• JVP/NPP shows its strength once again on May Day; no official event by UNP, SLFP confined to Party HQ
• SJB rally concludes early as crowds walk out after Sajith’s departure; Thushara’s plea ignored by crowds
• SLPP rally led by Namal, says MR will be acquitted by AKD Govt.; MR resting at home after knee surgery
• Govt. gathers flak from public over IMF condition on electricity tariffs; EU notes failure to repeal PTA
• Trade talks with the US continue despite previous statements about nearing closure; focus on energy
• Chinese Commerce Minister to visit Sri Lanka in June; FTA talks to return as part of new plan
• Mahinda prepares to retire and assume role at ADB; Russel Aponsu from Clean Sri Lanka tipped for post
• CID looks at new angle in Easter attacks probe and Pillayan; looking at well-known security expert
• Believes security expert is mastermind behind Pillayan’s book; CID turns to former intel informants
• RW shows AKD’s voice cut after making three-hour, 10-page statement to CIABOC; clashes with Nalinda
• RW’s PSO Ashoka receives transfer orders to the north amid elections period over call to CID for RW
• Udayanga asks Govt. to consider his services to tourism industry before engaging in political witch-hunt
• Rauff causes controversy over SJB’s ‘telephone’ symbol comment; Sajith asks Rauff to clarify statement
• SJB-UNP talks on cooperation post polls to form Local Government bodies fail; RW queries Govt.’s work
• CBK complains against SLFP-led PA; Maithripala notes advantages to ruling party due to Opposition split

Sri Lanka last week marked the first May Day celebrated under a President and Government from the Leftist movement. For the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP), it was yet another case of showing strength to thousands of party cadres and supporters filling the Galle Face Green and the adjacent Galle Road. In the run-up to the Local Government Elections on Tuesday (6), the May Day rallies last week could be a precursor to the final outcome of the polls. 

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, while pointing out that the Galle Face Green JVP/NPP rally was being held at the site where the ‘Aragalaya’ people’s protest movement took place in 2022, which resulted in the ouster of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government, also noted that the crowds at the rally further consolidated the party’s powers. 

It has been a few years since May Day has been transformed from a day to celebrate the working masses to an event that is a show of political strength of the main political parties. 

If the May Day rallies are an indication of public support for parties, it is evident that the JVP/NPP continues to whip up the numbers while the Opposition parties’ May Day rallies were held on a much lower key, with the country’s one-time largest political party, the United National Party (UNP) led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, not holding any official May Day celebration.

Even the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which has witnessed a great erosion of its vote base since 2015, held a very low-key celebration at the Party Headquarters auditorium at Darley Road, Colombo. Participants at the meeting were seen climbing up the staircase of the Party Headquarters, making their way to the auditorium shouting “Jaya wewa”. 

SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake announced prior to May Day that the SLFP’s May Day rally would be held under the theme ‘Fulfilling Promises,’ signalling what he described as a significant transformation in the party’s identity and direction.

Police data has shown that there were 14 May Day rallies in Colombo and around 16 rallies outside Colombo.

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) held its May Day rally in Talawakelle with members of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) also joining the rally.

One-time ruling party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) held a rally at the Ananda Samarakoon Open Air Theatre in Nugegoda.

The JVP splinter group, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) held a procession from the BRC Grounds in Colombo 5 and held a rally at the Lalith Athulathmudali Grounds in Kirulapone.

AKD’s new path

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) addressed a packed gathering at the JVP/NPP May Day rally and called on the trade union movement to think afresh and move away from the traditional line of thinking in line with the changing times.

“We urge trade unions to shed their old attitudes. Do not fight for petty things. We, as a political force, have given up perks and privileges entitled to us through the Constitution, gazettes, and circulars. Let us have some time. You don’t have to take to the street and force us. We are a political force that feels your heartbeat and aspirations,” AKD stated, adding that the trade unions needed to stop agitating even for the slightest of matters. 

He likened it to protesting even for a ‘bulb of onion.’ “Don’t hang on to words and agitate. We do not need you to remind us what needs to be done. But everything cannot be done within a short span of time,” he said.

