Presidential Elections?
With the presidential election slated between 18 September and 18 October this year, the focus is now on over 16 million eligible voters with over 90 percent of them who are in quandary and fed up with corrupt politicians responsible for present economic set back.
Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake has confirmed that Presidential election is the only election that the Constitution has set a time frame for and therefore it cannot be postponed,
He said that even if the President dissolved Parliament in the first week of September, they had the capability of holding both the general and presidential election on dates close to each other
Out of the total number of voters 31.95 percent were young voters numbering over 5 million and their vote will be the decisive factor in the coming elections. The balance number of voters is consist of elderly (senior citizens) and middle-aged persons.
According to statistics, in Parliamentary Elections the turnout has never passed 78% in the last 20 years and presidential elections maximum turnout was 83.72% in 2019.
5 million younger votes
The younger voters ‘will be the deciding factor in the upcoming elections but they are still undecided, a recent opinion poll revealed
The two most common reasons for their uncertainty were the loss of faith in politicians and politics as a whole, and a disinterest caused be seeing the same old faces contesting again.
So the analyzing the current scenario using mathematical models, the probability of the outcome of the election will be a no clear winner in the first count of voting.
However Patali Champika Ranawaka - Leader - United Republic Front and Member of Parliament claims that the ruling party cannot win the elections as the people are fed up of their rule. Therefore he predicted clear defeat for the ruling party who wields 9 percent vote base at present.
The NPP, or the JVP led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake for that matter, maintains unity despite ideological clashes between its traditional members and newcomers. They were claiming that could get 51 percent of votes in any election.
The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by MP Sajith Premadasa are now facing internal challenges and they have to compete for anti-SLPP, anti-Government votes with the NPP-JVP combine. But it has gained sizable vote in rural and urban areas with the support of former UNPers.
Other candidates such as businessmen Dhammika Perera and Dilith Jayaweera would further split in votes thus leaving the country with no clear winner in the first round. Sometimes they might join the president’s band wagon.
President Ranil Wickremasighe has a gigantic task as he is in need of the support of the majority SLPP to contest the next presidential election. Veteran politician and seasoned strategist is still marking time as he is having the last laugh.
Srilankan airline for auction !!!
In the wake of hotting up of political arena, the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines has caught up in turbulence with no investor so far stepped in take up the majority shares of the cash strapped airline. .
However Minister of Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva said once SriLankan Airlines is restructured the new investor will get new planes for the airline,.
Meanwhile, it was reported that SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, is to be auctioned next week.The Minister said that a new investor will be picked following a live auction
In the world of aviation, where trust in safety measures is paramount, the recent surge in technical faults reported by SriLankan Airlines has left frequent travellers grappling with a sense of uncertainty.
No Data on petroleum investments.
Australia’s United Petroleum has entered into an agreement with the Sri Lankan government to supply petroleum products to the Sri Lankan market, taking over150 existing fuel stations and also has the right to build 50 new fuel stations in Sri Lanka
Sinopec a chines prelim company is also operating in the island and is going to invest in 150 petrol stations and 50 new petrol stations which are currently maintained by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation .
But the question is that no one knows about their investments up to now as it was not in the public domain. Under this set up Ceylon Petroleum corporation will die a natural death.
Suspension of Parate low.
The Government is to bring necessary amendments to archaic parate law and the section section 4 of the Recovery of Loans by Banks (Special Provisions) Act No. 4 of 1990 introduced during President Premadasa regime.
The authorisation of sale of mortgaged property has been vested in the board of directors of the relevant bank under the provisions of the Banks (Special Provisions) Act no 04 1990, several legal experts disclosed.
They noted that the bank loan defaulters have been deprived of seeking judicial redress under this drastic act passed in parliament in 1990.
The Board of relevant bank is empowered by a resolution to sell by public auction any property mortgaged as security for any loan in respect of which default has been made in order to recover the whole of the unpaid portion of such loan, together with the money and costs recoverable under the act.
According to Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe these amendment bills to replace draconian legislations will be presented in Parliament soon.
The suspension of parate action until December15 2024 will be a great relief for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) hit by Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis, he added.
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