,” and “the President is a genuine, hardworking leader”.

Be that as it may, the latest political and economic developments in the country bring to mind the famous words by William Shakespeare in ‘Julius Caesar,’ where Caesar was warned by a soothsayer to “beware the Ides of March” – words that President AKD and his Government should perhaps read and understand, given the current state of affairs.

Meanwhile, the country’s poverty level continues to be of concern as the Department of Census and Statistics has released the Official Poverty Line figures for January, revealing that an individual requires a minimum of Rs. 16,730 per month to meet basic needs. According to the data, the highest cost of fulfilling basic monthly needs was recorded in the Colombo District at Rs. 18,044, while the lowest was in the Monaragala District at Rs. 15,997.

Sallay’s arrest and detention

Over the last week, a high-profile arrest in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks became a key focus of the Government and Opposition.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday (25 February) arrested former Head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General (Retd) Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, but has thus far remained tight-lipped, at least officially, about the charges being levelled against the former SIS Chief.

However, some media outlets, especially social media posts by several activists, have noted that Sallay has been arrested for concealing critical information related to the Easter Sunday attacks and blocking certain leads being probed in the investigation, among several other similar accusations.

A special CID team carried out the arrest under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA). Sallay was first held in detention for 72 hours, and on Friday (27 February), a detention order was issued to hold and question him for a further period of 90 days.

Sri Lanka Police later in the day on Wednesday confirmed that former SIS Chief Sallay had been arrested in connection with clear evidence obtained through ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. 

Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler told a media briefing that Sallay had been arrested in the Peliyagoda Police Division. “The arrest was made based on clear evidence obtained through the outcomes of the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks. He will be handed over to the CID for further investigations,” he said, adding that the public and media would be briefed on the future course of action and investigation in due course.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Legal Division Jaliya Senaratne noted that since Sallay had been arrested under the provisions of the PTA, he could, upon arrest, be held for 72 hours (three days) for questioning. “Thereafter, based on the evidence, steps can be taken to obtain a detention order. Legal provisions exist for this purpose,” he added.

Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province Sajeewa Medawatte, also addressing the same press conference, stated that Sallay had been arrested based on evidence related to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and that a lengthy investigation needed to be conducted in this regard. He added that more information would be revealed in due course. 

He also noted that it was difficult to disclose further information within a few hours and emphasised that the Police had carried out its duties properly. Responding to journalists’ questions about allegations that a campaign had been launched against the Police for arresting Sallay without properly disclosing the reason, he stated that if the arrest had not been made, there would have been a campaign against the Police for failing to act. Medawatte further noted that during future interrogations of Sallay, information about the mastermind behind the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks may be uncovered.

Despite questioning by the media, Police officers at the media briefing had said that the charges against Sallay would not be revealed at that moment and would only be disclosed upon completion of the inquiry against him.

Fonseka’s revelations

The ongoing discussion about Sallay’s arrest has also drawn attention to a speech made by then Member of Parliament (MP) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in Parliament on 21 September 2023. Fonseka’s speech, or parts of it, were once again posted on social media by some who are supportive of Sallay’s arrest.

Fonseka said in his parliamentary speech that Zahran Hashim, the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks, had kept in touch with Sallay through mobile phone calls since 2012 and that Sallay had stated this to the Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks at the time. Fonseka also noted that Zahran had been paid a salary by the military from around 2010 after the war had ended. 

According to Fonseka, Sallay and another former senior Intelligence officer, Kapila Hendawitharana, are closely associated with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR).

The Field Marshal further stated that he had sidelined Sallay during his tenure as Army Commander because Sallay was not as smart as believed and that he had been enlisted to the Intelligence Unit due to his ability to speak Tamil.

Fonseka added that it was GR who had given prominence to Sallay after he (Fonseka) had left the service and that Zahran’s work in the east had become problematic after Sallay had taken over the helm of Intelligence.

Clash with Sirisena

It is also interesting to revisit this speech by Fonseka, especially given how his revelations about the Easter Sunday attacks and Sallay’s alleged involvement resulted in a verbal clash with former President Maithripala Sirisena.

When Fonseka was making this speech in 2023, Sirisena was seated in Parliament as an ordinary MP.