The JVP/NPP has undergone quite a bit of evolution in the past few May Day rallies, with the last procession held by the party making a key change of not carrying the portraits of Karl Marx, Engels, and Lenin. The party has instead focused attention on its leaders.

It was however ironic to hear the Leader of the JVP, which holds power over the strongest trade union wing in the country that has engaged in trade union actions sometimes spanning weeks and months resulting in losses to the economy, now urging the trade unions to think afresh, remove the old clothing, and wear new clothing. 

It is important to preserve the workers’ right to make demands for the welfare of the working masses without causing massive disruptions to the country’s economic process as in the past.

It will be interesting to now see how the JVP trade union wing will move forward given the advice by the Party Leader. It will also be interesting to see if the JVP trade unions will face a fate similar to that which befell the UNP’s Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya and the SLFP’s Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya.

Be that as it may, the biggest controversy over the JVP/NPP’s change in attitude was witnessed over the pressure exerted upon a photojournalist by Government actors to take down a photograph of President AKD that was posted on social media, claiming it was bad optics.

The short-sighted move of some Government members resulted in the photograph being widely shared on social media platforms with criticism being levelled against the Government for attempting to threaten and suppress freedom of expression, creativity, and the overall media. 

The fact that the latest incident over the photograph had taken place a few days after the Cabinet Spokesperson had objected to journalists without the Government Information Department media identification card, which resulted in condemnation by the media as well as media associations, has resulted in the JVP/NPP actions in dealing with the media being likened to the manner in which the media was put under immense pressure during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) between 2005 and 2015.

Foreigners at the rally

Meanwhile, a delegation of senior members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who were on an official visit to Sri Lanka also participated in the JVP/NPP May Day rally. The delegation that represented members of the CPC’s International Department were invited to address the rally and its Bureau of South and Southeast Asian Affairs Director General Peng Xiubin delivered the speech.

However, it was also interesting to see the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also being represented at the JVP/NPP May Day rally, with A.R. Sindhu addressing the gathering.

Comments made by the Indian representative also resulted in the UNP releasing a statement last Friday (2) condemning the use of anti-Indian sentiments on the JVP/NPP May Day platform. 

Highway lunch

On the matter of discipline, which has been a hallmark of the JVP, a video circulating on social media shows a group of buses heading to May Day rallies in Colombo stopping midway on a highway, with passengers having lunch by the roadside. The footage shows buses with red flags and people clad in red walking by the side of the highway and having lunch.

The incident has raised safety concerns, as stopping on highways poses significant risks. The video footage taken from a vehicle travelling on the other side of the highway also shows a Police vehicle parked near the buses and vans that were parked on the highway.

The Police, it is learnt, has been directed to investigate the incident.

Early finish

Meanwhile, the main Opposition SJB rally that was held in Talawakelle had concluded earlier than expected since the people who had participated in the rally had started to leave after Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa had delivered his speech.

Premadasa had left the rally a few minutes after delivering his speech and the people had also started to leave the rally at the time. Despite efforts by the rally organisers to get the people to remain at the rally, they had started to move out of the venue. 

At one point, video footage of the SJB May Day rally shows former Member of Parliament (MP) Thushara Indunil telling the crowd that Premadasa had to leave to attend another engagement and that there were more speakers to address the rally. It is learnt that the crowds had walked out of the rally before SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and economic head Harsha de Silva had addressed the rally.

However, it is now learnt that Premadasa had left the May Day rally in a hurry to participate in several interviews. One was with the pro-SLPP show named ‘Bai Thaksalawa’ on YouTube conducted by Milinda Rajapaksha and musician Iraj Weeraratne. The other was an interview with the Ada Derana channel.

Acquitting MR

The SLPP May Day rally meanwhile was held under the patronage of the party’s National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa.

Namal, who managed to rile up the SLPPers with his speech focused on being strong enough to face any challenge, claimed that his father, former President MR, would be acquitted of all accusations by the incumbent Government. 

