Latest news with #RanilWickremesinghe
The Print
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Print
Government, opposition trade barbs over luxury vehicle auction in Sri Lanka
The second phase of the auction to sell luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the presidential secretariat concluded on Thursday during which 17 of the 26 listed vehicles were sold. The vehicles put on the auction list included one BMW car, two Ford Everest SUVs, two Land Rover SUVs, one Mitsubishi Montero and one Porsche Cayenne. Colombo, May 17 (PTI) A public auction of luxury vehicles from the fleet of former presidents has caused a stir with the Sri Lankan government and the opposition trading barbs over actual costing and amount recovered. As soon as the National People's Power (NPP) government was elected in November last year, it came out with a list of expensive high-end vehicles used by the former president Ranil Wickremesinghe's advisors, personal staff and some former ministers. The government said the vehicles would be auctioned as a means to cut down extravagance and save tax monies. A statement from the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office said Rs 200 million was recovered at the auction. However, the opposition claimed the sale prices at the auction had been well below the current market prices. On Saturday, opposition legislator Dayasiri Jayasekera said: 'This was not a public auction but a calling of tenders underhand.' 'This is a big loss to the state. We are hoping to lodge a complaint against this at the bribery and corruption commission,' Jayasekera added. Dissanayake's office statement said the vehicles were duly sold to bidders who had offered rates well above the government valuations of them. Nine of the vehicles sold had received bids below the government valuation, the release said. The government slammed the disinformation campaign carried out by the opposition and their agents to what it termed as 'discrediting the government' over the auction. The first phase of the such auction was carried out on February 28. As many as 14 luxury vehicles, six decommissioned vehicles, local media had reported then. Following the government announcement in November last year, the Cabinet of Ministers had on December 3 decided to study the government vehicle fleet and dispose of super luxury vehicles that incur high maintenance and fuel costs. PTI CORR NPK NPK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sri Lanka protests ‘genocide monument' in Canada ahead of civil war anniversary
Sri Lanka has conveyed its 'strong objections' to the opening of a 'Tamil genocide monument' in Brampton in Ontario, Canada, saying such actions 'complicate and undermine' the government's efforts towards reconciliation and national unity. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on Wednesday summoned the Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo and conveyed the government's position on the 'unfounded genocide allegations' and the construction of such a memorial in Canada, which is home to a sizeable population of Sri Lankan Tamils who fled the island nation's long civil war. The monument, unveiled on May 10, is dedicated to the memory of Tamils killed in the war. On May 18, 2025, Tamils in Sri Lanka and elsewhere will commemorate 16 years since the civil war's end, when tens of thousands of civilian lives were lost, including in areas declared 'no fire zones' by the Sri Lankan authorities. Families of survivors have resolutely demanded justice for the killing of civilians — 40,000 according to UN estimates — in the final battle of Mullivaikkal, in Sri Lanka's northern Mullaitivu district, and the enforced disappearance of thousands of people, including those who surrendered to the army. Successive governments in Colombo have denied it was a 'genocide', but are yet to convincingly probe the grave rights abuses committed allegedly by the military, whose members are hailed as 'war heroes' in the island's Sinhala-majority south. In 2023, President Ranil Wickremesinghe's government 'condemned and rejected outright' the remarks of then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, marking the civil war anniversary as 'Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day'. Responding to Minister Herath's post on X, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Jaffna MP and Leader of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), challenged the government, and asked: 'If you truly believe that the allegations of Genocide against the Tamils by the Sri Lankan State are unfounded, then why do you demonstrate such fear at facing an international independent criminal investigation and proving the State's innocence? Why not sign up to the Rome Statute and allow the ICC to investigate?' 'The fact is, Minister, the State fears the truth! Truth is the only way to reconciliation, and your government, like the previous ones, will keep denying it,' Mr. Ponnambalam said. Amid their enduring demands for accountability, the release of military-held lands of the people, and meaningful revival of a much-neglected local economy, Tamils of the north and east gave President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) a huge mandate in the November 2024 general elections, signalling hope that the left-leaning leader, who promised to change the country's political culture, would address their wide-ranging post-war concerns. While Mr. Dissanayake has initiated the release of some land and repeatedly stated that his government will never resort to racism, many in the Tamil community are waiting to see swift and concrete action on the pledges made to them during his campaign. Weighing in on the recently held local government elections, in which Tamil parties outdid the NPP in the north and east, Tamil commentators blamed the government's inadequate action for its electoral losses in the area. They also hope that Tamils are allowed to remember their loved ones without fear or military surveillance. According to Human rights activist Ruki Fernando, 'A good test will be to see whether the NPP is willing to mourn and grieve with Tamils on May 18, or will it triumphantly celebrate it as a military victory'. Observing that the term 'genocide' has a specific legal definition, he said it is a matter of debate if what happened to Tamils in the last phase of the war, and since independence — 'multiple massacres, riots, colonisation of lands' —falls within the legal definition of a 'genocide'. 'Regardless of legal definitions, many in Sri Lanka believe what happened was a genocide against Tamils. A responsible government should patiently and sensitively listen to and engage with Tamil citizens on such concerns,' he added.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Watch: The new forces shaping subcontinental geopolitics
