News

RTIC chairman resigns

Published

2 weeks ago

March 9, 2025

editor

Retired Supreme Court Justice Upaly Abeyratne has resigned with immediate effect from the Right to Information (RTI) Commission of Sri Lanka through a communication addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday, March 4, 2025. He was the chairman of the commission.

The reasons for the resignation are publicly unknown.

Under Section 12(1) of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act), the RTI Commission shall consist of four commissioners and a chair appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The Council shall recommend one commissioner as a nominee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and two commissioners as nominees, respectively, of ‘organisations of publishers, editors and media persons’ and ‘civil society organisations.’ The remaining two appointments by the President are on the general recommendation of the Council.

The quorum for the meetings of the RTI Commission is three, with the President nominating the Chairperson. The commissioners have fixed tenure for five years, subject to resignation or removal by the President on the recommendation of the Council on specified grounds.

Currently the RTI Commission consists of Attorney-at-Law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (nominee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka), Attorney-at-Law Jagath Liyanarachchi (nominee of civil society organisations) and former public servant and one-time Zahira College Vice Principal A.M. Nahiya.

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

News

SLTB drivers return to original roles

Published

6 hours ago

March 25, 2025

editor

The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has decided to reassign drivers and conductors who were previously engaged in various other duties.

This decision comes into effect today as announced by Deputy Minister of Transport, Prasanna Kumara Gunasena.

Deputy Minister Gunasena revealed that political interference had led to the assignment of drivers and conductors to various non-related duties.

An investigation uncovered that 333 drivers were affected by these political appointments.

To ensure the fitness and readiness of these drivers for their original roles, they will undergo medical examinations at the National Transport Medical Institute.

Based on the results of these examinations, the drivers will be reassigned to their driving duties.

(News1st)

News

Prof. Gananath Obeyesekere bids adieu

Published

6 hours ago

March 25, 2025

editor

Professor Gananath Obeyesekere, a distinguished academic and former Head of Anthropology at Princeton University, has passed away at the age of 95.

He earned his BA in English from the University of Peradeniya in 1955, followed by an MA in 1958 and a PhD in 1964 from the University of Washington.

Prior to his tenure at Princeton University from 1980 to 2000, Prof. Obeyesekere held prestigious academic positions in Sri Lanka, the University of Washington, and the University of California, San Diego.

Among his popular books are Land Tenure in Village Ceylon, Medusa’s Hair, The Cult of the Goddess Pattini, Buddhism Transformed (coauthor), The Work of Culture, The Apotheosis of Captain Cook: European Mythmaking in the Pacific, and Making Karma.

News

NPP MPs submit letter to remove Deshabandu

Published

6 hours ago

March 25, 2025

editor

National People’s Power (NPP) MPs have signed a letter to remove suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from office.

A total of 115 MPs endorsed the letter, which was submitted to the Speaker this afternoon (March 25).

Tennakoon is currently in remand custody in connection with a 2023 shooting incident that took place outside the W15 hotel in Weligama, which resulted in the death of an officer from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).

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