However, MR’s absence at the SLPP’s May Day rally had resulted in many people checking for the reason. It was then learnt that MR was resting at home following a knee replacement surgery that had been performed on his right leg.

EU review

Be that as it may, May Day posturing alone will not suffice for the country since the real challenge is transforming its economy from stability to growth.

The European Union (EU) and Sri Lanka reviewed progress under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) arrangement during talks held between an EU delegation and President AKD as well as Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. 

One of the key issues raised by the EU side was the failure on the part of Sri Lanka to repeal the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which Sri Lanka had undertaken to repeal in 2017. The Government, it is learnt, had briefed the EU delegation that a committee had been appointed to formulate new legislation to replace the PTA.

However, it is also learnt that the current EU mission in Sri Lanka is a review team that will assess whether Sri Lanka has met the commitments undertaken.

EU European External Action Service South Asia Division Head Charles Whiteley stated that the European Union had a favourable perspective on the current GSP+ review process.

He further said that the continuation of GSP+ trade concession was being assessed in alignment with the current Government’s policy commitments and progress. The meeting assessed Sri Lanka’s advancements in executing 27 international conventions related to the EU’s GSP+ tax concession.

Discussions continue

Meanwhile, on the issue of the US’s proposed reciprocal trade tariffs on Sri Lanka, contrary to President AKD’s statement at a public meeting that the two countries were near a final deal, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Harshana Suriyapperuma said that during talks held in Washington DC to address the tariff issue, the US had informed that Sri Lanka needed to comply with certain parameters set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“There are certain challenges that we may have which other countries are not subjected to at the moment,” he told reporters last week. He also noted that the US had sought fair access to the Sri Lankan market to resolve the tariff issue.

The Deputy Minister stated that Sri Lanka and the US were looking at ways to ensure a win-win deal for both countries.

Suriyapperuma further noted that Sri Lanka had identified products purchased from the US in bulk and large quantities and that the energy sector had been identified as a key area in which Sri Lanka could strike a deal with the US.

Flak over electricity tariffs

The Government meanwhile is continuing to gather flak from trade unions and civil society over the IMF’s call for the proper implementation of a cost-reflective electricity tariff system and the Government’s positive response to it.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando claimed during a news briefing that the Government had not refused to adopt cost-reflective electricity pricing as proposed by the IMF, indicating that the Government had agreed with the IMF to revise electricity prices in June.

He explained that as per the IMF agreement, electricity tariffs must be revised quarterly and that tariff revision was due in April.

According to Fernando, the Government had revised electricity prices in January and the revision cannot be done in April as per the IMF agreement due to the delay in reaching an agreement on the pricing formula.

Nevertheless, the Government continues to get slammed over the possible move to increase electricity tariffs in line with IMF conditions.

Lanka’s conundrum

Meanwhile, the impact of growing Indo-Pakistan tensions is continuing to be felt by Sri Lanka, which has claimed it will maintain neutrality during this time.

It is in such a backdrop that Defence Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha had engaged in a discussion with Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on the sidelines of the fifth annual Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue underway in Islamabad, Pakistan.

According to the Defence Ministry, these high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics, and explore opportunities for defence collaboration.

While Sri Lanka’s decision to attend a defence dialogue with a country that has been accused of harbouring and sponsoring terrorism by none other than neighbouring India has been criticised by some analysts as a move that could affect Sri Lanka’s neutral policy, the Sri Lankan Government has maintained that the country possesses the freedom to decide as a sovereign nation.

India, it is learnt, while keeping a close watch on Pakistan, maintains that Sri Lanka has extended its support to India’s battle against terrorism, and also maintains that India is not insecure to be affected by Sri Lanka’s decision to engage in a dialogue with Pakistan.

AKD to Vietnam

Meanwhile, President AKD is to engage in an official visit to Vietnam from today (4) until Tuesday (6). AKD is to meet with the President and Prime Minister of Vietnam and also with senior dignitaries, including the General Secretary of the Communist Party.

AKD will also participate in the United Nations Day of Vesak ceremony being held in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam as the Chief Guest and will deliver the keynote address at the event.