Former president and prime minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe has mooted the idea of India taking a lead in ensuring the emergence of South Asia as the 'most powerful region'. Participating in a session titled 'In the hood: The new forces shaping subcontinental geopolitics' at the fifth edition of The Hindu Huddle organised by The Hindu Group, in Bengaluru, Mr. Wickremesinghe observed that the South Asian region would account for a population size of 2.7 billion in the total world population of 9.8 billion while its combined economy would be around 43 billion dollars. T. S. Tirumurti, former permanent representative of India to the United Nations, said India should take a geopolitical role that goes beyond the sub-continent. The sooner we do it, he said, the more important it will be. The session was hosted by Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu's Diplomatic Affairs editor. Read more: Ranil Wickremesinghe moots idea of India taking a lead in ensuring emergence of South Asia as most powerful region
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
The Hindu Huddle 2025: Ranil Wickremesinghe moots idea of India taking a lead in ensuring emergence of South Asia as most powerful region
Maintaining that 'regionalism' is going to be important in the emerging world order, former president and prime minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe has mooted the idea of India taking a lead in ensuring the emergence of South Asia as the 'most powerful region'. Participating in a session titled 'In the hood: The new forces shaping subcontinental geopolitics' at the fifth edition of The Hindu Huddle organised by The Hindu Group, in Bengaluru, Mr. Wickremesinghe observed that the South Asian region would account for a population size of 2.7 billion in the total world population of 9.8 billion while its combined economy would be around 43 billion dollars. 'You will have three nuclear powers in this region. This is going to be the most powerful region in the world,' he said, while adding a rider that: 'We can do so if get out of the traditional mindset.' The former Sri Lankan president said geopolitics was witnessing a great shift, while pointing out, 'We had a unipolar world at the end of the World War-II that later became bipolar (with USSR and US being major players) and then unipolar again. It is becoming bipolar again (with US and China being the major players).' He wondered if it could become tripolr by 2050 where US, China and India would be the major players, particularly with India expected to be the third biggest economy by then. Mr. Wickremesinghe observed that the South Asian region would be a larger commonwealth than British commonwealth and it had several common threads in terms of religion, culture, civilisation, literature and philosophy among other things. Referring to the present global scenario, he said: 'We are seeing a world in which US President Donald Trump has disrupted the WTO. He has challenged the global order made by the US itself. It is like a cat eating the kitten. We all look upto the US as the growth engine. But it is shaken now. So regionalism is going to be more and more important, he said, while stressing the need for emergence of South Asia as the powerful region under the leadership of India. Referring to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, he argued that the transformation of economy should go on even amidst such issues. 'Development should go on despite terrorism as it is a phenomenon we need to live with,' he said. Welcoming such an idea, Mr. T. S. Tirumurti, former permanent representative of India to the United Nations, said: 'India should take a geopolitical role that goes beyond the sub-continent. The sooner we do it, the more important it will be.' Pointing out that democracy had become more stronger in the last 15 years in the South Asian region despite problems in a couple countries including Bangladesh, Mr. Tirumurti said the youth were playing a key role. This would help in the process of emergence of South Asia as the major regional power, he felt. Stating that security and geo politics are the two sides of the same coin, he argued that India needs to factor in security issues like conflict with Pakistan in its economic development. He stressed the need for India to become a net provider of prosperity to the region by opening up its economies to others. 'It is unrealistic for India to even talk of economic development without taking on the geo-political role or securing neighbourhood and being a net security provider not just for the neighbours, but for the larger region. Former National Security Advisor to India, M. K. Narayanan, too hailed the idea of South Asia becoming a powerful region as the single most important idea that he had heard in the last decade. Mr. N. Ram, director, The Hindu Group, observed that Mr. Wickremesinghe's vision for South Asia was full of hope. However, he expressed concern that, there were democratic deficits. Particularly referring to India, he said: 'There is a huge democratic deficit with India. The states are being attacked, Media is being intimidated. We have a serious problem of authoritarianism.' The Hindu Huddle 2025 is presented by Sami-Sabinsa Group Co-powered by: Government of Karnataka, Government of Telangana Associate Partners: ONGC, Presidency University, TAFE, Akshayakalpa Organic Energy Partner : Indian Oil Corporation Limited Realty partner: Casagrand Knowledge partner: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham State partner: Meghalaya tourism and Haryana government Luxury car partner: Toyota Radio partner: Radio City Gift partner: Anand Prakash Broadcast partner: Times Now Outdoor media partner: Signpost India
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
World Bank approves $1 billion loan to Sri Lanka for economic recovery
The World Bank has approved a $1 billion loan to Sri Lanka on Wednesday in order to revive the country's agriculture, tourism, and energy sectors after 2022 economic crisis, news agency AFP Lanka's economy collapsed in 2022 after it exhausted its foreign reserves, leaving it unable to import essential goods like food, fuel, and medicine. The financial meltdown triggered widespread protests, eventually leading to the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, secured a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), helping stabilize revenues and allowing for a restructuring of the country's $46 billion in foreign debt following its default in April World Bank's new loan, to be disbursed over three years, is designed to boost local industries and attract private investment, the Bank said in a statement following a meeting between World Bank President Ajay Banga and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo.'With progress underway to stabilize the economy and restart growth, core elements for job creation are in place,' Banga emphasized that now is the time to push ahead with reforms and create conditions that support private enterprise, especially in sectors with high employment signs of recovery, the World Bank recently warned that poverty remains widespread across the Lanka's economy registered 5.0% growth in 2024 — surpassing the Bank's earlier projection of 4.4% and marking its first year of expansion since the IMF cautioned that the country's recovery could be jeopardized if the US reinstates punitive tariffs. The United States is Sri Lanka's largest export market, accounting for nearly 25% of its $12 billion in merchandise exports. A 44% "reciprocal tariff" imposed by Washington was temporarily suspended for 90 days, and Colombo has appealed for negotiations rather than retaliation.
