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President’s Secretary responds to BASL on AG appointment process

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President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake has responded to a letter from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) regarding the appointment of the new Attorney General following the retirement of Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC, according to the President’s Media Division.

Mr. Ekanayake highlighted that the President is constitutionally empowered, under Article 41C of the Constitution, to appoint the Attorney General with the approval of the Constitutional Council.

 He emphasized that there is no constitutional requirement to appoint the senior-most officer from the Attorney General’s Department to this position based on seniority. Historically, this practice has not been followed in Sri Lanka, with past appointments such as Sarath N. Silva, PC, and Mohan Peiris, PC, coming from outside the department’s senior ranks.

Additionally, Mr. Ekanayake pointed out the example from 2016 when President Maithripala Sirisena recommended multiple candidates, leading to the Constitutional Council approving Mr. Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, as Attorney General.

Mr. Ekanayake advised the BASL not to advocate for the claims of a single candidate among other qualified individuals, underscoring the need for a broad consideration of all potential candidates to ensure the appointee commands the confidence of the President and the Cabinet.

Earlier, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had sent a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, urging the appointment of the senior-most officer in the Attorney General’s Department to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Rajaratnam.

The BASL emphasized that this practice honours the principle of seniority, ensures continuity and stability, and respects the established hierarchy within the department.

Signed by BASL Secretary Chathura A. Galhena, the letter stressed the Attorney General’s critical role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring proper administration of justice, and urged the President to consider their concerns favourably.

–PMD–

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Korean SME Association offers support to SL

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The Korean Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Association has expressed its commitment to support Sri Lanka in advancing the agriculture sector and enhancing related employment opportunities.

Additionally, the association has agreed to provide technical assistance and training resources essential for the development of the fishing industry.

These topics were highlighted during a meeting held today (13) at the Presidential Secretariat between a delegation from the Korean SME Association and officials from the President’s Office.

The discussions also focused on training Sri Lankan workers locally for Korea’s fishing industry and creating employment opportunities for them.

The delegation was led by Kim Chung Ryong, President  of the Korean SME Association.

(President’s Media Division)

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US embassy lifts travel restrictions issued for Arugam Bay

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The US Embassy Colombo has lifted travel restrictions issued on October 23, 2024, for Arugam Bay. 

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Pilot project to issue e-BMD certificates to Lankans overseas

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The government has announced a new initiative to issue copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates to Sri Lankans living abroad through Sri Lankan embassies, aimed at providing greater convenience to the expatriate community.

The program will be launched as a pilot project across seven selected foreign missions, including the embassies in Kuwait, Japan, and Qatar, and the consulates in Melbourne (Australia), Toronto (Canada), Milan (Italy), and Dubai (UAE).

In Sri Lanka, efforts are underway to enhance the e-BMD (electronic Birth, Marriage, and Death) database system, which is jointly managed by the Registrar General’s Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This will allow birth, marriage, and death certificates to be issued through foreign embassies, following a model already in place for obtaining certificates at Divisional Secretariat offices across Sri Lanka.

In the initial phase, only the approximately 45 million birth, marriage, and death certificates that have already been scanned and stored in the e-BMD system will be issued.

These will include records for births, marriages, and deaths that have been registered since January 1, 1960. While the majority of these records will be available, there may be occasional delays in updating certificates that have been revised after their initial entry into the database.

(President’s Media Division)

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