During the visit, the President is set to sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), including on foreign relations, industries, agriculture, and exports. 

Chinese movement

Meanwhile, a high-level delegation from the Chinese Government is due to visit Sri Lanka next month. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is expected to head the delegation in June in a bid to further strengthen trade links between Sri Lanka and China.

The Chinese Minister is expected to expand China’s export markets while also looking at providing more opportunities for Sri Lanka in China. The two countries are also expected to discuss the recommencement of negotiations on the stalled Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Sri Lanka and China during his visit. 

After six rounds of negotiations, the FTA discussions came to a standstill in 2018 over tariff lines and the value of trade to be liberalised. Following President AKD’s visit to Beijing, Sri Lanka and China had agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a comprehensive FTA.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong has written an article that was published in several media platforms last week under the title ‘China: A more trustworthy partner.’

“Given the disparity between economic development levels and economic strength, the US tariff policy will further widen the gap between rich and poor countries, with less developed countries suffering a greater impact. As one of the countries most affected, Sri Lanka’s right to development has been severely undermined, and its already fragile economy will be further strained, with a particularly severe impact on the export sector,” the Chinese envoy has written.

After being critical of US’s ‘selfish’ actions, Qi has stated: “In the face of the United States’ use of tariffs to implement hegemonism and power politics, China has stated its readiness to support Sri Lanka’s development and strengthen the long-term partnership between the two countries to address global trade tensions. China-Sri Lanka relations are a model of South-South cooperation, and the two countries are fully capable of building a shared future based on mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, and stable development.”

The Chinese Ambassador has further stated that China is a more trustworthy partner.

New Treasury Secretary

Meanwhile, there is much attention on a key appointment due to be made in the next few weeks. 

The post is that of Finance Ministry Secretary and Senior Additional Secretary to the President (Finance and Economic Affairs) Russel Aponsu, who is currently serving in the Clean Sri Lanka Task Force, is tipped to be appointed as the new Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry following incumbent Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana’s retirement.

Siriwardana is set to assume the position of Alternate Executive Director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) starting 1 June.

It is learnt that President AKD had earlier approached his Senior Economic Adviser Duminda Hulangamuwa to fill the vacancy, but that Hulangamuwa had declined the offer, citing his ongoing commitments with leading private sector firms in the country and the conflict of interest as a result.

Push for 50%

Meanwhile, the final arrangements are being made for the Local Government Elections on Tuesday, with the general public not showing much interest in the polls. It is believed that voter turnout will see a considerable decline on Tuesday as opposed to the two national elections last year.

The ruling JVP/NPP’s final call to the public, however, has been for the people to consider the upcoming Local Government Elections as a key national-level election like the Presidential or Parliamentary Elections.

The party is targeting securing 50% of the votes at the polls and recording a landslide victory by securing power in all Local Government bodies. However, there has been a decline in women and youth engaged in the JVP/NPP’s door-to-door campaigns.

The party has also claimed that the Local Government Election, which is known as ‘punchi chande’ (small election), is not as small as it is called and holds great importance in grassroots-level development programmes.

CID’s new probe

Meanwhile, the Government’s pledge to bring justice to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks victims has resulted in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) turning to a fresh angle of the probe on a well-known defence and security expert, who is said to have visited former LTTEer-turned-politician Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan in jail during the period between 2015 and 2020. 

Pillayan and a group of his loyalists were in jail after being remanded over their alleged involvement in the murder of former MP Joseph Pararajasingham in Batticaloa. However, Pillayan and his group were released from jail and were acquitted by the Batticaloa High Court during former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure in 2021. 

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala meanwhile has already stated in Parliament that investigations had found links between Pillayan and the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigators, it is also learnt, are looking at the real ‘mastermind’ behind the book written by Pillayan on the Easter attacks.

Informant’s statement

Senior journalist Sanath Balasooriya meanwhile has written on his social media that the CID has recorded lengthy statements from an informant to intelligence units known as Kaleel, whose name had also figured in lists of payments made by intelligence units to various informants, about Pillayan’s activities. 