Continuing with the speech, Fonseka stated that former Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who was handling intelligence at the time, had received intelligence from foreign intelligence units on 4, 20, and 21 April 2019 about an impending terror attack in the country and that Jayawardena had at the time been in close contact with the then President (Sirisena). He also noted that the then President had even met Jayawardena before he (Sirisena) had left for India a few days prior to the Easter Sunday attacks.

“Action should be taken against Nilantha Jayawardena if he had failed to inform the Head of State and Defence Minister about the terror attack threat and initiate action to prevent the attacks. Action should also be taken if the information was passed on to the Defence Minister and action was not taken,” he noted.

Fonseka in his speech also went on to state that the then President had acted to push the country into a crisis situation while undermining national security. Among the key issues listed were the failure to hold a National Security Council meeting for several months, the failure to include the then Prime Minister and other key figures in discussions related to national security, and the arrest of former DIG of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) Nalaka Silva, who had investigated and kept a close watch on Zahran over an alleged plot to assassinate the then President and create a constitutional crisis in October 2018.

Fonseka further alleged that Sallay had been sent to India from Malaysia (Sallay served at Sri Lanka’s High Commission to Malaysia) on 3 January 2019 and that such a movement could only have been made with the knowledge of the highest office in the country.

However, the statement that attracted an angry response from Sirisena was Fonseka’s claim that the then President would have met Sallay in India when the former had undertaken a visit to the country a few days prior to the attacks. “After India, he (Sirisena) travelled to Singapore, where he stayed during the attacks,” Fonseka has added.

Sirisena, meanwhile, standing and requesting the microphone from the Speaker, hit back at Fonseka in the Chamber, claiming that he was making false allegations and that they were blatant lies. “I went to Tirupati. I have travelled many times to Tirupati. I didn’t know where Sallay was in India and didn’t meet him when I travelled to India.”

An angry Sirisena further claimed in the House that Fonseka had failed as an Army Commander given that a bomb had exploded in the Army Headquarters even injuring him when he was leading the Army.

Despite Sirisena’s shouting in the Chamber, Fonseka claimed in the speech that there were two masterminds behind the Easter Sunday attacks – the then President and GR – and that Sallay was not the mastermind since he was only an intermediary.

Nevertheless, going by statements made in Parliament by the likes of Fonseka and other Opposition MPs like Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara at the time about Sallay and statements claiming that the mastermind was referred to as ‘Sonic Sonic’ by the assailants, it is evident that there has been much political interest in the former Intelligence Chief.

The Minister in the know

Meanwhile, Sallay’s arrest also created a split among some key social media actors – the group supportive of Sallay’s arrest and the group opposing the arrest. In fact, it was a social media activist who first posted online that Sallay would be detained on a detention order soon after his arrest and even before such an order was obtained by law enforcement authorities. Such statements have paved the way for questions being raised by the opposing group on the independence of the investigations given the early warnings being made by a group of social media activists about the next steps in the probe.

Amidst this online clash, the name of a minister of the incumbent Government has also surfaced in discussions about military personnel during the period of the Easter Sunday attacks. It is none other than Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara. It was Jayasekara who had served as the Army’s Commander Security Forces (East) when the Easter Sunday attacks took place and there have been questions about the details related to the attacks that were known to Jayasekara.

On a previous occasion, Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman also focused on Jayasekara in Parliament when he called on the Government to question him regarding the Easter Sunday attacks given the position held by him at the time of the attacks.

Who is Sallay?

Sallay’s arrest, while paving the way for a political debate, has made many look for details about him.

It is learnt that Suresh Tuan Sallay is the second son in a family of four sons. He hails from a mixed ethno-religious background with a Catholic mother and a Malay Muslim father. Sallay’s wife is a Sinhalese Buddhist.

Educated at Mahanama College in Colombo, one of Sallay’s brothers had gone overseas while his two younger brothers had both joined the military. His youngest brother had been injured during the war.

After joining the military, Sallay enlisted in the Military Intelligence Corps in 1993. He served as the First Secretary at the Sri Lankan Embassy in France from 2006 till 2009. After returning to Sri Lanka, he served the Defence Ministry as the Foreign Intelligence Coordinator until his appointment as the Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) in October 2012. From 2016 till December 2018, Sallay served as the Minister Counsellor at Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Malaysia.

After returning to Sri Lanka from Malaysia in 2018, then Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake sent Sallay to the National Defence College (NDC) in India. After his stint at the NDC, Sallay was appointed as the Director of the SIS in December 2019, and he served in the post until retirement in 2024.

