‘No-confidence motion is actually against president’

Therefore, the no-confidence motion against the government could be defeated, he said. This could be a confidence motion for the PM and the government and the opportunity could also used to identify the MPs in the government, who are actually against the government, said Marasinghe. After defeating the no-confidence motion, the government would be cleansed of the garbage within for a new beginning, he added.

 

Nishantha Priyadarshana

President’s secretary to be sent home over spying for PM?

The president had instructed his secretary Austin Fernando to issue a gazette for the handover, but that is yet to be done. Returning from a Pakistan visit, the president inquired from Fernando and was told it could not be issued without his signature. Then, the president signed it.

 

Thereafter, Fernando telephoned PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and told him that he now had to issue the gazette.

 

Worried by that, the PM went to see the president last night (26) with minister Malik Samarawickrama and asked for the reason for the decision. Following their discussion, the issuing of the gazette was suspended, but it could be issued within the next 24 hours.

 

The president is angry that Fernando had told the PM about it, instead of issuing the gazette. Fernando was the defence secretary during the 2001-04 UNP regime. When the president appointed him as his secretary, he must have forgotten that Fernando was a good UNPer.

A mobile app to prevent dengue among schoolchildren

The dengue prevention unit of the Health Ministry reports that 30 per cent of dengue patients treated in 2017 were children. National organizer of the unit Dr. Hasitha Tissera said this app would fulfill the requirement for a proper programme to protect children against the dengue mosquitoes which were active during mornings.

 

So far this year, 13,479 dengue patients have been reported, mostly from Colombo district. This is a 50 pc decline over the same period in 2017.

 

Present at the launch were education secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi, SLT chairman Kumarasiri Sirisena and health ministry’s deputy director general Sarath Amunugama.

Reveal SLPP MP behind Kandy clashes - Patali

Ranawaka told the media at the party head office yesterday (26) that the SLPP MP who provoked the people at the funeral of the youth Kumarasinghe, and the SLPP activists under arrest should be exposed.

 

Police investigations have confirmed that no JHU activist was connected to the clashes, he added.

 

Ranawaka also said his party had also nothing to do with the past incidents in Beruwala, Mawanella and Nuwara Eliya either.

 

Nishantha Priyadarshana