These statements have reportedly revealed close links between Pillayan and the security expert.

Also, statements recorded from officers from the Batticaloa Police have further revealed that the security expert had on several occasions met with Pillayan in Batticaloa.

RW’s 10-page response

Meanwhile, former President Wickremesinghe last Monday (28 April) appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to record a statement on a comment made by him that he was aware of Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake’s decision to withdraw monies belonging to the Uva Provincial Council to be used for a council project when Dasanayake was the Uva Chief Minister. 

Wickremesinghe left the CIABOC three hours later, after recording a 10-page statement.

The former President told the media after recording the statement that withdrawing funds of the Uva Provincial Council from the bank and spending it on recurrent or capital expenditure was not a crime. 

“I made a statement to the Bribery Commission and explained my point and thereby I said keeping funds in a bank account is the real crime,” Wickremesinghe said, adding that Provincial and Central Government funds should be spent as allocated under the Appropriation Act, not parked in deposit accounts.

“When these funds are not spent and instead placed in deposits, they do not contribute to economic growth. Public money is meant for public work. The economy grows only when these funds are used,” he noted.

Wickremesinghe further argued that the National Savings Bank, which was at the centre of the controversy, was not a commercial bank and was therefore not intended for holding surplus Government funds. He warned that failure to use allocated funds could even lead to lawsuits against Treasury officials if they obstructed public spending.

Showing AKD’s voice cut

Wickremesinghe further questioned how President AKD had referred to a letter sent by him to the CIABOC seeking a different date to appear before the commission. He said while addressing the media that he had responded to all questions posed by the CIABOC, but had objected to the commission showing its files to outsiders. 

“I referred to a speech made by the President on 11 April in Batticaloa that he had seen a letter sent by me seeking a different date to appear before the commission. How did the President see the letter?” Wickremesinghe questioned, while playing AKD’s speech on his mobile phone for the media personnel to hear. 

The former President noted that the statement by President AKD indicated that he was aware of the letter’s content. “The President would not lie, right?”

RW-Nalinda clash

However, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly Cabinet briefing that President AKD had only quoted Wickremesinghe’s social media post on his correspondence with the CIABOC when he (the incumbent President) had said that the former President had sought another date to appear before the commission. 

“Summoning Ranil Wickremesinghe before the Bribery Commission was a known fact by 11 April. The President came to know about it through Ranil’s social media posts. The Bribery Commission had not informed the President of it,” the Minister said at the briefing.

However, Wickremesinghe immediately denied Jayatissa’s statement. 

Wickremesinghe’s office issued a statement contradicting Jayatissa’s statement. The statement notes that Wickremesinghe had not written to the CIABOC seeking a change of date, but that it was President’s Counsel Ronald Perera who had written asking for a date after 28 April.

Ashoka’s transfer

Meanwhile, the Government seems to have taken action against former President Wickremesinghe this last week. Following his recording of a three-hour statement at the CIABOC on Monday, the former President was informed on Thursday (1) that his long-time Personal Security Officer (PSO) Ashoka Ariyawansa was to be immediately transferred to Jaffna. 

Having served the former President for over 15 years, it has come as a surprise that this transfer was made. It is understood that former presidents and prime ministers are afforded the appointment of a PSO on a long-term basis to ensure stability in their security detail. 

It is interesting that the Government has gone to the extent of seeking special approval from the Election Commission to enact this transfer during the election period. Considering that the Local Government Elections are due to conclude on Tuesday, one does wonder why such haste was displayed in this particular transfer.

Wickremesinghe’s office claimed that Ariyawansa’s transfer had taken place over the telephone call he had made to an official at the CID on the former President’s request to inform the CID of his need to speak to Pillayan.

Udayanga’s plea

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia and relative of the Rajapaksa family Udayanga Weeratunga made an interesting request from the Government last week. He has issued a public appeal urging the Government to end what he has called a continued political vendetta against him.