During the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019, Sallay was at the NDC in India, sent on a fellowship by the Sri Lanka Army.

Double-edged sword

Be that as it may, Sallay’s arrest has got many VIPs and key officials, former and present, as well as some members of the diplomatic community worried for one reason – whether Sallay will reveal secrets he has been holding for around two to three decades as an Intelligence officer. It would suffice to say that he is a keeper of many secrets.

Given these facts, it is evident that Sallay’s arrest and his statements to the CID could play a decisive role in charting the future course of action not only on the Easter Sunday attacks, but also implicate the actions, or the lack of them, on the part of some senior officials in the law enforcement establishment who held key offices in April 2019.

On the other hand, revelations by Sallay could also open doors in many more ongoing investigations, including some high-profile cases.

It is in such a backdrop that some media have reported that senior officials in the defence establishment had not been informed of the arrest of the former SIS Chief. It is learnt that law enforcement officers had briefed the defence establishment about the arrest after apprehending Sallay.

It is also learnt that several law enforcement officers had maintained that prior notice about Sallay’s arrest could have made the defence establishment block the move due to the high sensitivities involved in the arrest of a senior Intelligence official as well as its possible adverse impact on the existing Intelligence establishment.  

Action or distraction?

Meanwhile, some political analysts claim that Sallay’s arrest and detention are aimed at creating a distraction from the public focus on the ongoing controversy surrounding the purchase of substandard coal as well as to prevent the media from highlighting the court order to release the assets confiscated and frozen by law enforcement belonging to one Ibrahim Hajiar, the father of two of the suicide bombers of the Easter Sunday attacks.

Following Sallay’s arrest, former Minister Ali Sabry cautioned that “national security institutions must never be undermined for political gain”.

In a statement on social media, Sabry said that the arrest of Maj. Gen. Sallay, an officer widely associated with the dismantling of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE) intelligence network, Intelligence operations that led to the targeting of senior leadership, including S.P. Thamilselvan, and efforts connected to the apprehension of Kumaran Pathmanathan, also known as KP, raised serious concerns about the direction in which national discourse was heading.

He pointed out that these were officers who had once placed their lives on the line to protect the nation during its most dangerous years. “Today, many feel that those same individuals are being drawn into a political battlefield shaped less by evidence and more by competing narratives. Accountability under the law is essential in any democracy, but it must be pursued with fairness, restraint, and respect for institutional integrity,” he said. 

The former Minister further noted that the Easter Sunday tragedy deserved a professional, evidence-based inquiry focused on justice for victims and national security. “Instead, what we increasingly witness is the transformation of a complex investigation into a public spectacle. International cooperation, including the extensive involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US authorities, has already taken place with investigations, prosecutions, and assistance provided. When even external partners indicate that further probes may not yield meaningful new outcomes, continuing to weaponise the issue for partisan gain risks damaging Sri Lanka’s credibility and long-term security interests,” he said. 

Sabry further pointed out that national security institutions could not become collateral damage in political contests, stating: “Undermining officers who once safeguarded the country may offer temporary political advantage, but it weakens morale within the armed forces and sends a troubling signal to those tasked with protecting the nation.”

“Sri Lanka must pursue truth and justice, but through law, evidence, and responsible leadership, not through theatrics designed to mislead or divide. History will judge not only those who served in difficult times, but also those who chose to politicise matters that demanded unity and maturity,” he added.

Also weighing in on the arrest, Sarvajana Balaya Leader MP Dilith Jayaweera condemned Sallay’s arrest and detention, alleging that the move appeared politically motivated, while Opposition members Udaya Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa, and many others claimed that the arrest had been initiated to cover up the coal controversy.

Releasing Ibrahim’s assets

On the issue of releasing the assets confiscated by the CID from the residence of Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed (the Shangri-La bomber) and Ibrahim Inshaf Ahmed (who died at the Cinnamon Grand) – two suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday attacks and the sons of Ibrahim Hajiar (a supporter of the NPP) – Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara had on Wednesday (25 February) reportedly ordered the CID to release jewellery, gems, and other seized property to the bombers’ brother, Iflal Ahmed, after he had claimed ownership of the assets. The order requires the CID to release the assets within one week.

The property was originally taken into custody from the Mahawila Gardens residence in Dematagoda following the 2019 attacks.

