The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that several clauses in the proposed Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution.

The determination, delivered to Parliament and announced by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, follows petitions filed under Article 121(1) of the Constitution challenging the bill’s legality.

According to the Deputy Speaker, the Court determined that these provisions would require approval by a special majority in Parliament as well as a public referendum in order to be enacted in their current form.

The Deputy Speaker also  ordered that the full Supreme Court determination be included in the official parliamentary record of the day’s proceedings.

Key findings from the Supreme Court include:

Clause 8(2) shall be amended suitably to provide that the members of the committee referred to therein shall be liable under the anti-corruption act  N0.9 of 2023.

Clause 13 (1) (c) is violative of article 3 of the constitution, and requires it to be passed by a special majority of parliament, and be approved by the people at a referendum. However, the said violation shall cease if this clause is amended as set out in the summary of the determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 13 (1) (b) is vague and arbitrary as it does not contain any provision relating to the transfer of employees and their right as employees during the second stage of unbundling. Therefore the clause is violative of article 12 (1) read with article 14 (1) (g) of the constitution. And this clause shall only be passed by the special majority required under article 84 (2). The said violation shall cease if this clause is amended as set out in the summary of the determination of the Supreme Court.

Clause 13 (12), is in violation of articles 12 (1) and 14 (1) (g) of the constitution. The said violation  shall cease if this clause is amended as set out in the summary of the determination of the Supreme Court.

Chief incumbent of the Sri Sunethradevi Pirivena Rajamaha Viharaya – Ven. Prof. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thero warns that Sri Lanka will soon become the 29th state of India.

The ‘Aruna’ newspaper quotes the Thero as saying that nothing will be left to talk about by then  and that northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka will become an ‘Israel’.

The Thero has said thus during the Patriotic National Conference held at the BMICH on June 28.

The news report further states :

The Thero also said that if this government signs certain agreements at the behest of India without taking it before the public, it should be clarified that such agreements are signed personally or by their respective parties and are not agreed to by the country or its people.

Noting that India is currently acquiring a large area of land for its projects centering around the port of Trincomalee, the Thero added that these lands include a host of temples as well.

If the security agreement with India is implemented, it will push our own security forces to become a mere regiment of India, the Thero had further said.

(Source : Aruna)

World Social Media Day is marked today (June 30).

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we connect, communicate, and share information. World Social Media Day celebrates the power and impact of social media platforms in bringing people together from all corners of the globe.

This year’s theme for World Social Media Day is ’empowering voices and building communities,’ which emphasises the power social media gives to users and businesses to echo their opinions and messaging and make an impact through content-based storytelling among their loyal follower bases.

The World Social Media Day was founded by tech media company Mashable in 2010 to recognise the rapid influence of social media on how people connect and showcase their creative instincts through it.

SixDegrees was the first social media networking site launched on the internet back in 1997 and allowed users to connect with their friends and families through different features, ultimately paving the way for leading social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

over 4.9 billion people across the world are estimated users on various platforms with an average social media user spends 2.5 hours daily on these apps.