In a media release issued recently, Weeratunga has called for a fair assessment of his recent contributions to the country’s tourism industry, particularly his efforts since 2022, which he stated had brought over 225,000 tourists to Sri Lanka over the past two years. He has noted that this influx had generated nearly $ 300 million in foreign exchange revenue for the country during a period of significant economic hardship.

“I respectfully request that my role in supporting the tourism sector and contributing to the national economy be taken into account, and that the political attacks against me be brought to an end,” Weeratunga has noted.

Batalanda report to AG

The Presidential Secretariat meanwhile handed over the controversial Batalanda Commission report to the Attorney General (AG) for further action. The report implicates former President Wickremesinghe of maintaining an illegal detention centre and a torture chamber at the Batalanda Housing Complex during the JVP’s second insurrection in the 1988-1989 period.

The Cabinet, led by AKD, reached a policy decision to proceed with legal and administrative action based on its findings.

However, several UNP seniors have come out saying that the Batalanda report will result in the JVP having to face its destructive actions in the past, including the killing of many professionals, intellectuals, politicians, artists, and members of the clergy.

Presidents in waiting

Meanwhile, the ruling party has started to mock claims being made by some Opposition politicians who have claimed that several Opposition political party leaders will become the president of the country by the end of this year.

It was UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena who first made public statements that former President Wickremesinghe would become the 10th executive president of the country by the end of this year when he would once again assume office when the country faced an economic crisis once more.

Following Abeywardena’s statement, several members of the SJB also claimed that Opposition and SJB Leader Premadasa would assume the office of the president by the end of the year as well.

All these statements by Opposition members have resulted in the ruling party carrying out a campaign on social media ridiculing the Opposition leaders who seem to be in line to become president. Some posts carried photographs of Wickremesinghe and Premadasa with the captions ‘President in October’ and ‘President in November.’

To add to the ridicule, Janasetha Peramuna Leader Ven. Battaramulle Seelaratana Thera has stated that if Premadasa was going to be president for the month of December, he (the Thera) could be the president for the month of November.

Rauff’s outdated symbol

Meanwhile, a statement by Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader, MP Rauff Hakeem about the SJB symbol, the ‘telephone,’ caused much controversy. He was quoted as saying that the ‘telephone’ symbol was outdated and should not be supported at the upcoming Local Government Elections.

He had made this observation during a Local Government Elections campaign meeting held in the Ampara District. “The telephone symbol has long since died; we will not request votes for it,” Hakeem has stated during his address.

Hakeem has further addressed the SLMC’s relationship with the SJB, indicating a need for serious consideration regarding future cooperation between the two parties.

“This time, we are contesting separately at the Local Government Elections. Even in Kandy, we are contesting separately in 11 councils. Muslim Congress members are contesting only three seats under the SJB, at their own choice and at the request of SJB organisers,” Hakeem has explained.

Sajith seeks clarification

However, following the heavy publicity received by his statement, Hakeem stated that his recent speech had been misinterpreted and that it was his belief that the SLMC must retain the stronghold it had in Sammanthurai. Hakeem’s public clarification came following a request made by SJB Leader Premadasa to do so. 

“Across the country, we’re contesting as the SLMC in over 100 Pradeshiya Sabhas. It is only a few of our members who are contesting through the SJB at the upcoming Local Government Elections,” Hakeem has noted, adding that the SJB remains an ally of the SLMC.

“I too once contested under the SJB in Kandy to enter Parliament. But what I meant in my speech was that Sammanthurai must not be given to the SJB, as it is contesting against us in Sammanthurai. We’re the powerful party in this area. So while we are working with the belief that our party will gain power, there are some of our own rejected candidates who are contesting through the SJB,” Hakeem has noted.

Hakeem has further said that candidates contesting under the SJB were spreading false information. “I had to respond to this. It was my attempt to explain this situation, which resulted in this misinterpretation,” the SLMC Leader has said, adding that the SJB Leader has also requested the SLMC to provide a clarification on the statement. 

“It was not me speaking against the SJB. But I did say the SJB was powerless in that area. We cannot prioritise the SJB in that area, right?” he has added.