According to reports, the Magistrate had noted that the previous Magistrate had already issued this order after providing the CID with a reasonable timeframe to file objections, which the department had failed to do, and the current Magistrate had warned that legal action for contempt of court would be taken against the CID if it failed to comply with the one-week deadline.

Patali’s coal campaign

With the continuing focus on Sallay’s arrest and the future of the Easter Sunday attacks pushing the controversy surrounding the purchase and use of substandard coal by the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai to the sidelines, Opposition parties seem to have decided to double down on the coal controversy as well.

It will not be easy to push aside the ongoing coal controversy as it has become a political campaign for the Opposition, with former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka working to take the clear lead in this campaign. Ranawaka, who held the Power and Energy portfolio during the former Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) Government, has been making statements about the substandard coal procurements and the losses incurred by the country as a result.

Ranawaka has alleged that losses amounting to Rs. 7,672 million have been incurred due to the use of substandard coal, citing a letter issued by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). Referring to a letter dated 19 February sent by CEB General Manager K.S.I. Kumara to the parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee, Ranawaka has cited that eight coal shipments had been received under a new supplier as of 19 February and that the total estimated loss associated with those shipments had been calculated at Rs. 7,672 million.

The letter has noted that the estimate has been based on a worst-case scenario, assuming that the energy shortfall caused by the coal quality would need to be dispatched from the Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant (KCCP) at a rate of Rs. 57.53 per kWh. It has further stated that specific coal consumption has been calculated using the direct feeding rate over a short period by averaging the coal feeding rates of the units supplied from those shipments. Any penalty to be claimed from the supplier has not been factored into the loss calculation.

Meeting Opposition parties

Not stopping at making statements to the media revealing details about the substandard coal supplies to Lakvijaya, Ranawaka has taken his coal campaign to the next level by engaging in separate meetings with Opposition parties to further discuss the issue as well as the losses to the country.

It seems the former Minister is focused on taking the lead in rallying the Opposition parties against the Government over the substandard coal issue. Ranawaka had already met with leaders from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sarvajana Balaya, and United National Party (UNP) to discuss the coal controversy and the possible action to be initiated.

The former Minister has also already lodged a complaint, along with supporting information, with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on 17 February.

Sajith joins battle

Not to be outdone by Ranawaka, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa has also taken on the substandard coal battle inside Parliament and outside. 

While Ranawaka spoke about the quality of the eighth coal shipment, Premadasa alleged last week that a ninth coal shipment imported from South Africa for the Norochcholai coal power plant was of substandard quality, citing what he described as real-time operational data from the facility.

Speaking to the media during a public event in Homagama, Premadasa said that eight previous coal shipments brought from South Africa had already been proven to be substandard with evidence and that data relating to the latest shipment indicated a similar issue.

He claimed that while each unit was expected to generate 300 MW, the first and third units had produced only 250 MW and 275 MW, respectively. In contrast, the second unit had generated the full 300 MW, which he attributed to the use of higher-quality coal imported from Russia.

Premadasa further alleged that between 25 and 27 coal shipments had been imported from South Africa under the current Government and maintained that evidence had already established that the coal supplied was of inferior quality.

SJB MPs S.M. Marikkar – who heads the Sectoral Oversight Committee where the issue of substandard coal has been taken up for discussion on several occasions – and Mujibur Rahman have been vociferous in their criticism of the Government over the latter’s procurement of substandard coal shipments.

Meanwhile, a group of SJB MPs also filed a complaint with the CIABOC on Thursday (26 February) regarding the importation of substandard coal to Sri Lanka. SJB MPs Rahman, Chaminda Wijesiri, Sujith Sanjaya Perera, and Kavinda Jayawardana reported to the Bribery Commission to make this complaint.

After handing over the complaints to the CIABOC, Rahman told the media that the company supplying the coal shipments at present had violated two main conditions: firstly, sending substandard coal to Sri Lanka, and secondly, failing to deliver coal within the stipulated time frame. He said that violating these two main conditions was sufficient to cancel the relevant agreement, but the Government was attempting to justify it by saying it was not a fraud.

The SJB MPs also claimed that the Government could not justify continuing to purchase substandard coal by making such a statement, pointing out it had now been revealed that the transaction was corrupt.

A civil society group meanwhile has also lodged a complaint about the coal controversy with the CID.

