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Debate on 2nd Reading of Budget 2025 begins

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The debate on the Second Reading of 2025 Appropriation Bill, or the 79th Budget Speech, kicked off in parliament today (Feb.18).

The Budget speech was delivered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies.

The vote on the second reading will be held on February 25 at 6:00 pm with the debate on the second reading scheduled from February 18 – 25.

The Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill will be held over 19 days, including four Saturdays, from February 27 – March 21.

The vote on the third reading of the bill is scheduled to take place on March 21 at 6:00 pm.

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Applications for O/L recorrections, open from July 14

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The Department of Examinations has announced that applications for re-scrutiny of the 2024 G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) exam results will be accepted from July 14 to 28.

Results of the exam were released yesterday (July 11) and were published on the websites: www.doenets.lk and www.results.exams.gov.lk.

Students or parents with queries can also call the Department’s hotline 1911 or reach the School Examinations Administration and Results Branch via 0112-785922, 0112-784208, 0112-786616, or 0112-784537.

The Department has also provided all school principals with usernames and passwords to download and print the official result sheets for their schools. Provincial and Zonal Education Directors have received the same credentials to access results for all schools under their purview.

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CEJ urges President to appoint PCoI to probe MV X-Press Pearl disaster

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The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to appoint a Presidential Commission to investigate the 2021 environmental disaster caused by the fire aboard the vessel MV X-Press Pearl.

In a letter dated 8 July 2025, signed by CEJ’s Senior Legal Advisor – Attorney-at-Law Ravindranath Dabare, the organisation reiterated the severity of the environmental damage caused by the incident.The CEJ expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the response by authorities, including former Ministers and government officials, and urged the President to establish a commission under the Presidential Commissions of Inquiry Law No. 7 of 1978.

The CEJ outlined two primary recommendations:

  • Reinstate the previously suspended committee and resume the environmental, biodiversity, and socio-economic damage assessment, ensuring the process is completed transparently and the findings are made public.
  • Investigate institutional misconduct and allegations of corruption during the response to the disaster, and take legal action where necessary.

The CEJ also recommended that the proposed commission include environmental scientists, legal experts, and civil society representatives to build public confidence and ensure an independent and credible process.

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SJB MPs & organizers urge Sajith to replace senior officials

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A group of electoral organizers and 10 senior Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs have privately urged party leader – Sajith Premadasa to replace long-serving senior officials and leaders, arguing that fresh, dynamic individuals are needed to regain public support after 06 consecutive election defeats.

The group, meeting Premadasa recently, had insisted it was unfair to place blame solely on electoral organizers when the party had lost 02 Presidential Polls, 03 General Elections, and the local government election in succession. 

They warned that unless the party’s top office bearers are restructured immediately, future electoral chances would be equally bleak.

Their strong appeal comes in the wake of preparations to remove several electoral organizers, citing accountability for the string of losses.

The MPs and organizers countered that the SJB had a better chance of winning more seats at the General if the Presidential election had been won, which could have been possible if they had entered a broader coalition with the UNP and other political groups.

They had also argued that Sajith Premadasa missed a crucial opportunity to strengthen his reputation when Gotabaya Rajapaksa first offered to hand over power during the 2022 crisis.

They claimed that certain economic advisors in the party discouraged him from taking on that responsibility, allowing President Ranil Wickremesinghe to build his own voter base by stepping up to the situation instead.

The group stressed that to reverse the party’s fortunes, long-standing leaders and officials must now step aside for new, energetic, youth representatives with innovative ideas.

(Source: Lankadeepa)

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