SJB-UNP talks breakdown

Meanwhile, talks that were held at an unofficial level between the SJB and UNP about forming an alliance and working together to form the majority in some  Local Government bodies following the upcoming Local Government Elections have yet again broken down.

It is learnt that the SJB side has decided not to pursue the discussions following a recent statement made by a senior UNP member where SJB Leader Premadasa has been accused of being unwilling to reach a consensus on forming a working agreement between the SJB and UNP. The responses given by SJBers in return have resulted in a deadlock in talks between the two parties.

However, another key issue that had affected the talks had been over a potential joint campaign for the Colombo Municipal Council. SJB MP S.M. Marikkar has claimed that talks between the SJB and UNP had broken down after the UNP had proposed its National Organiser Sagala Ratnayaka as its candidate for mayor. Ratnayaka however has dismissed Marikkar’s statement, noting that his name was not proposed in any of the discussions and that the UNP was prepared to support the SJB’s mayoral candidate.

SJB MP Mujibur Rahman has clarified in public that the talks between the two parties had never been aimed at forming an alliance to contest together at Local Government Elections, but on how the two parties might collaborate in the broader national political landscape. 

Nevertheless, Rahman has further noted that discussions had briefly touched on the challenges of contesting separately and the potential for cooperation thereafter, but that there was little prospect of discussing further on future collaborations due to public remarks made by senior UNPers.

RW’s question

Meanwhile, former President Wickremesinghe has questioned the achievements of the JVP/NPP Government during its six months in office. “During my time, in six months, I ended queues and brought funds from the IMF. What has this Government done in six months?”

He claimed that the incumbent Government had only conducted a monkey census and brought back chikungunya in its six months in office.

Wickremesinghe, while addressing several public meetings targeting the Local Government Elections, has criticised the ruling party by even referring to them as ‘L-board cases’ and claiming that they (the Government) had crashed the car.

CBK’s complaint

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (CBK) meanwhile lodged a complaint against the SLFP-led People’s Alliance (PA) contesting under the ‘chair’ symbol by writing to the Election Commission that her name and image had been used without her permission for election-related propaganda activities.

The letter states that certain candidates of the PA for the Attanagalla Pradeshiya Sabha at the 2025 Local Government Polls have been distributing leaflets containing her image, along with those of former Ministers Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Sarana Gunawardena, and that they have also put up posters. 

She further notified the Election Commission that she had not granted permission to use her image for the distribution of such leaflets or for the printing of election posters. 

CBK emphasised that she had previously informed the candidates contesting under the ‘chair’ symbol in Attanagalla and other areas not to use her image for any audio-visual promotional activities and that, despite this, certain candidates had unlawfully used her photograph in their campaigns. 

The former President further notes that using her photograph in a manner suggesting her support constitutes a violation of elections laws and has urged the commission to immediately inform the relevant party leaders to halt this activity and to promptly take necessary actions.

Maithri at home

Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena, a former Leader of the SLFP, said that he was maintaining a low profile during the elections as well as during last week’s May Day celebrations. “I’m not much into active politics these days. I will be at home spending May Day in peace,” Sirisena said. 

However, commenting on the upcoming polls, he noted that one would have to wait till after the elections to witness the final outcome and that the divisions among the Opposition side would be beneficial for the ruling party since the anti-Government vote would be split. 

“The ruling party will then have the edge since its vote base will not be split. However, there are some criticisms against the Government. Let’s see,” Sirisena said. 

Assessing security

Meanwhile, former President MR had recently met with SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and former SLPP MPs Sanjeewa Edirimanna and Jayantha Ketagoda at his official residence on Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo.

MR had asked whether Namal was out of Colombo since it would have been good to have him at the discussion. Upon being informed that Namal was indeed out of the city carrying out meetings related to the polls, MR had noted that given the increasing number of violent crimes in the country, the party should carry out a security assessment on the party’s candidates as well as seniors.

MR has made this statement in reference to the recent killing of Dan Priyasad, who was a candidate of the SLPP at the Local Government Elections.