Govt. decides response

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the JVP/NPP Government, following a recent internal discussion, has decided to publicly acknowledge that the coal shipments procured thus far have been substandard. However, it is also learnt that the ruling party and members of the Government have decided that they will vehemently deny any wrongdoing or corruption involved in the procurement process.

The decision reached by the Government was first stated in public by outspoken senior Government Minister K.D. Lalkantha.

Speaking to the media during a recent event, Lalkantha, while admitting that the recent coal supplies were of inferior quality, claimed that there had not been any fraud or corruption in awarding the supply tender. “The allegations that inferior-quality coal has been supplied is true. But there has been no fraud or corruption behind the coal tender. The allegations are mere claims,” he said.

He further noted that there was a mechanism and criteria to recover the loss caused to the Government due to the supply of inferior-quality coal. Lalkantha added that the Government would act according to the criteria to recover the losses caused to the country.

Looking for the leak

However, during the internal discussion held by ruling party seniors on energy sector issues, attention had also been placed on the continuing revelations by the Opposition regarding the substandard quality of the coal shipments.

It is learnt that suspicion had increased among the ruling party seniors about the leaks to the Opposition after learning that there have been similar shipments of substandard coal procured for the Lakvijaya plant. Special attention had been paid to seven coal shipments that had brought substandard coal to the power plant in 2014. 

At the meeting, the Government members representing the energy sector had assured the senior members of the ruling party that there had been no irregularity in the awarding of the tender and the procurement process.

Nevertheless, it is also learnt that several senior party members had also referred to the allegation that the existing agreement with the current supplier of substandard coal had been drafted in a manner beneficial to the supplier and noted the importance of a proper inquiry into the ongoing coal controversy.

Committee appointed

The internal discussion had concluded with the party seniors noting that the Government needed to ensure accountability in the coal saga, with action to be taken against any individual found to have engaged in wrongdoing of any form that would include any irregularity in awarding the tender to leaking information.

A few days after this discussion, the Energy Ministry announced the appointment of a seven-member committee to review the existing coal supply mechanism to the Lakvijaya plant.

Professor W.D.A.S. Rodrigo of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Moratuwa was appointed as Chairman of the committee. The rest of the members are University of Moratuwa Department of Mechanical Engineering Senior Lecturer (Grade I) Dr. N.A.I.D. Nissanka, University of Moratuwa Department of Mechanical Engineering Senior Lecturer (Grade II) Dr. I.U. Attanayake, University of Moratuwa Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Senior Lecturer (Grade II) Dr. R.M.D.S. Gunarathne, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr. Uditha Wijewardhana, and University of Sri Jayewardenepura Department of Mechanical Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr. Geethal Siriwardana. Ministry of Energy Additional Secretary (Power and Power Reform) K.L.R.C. Wijayasinghe was appointed the Convenor of the committee. 

However, several experts in the energy sector noted that a majority of the committee members were known to the incumbent Secretary to the Energy Ministry and that it would be interesting to see the outcome of the committee.

GL continues meetings

While the Government is trying to wipe itself clean of the coal controversy as well as justify Sallay’s arrest, the Opposition political arena has also been filled with action.

Former Minister G.L. Peiris, who is leading the effort to form a joint Opposition platform, last Wednesday met with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at his political office on Flower Road, Colombo.

Following the meeting, former Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, who was among the Opposition members who accompanied Peiris for the meeting, noted that all Opposition parties would work together to save the multi-party system in the country. “We have already met Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa following the advice of the Mahanayaka Theras that all Opposition political parties should come together,” he noted. 

Namal’s controversial visit

Meanwhile, SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa’s recent visit to the UK created quite a controversy, with protests and cancellation of events. However, despite the protests by members of the diaspora in the UK, Namal and his loyalists decided to proceed with the visit as planned since all travel arrangements had been finalised by the time the first event cancellation had been notified.

Namal commenced his UK visit by paying homage at the London Buddhist Vihara and extending wishes as the temple marks its 100th anniversary this year. Namal’s wife Limini, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, and party activist Milinda Rajapaksha were among those who accompanied Namal.

Days prior to his departure to the UK, the Cambridge Union had announced that his scheduled address there had been cancelled due to security concerns arising from planned protests against his visit. However, his address at the Oxford Union and several meetings with the Sri Lankan community in the UK were expected to proceed as planned at that time.

