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NPP MPs agree to share Madiwela houses

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National People’s Power (NPP) Badulla district MP Kitnan Selvaraj said that the party’s MPs have agreed to share a single house within the Madiwela Housing Complex, with four of them occupying the residence together.

He said that with 159 NPP MPs and limited accommodation, each house in Madiwela, which has three bedrooms, will be shared by four MPs. “We will make do with what’s available,” he added.

Selvaraj said that the NPP MPs are not seeking luxury and will use the privileges granted to them responsibly. “The NPP operates as a team,” he said.

The MP also said that NPP representatives have not been provided with new vehicles for personal use. “Until recently, I travelled from Badulla to the party headquarters and for parliamentary sessions using public transport. Currently, I travel to Parliament with several other MPs in transport arranged by the party,” he said.

Selvaraj dismissed claims that NPP MPs have been granted luxury vehicles. “Certain people are spreading the false notion that we have been provided with such vehicles. This is completely untrue,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the accommodation he has been assigned at the Madiwela Housing Complex. “I appreciate the design of these houses, which resemble a barrack-style housing scheme. They are simple, and I hope future housing developments in the estate sector can draw inspiration from this style,” he added.

He said that he receives over 500 phone calls daily, primarily from members of the estate sector.

“Many of these issues are deeply entrenched, with some persisting for over a century without any meaningful attempts at resolution,” he said.

Selvaraj expressed optimism about the country’s prospects for a fresh start, adding that the NPP will not tolerate racism or extremism from any ethnic or religious group. “Some Tamil MPs from the North are trying to incite racism.

I had only one opportunity to speak in Parliament, and I used it to address this issue,” he added.


(sundayobserver.lk)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by sundayobserver.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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World Bank Group President meets with President AKD (Pics)

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President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga met with President Anura Kumara Disanayake this afternoon (07) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

This visit marks a milestone, as it is the first time in nearly two decades that a World Bank Group President has visited Sri Lanka.
During the meeting, discussions centred on strengthening collaboration to support Sri Lanka’s future development agenda. Priority areas identified included digitalisation, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure development, with particular emphasis on identifying short-term rewards, including advancing development in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

The Sri Lankan government’s efforts to establish a robust legal framework conducive to attracting new investments and recent policy initiatives were also discussed during the meeting.

Attendees at the meeting included Trevor Kincaid, Special Advisor – World Bank Group, David Sislen, Country Division Director – Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka – World Bank Group, Imad Fakhoury, Regional Director – South Asia International Finance Corporation and Gevorg Sargsyan, Country Manager – Maldives & Sri Lanka¸ World Bank Group.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Harshana Suriyapperuma and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, along with several other dignitaries, also attended the occasion.

(President’s Media Division)

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NPP won’t join with parties rejected by people – Tilvyn

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The National People’s Power (NPP) says they will not join hands with opposition parties “rejected by the public” to form administrations in LG bodies it has won but has failed to secure an outright majority.

However, the NPP would consider joining forces with candidates who were elected to the councils contesting independently, said Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvyn Silva, at a media briefing in Colombo today (May 07).

Silva said that only the party that has the largest number of members at a local authority has the power and the moral right to form its administration. 

“After the election, if small parties who contested separately try to combine their results and claim a majority, we believe that is neither realistic nor fair… Adding together the percentages won by each opposition party does not mean it is the people’s mandate. The people’s mandate is reflected in the number of votes given to a single party,” he stated.

The National People’s Power (NPP) has emerged as the dominant force at the 2025 Local Government (LG) polls, securing over 3,900 seats and majorities in more than 150 local bodies.

However, when compared to the General Election and Presidential Election last year, the NPP had suffered some setbacks while regional political parties in North and East had made a strong comeback.

The NPP also failed to win control of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), despite winning the highest vote share (36.92%) and securing 48 of 117 seats.

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Court dismisses case against Public Security Minister

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The Court of Appeal issued an order dismissing without examination the writ petition that had been filed requesting a directive to disqualify Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala from holding a parliamentary seat and to nullify his position as a Member of Parliament.

This order was delivered by the bench comprising Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Laffar Thahir, and Justice Sarath Dissanayake.

This petition was filed by Renuka Perera, the Administrative Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). 

The respondents named in the petition were Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Secretary General of Parliament, and the Attorney General.

The petition stated that Ananda Wijepala was appointed as the Minister of Public Security by the President on November 18. 

It also cited a report published in the Sunday Times on December 10, which claimed that Wijepala had been appointed as the Chief of Staff to the President.

The petitioner argued that, under Article 91 of the Constitution, individuals holding positions in the public service are disqualified from being elected to or sitting in Parliament. 

He further contended that the position of Chief of Staff to the President constitutes a public service role, and therefore, Ananda Wijepala was not eligible to hold a parliamentary seat under such circumstances.

(News1st)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

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