Diaspora advocacy group Tamil Solidarity had called on both unions – Cambridge and Oxford – to cancel Namal’s scheduled speaking engagements, arguing that providing him a platform amounted to political rehabilitation. The organisation also warned of protests if the events were to proceed. Tamil Solidarity, established in 2009, campaigns on issues related to alleged war crimes, accountability, and the rights of Tamil-speaking people.

Oxford follows Cambridge

While the Cambridge Union cancelled Namal’s speaking event the previous week, the Oxford Union cancelled its speaking event on Monday (23 February) when Namal was already in the UK.

The two speaking events had been cancelled following backlash from Tamil student groups and campaigners. According to UK student newspaper Cherwell, Oxford Union President Katherine Yang has stated that the decision had been taken after concerns were raised about students’ ability to participate freely.

“A core part of the union’s purpose is enabling direct, open questioning from students. In this case, a significant number of the students most closely connected to the subject matter communicated that they did not feel safe asking questions openly,” Yang was quoted as saying.

She has also noted that while alternative formats had been considered, the inability of those most affected to participate directly undermined the substance of the forum. “An event where key stakeholders cannot engage on equal footing does not produce the kind of robust debate the union is intended to facilitate,” she has added.

Déjà vu

Namal’s father, former President MR, also faced a similar backlash when he too was invited to speak at an event organised by the Oxford Students’ Union in 2010 when he was President.

When MR visited the UK in 2010 to address the event, widespread protests by members of the diaspora resulted in the speech being cancelled and MR having to return to Sri Lanka.

It is learnt that MR had also told Namal to be careful during his visit to the UK. However, Namal had responded saying that he must proceed with his UK tour and engage in the planned meetings with SLPPers, adding that he was prepared to respond to any allegations levelled against him by the diaspora.

Namal’s response

Meanwhile, issuing a statement, Namal noted that the traditions of the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union had, for generations, represented the highest ideals of free inquiry, rigorous debate, and intellectual courage. 

“Speakers invited to these historic forums are expected to face difficult questions, defend their views, and engage with opposing perspectives before an informed and critical audience. It was precisely this spirit of open dialogue that I looked forward to participating in and welcomed without reservation.

“It is therefore deeply unfortunate that circumstances arising from organised pressure prevented these engagements from taking place. Universities and debating societies have long been spaces where disagreement is addressed through discussion rather than disruption, and where ideas are challenged through argument rather than silenced by intimidation.

“I would have welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with critics, including those who strongly oppose my views, because meaningful reconciliation and progress can only emerge when differing perspectives meet in open conversation. Denying such engagement does not strengthen democracy. It weakens it by replacing debate with division,” Rajapaksa noted.

He further stated: “I remain grateful to both unions for their invitation and understand the difficult position in which they found themselves. I hope that in the future we will have the opportunity to meet in a forum where dialogue prevails and discussion is encouraged.”

Tensions rise at SJB meet

Meanwhile, the main Opposition SJB has started to witness a campaign within the party that promotes Party Leader Premadasa as the SJB’s candidate at the next Presidential Election.

This campaign was first witnessed during a meeting of the SJB parliamentary group that was held recently, which had turned out to be quite tense.

The tension had started when MP Kins Nelson had started to blame a senior SJB MP for making critical remarks against the party leadership. Nelson had pointed out that party members, especially senior members, should not be making statements critical of the party leadership in the open.

After criticising the conduct of the senior SJB member, who was also seated at the meeting, Nelson had noted Premadasa would be the next presidential candidate of the SJB and that the party needed to keep that fact in mind when referring to the party leadership.

Premadasa had then noted that any party member who did not accept his leadership was free to join a leader whom they felt they could follow.

The senior SJB member whose action had caused Nelson’s eruption had remained quiet during the meeting, but had sent a message to Nelson’s mobile phone asking why he was so angry, noting that there was no reason for such an outburst.

Sujeewa questions decisions

Another SJB MP had raised a separate issue at the meeting after Nelson. Sujeewa Senasinghe had questioned the conduct of the party at the Constitutional Council, especially in the appointment of the new Auditor General.

Senasinghe, it is learnt, had questioned the way in which the SJB had voted in favour of the fourth name nominated by the President to the post of auditor general after having raised objections to the same name earlier. 

“One cannot agree with the Constitutional Council’s decision to approve [Samudika] Jayaratne’s name for the post of auditor general. When AKD had sent the same name earlier, the then civil society representatives and the SJB had objected to it. The SJB opposed saying she was not the most suited for the post and that there were more senior members in the Auditor General’s Department. So, how can the SJB, after opposing her name, suddenly agree to it when AKD sends the name back to the Constitutional Council? It is a wrong decision and a bad precedent.”

Joining Senasinghe, MP Rahman had noted that there needed to be more transparency within the party, especially regarding decision-making processes. “Who is making these decisions? How was such a decision made? No one in the party’s parliamentary group was aware. Similar issues arose when appointing the Chief Justice and the Inspector General of Police (IGP). There needs to be transparency in decision-making processes,” he had said.

After listening to Senasinghe and Rahman, Premadasa had explained that the decision to support the last name proposed to the auditor general’s post had been made to ensure that the controversy would not create an imbalance in the democratic process.

The Opposition Leader had further noted that the SJB presence in the Constitutional Council did not hold decisive power since it was the members of civil society who held decisive power.

Senasinghe had responded saying that if the civil society members held decisive power, the SJB as the main Opposition should be in a position to convince them to follow the correct path when making decisions that affected the nation. “Otherwise, not only the Opposition, but civil society members will also have to answer to the people one day,” Senasinghe had added.

New-look UNP

The UNP meanwhile is looking at getting a new look with new faces by December this year, with the party’s Deputy General Secretary Harin Fernando taking the lead in a new programme

Fernando told a media briefing that the UNP would undergo changes under which new young faces would play a greater role. “We will begin at the grassroots level by March this year while the party will get new faces by December this year,” he said.

He said steps would be taken to impart the knowledge which UNP Leader Wickremesinghe possessed to the younger generation. “We are afraid that the younger generation will not learn from the current Party Leader and we will ensure that the youngsters will learn from him,” he added.

‘Read with Ranil’

The first part of the programme has been named ‘Read with Ranil,’ which is a new national youth engagement initiative to be launched in Colombo this month.

The first edition of the initiative will focus on ‘The Current World Order’ and is scheduled to be held on 19 March at 5.30 p.m. in Colombo.

Fernando said that the programme was designed to provide young Sri Lankans with an opportunity to engage in structured discussions and reflections on governance, economic reform, democratic institutions, and national leadership. “Through structured reading, dialogue, and reflection, participants are encouraged to explore governance, economic reform, democratic institutions, and the responsibilities of national leadership,” he said.

Threatening call to Harin

However, Fernando had also faced an interesting incident last week while working out at the gym. The talk among the UNP is that Fernando had answered a call received on his mobile phone while he was at the gym and that the call had been made through an unknown number. 

When Fernando had answered the call, the male voice at the calling end had threatened him saying that he would face unpleasant consequences if he continued to speak and engage in a campaign against the Government. 

It is learnt that the caller had referred to Fernando’s comments during a recent news briefing where he had said the UNP would take steps to complain about the incumbent Government’s undemocratic actions and harassment to the United Nations (UN), UN Human Rights Council, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and other similar international bodies, especially in relation to the ongoing case against former President Wickremesinghe.

Fernando, however, had responded to the caller in choice language, saying he was not afraid. The surprised caller had then disconnected the line.

After completing his workout, Fernando had checked the number of the mystery caller via the Truecaller app and had started to laugh. The reason for the laughter was that the number had been listed under the name of the husband of a female JVP/NPPer from the Kalutara District.

Charcoal ice cream

Meanwhile, former presidents and political leaders all gathered for a recent event in Colombo – the birthday celebrations of Ven. Siri Samanthabhadra Thera, where an almsgiving was offered to the Buddhist clergy.

Former Presidents MR and Wickremesinghe and senior Opposition politicians Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Gayantha Karunatilleka, G.L. Peiris, Rajitha Senaratne, Chamal Rajapaksa, Bandula Gunawardena, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, and Sagala Ratnayaka were among those who attended the event. Politicians from various Opposition parties were seen in conversation, mostly about the current political developments in the country.

One of the interesting incidents was the charcoal ice cream that was served during the event. While consuming charcoal ice cream, several members of the Opposition had noted that it was the ideal time to consume charcoal ice cream given the continuing controversy surrounding substandard coal procurements by the Government.