The Office of the Missing Persons Bill will have to be tabled afresh in Parliament as it had been signed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya without including the amendments submitted by the JVP and other opposition parties. Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that he would discuss with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera the possibility of presenting the Bill again.

The Leader of the House made the announcement when the opposition MPs pointed out that their amendments had not been included in the Bill signed into law by the Speaker.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena: We have stated many times that this Bill cannot be considered as passed according to the provisions of the Standing Orders. We reiterate that the OMP Bill is null and void. That was why we asked for time to inform the House of the mistake the government had committed. This happened once when the government took a vote on a financial bill. Later it was corrected. We submitted 31 amendments to the OMP Bill and do not know what happened to them.

NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa: I asked for a division when the Bill was taken up in this House. The Speaker might not have heard it because of shouting. The Bill was rushed through the House in an arbitrary manner. The end result was the Bill included amendments of the government and overlooked those submitted by the opposition. We opposed this Bill and therefore our amendments have not included our amendments. Then what about the amendments of those who supported the Bill? They have become frustrated today. This office is not to find the truth about those gone missing in 1988-89 period. It is against the war heroes.

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella: I was really keen to participate in the debate on the OMP Bill. But, it was not we who disrupted the debate. The Opposition should have participated in the debate without invading the Well. The Bill was presented to this House on May 22. Had you had any opposition there to you could have gone before court. Now it is too late. The Speaker has placed his signature thereon. It contains all necessary amendments.

Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake: You as the Leader of the House should announce the time for amendments and should call for the amendments. The Hansard does not have any invitation from the Leader of the House. We should be given an opportunity to present those amendments again.

Leader of the House: We can discuss it.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake: Those who came to the Well did not want this Bill. Their intention was to deprive us of our right to participate in the debate. What we wanted was to present amendments to the Bill. The Chair could not follow procedure because of the disturbance in the middle of the Chamber. Bring the Bill before Parliament again and give us the opportunity to present amendments.

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake: We submitted our amendments to the Foreign Minister and the Speaker. I presented amendments in my speech, too. But those amendments are not in the Bill signed by the Speaker. It is not the Speaker who deprived us of our right but a small group of protesters. We should have the right to present our amendments.

Leader of the House: The Bill has been passed. To include the amendments, the bill has to be brought before Parliament again. I will discuss it with the subject minister and give a solution soon.

Bimal Ratnayake: Setting up of the office would take three more months. Give us the opportunity to bring amendments.

The 19-year-old Sri Lankan national charged in the mass killing of a newcomer family in Ottawa has no plan to seek bail, his lawyer says.

With the Presidential Election scheduled to be held in the first week of October, political parties have begun vigorous campaigns in electorates as well as closed door discussions with parliamentarians in a bid to secure a basic 50 percent vote base which will win them the presidency.

Notwithstanding the internal friction within the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) resulting in changes in party's leadership positions, the Election Commission clarified its role in accepting nominations for SLFP candidates in the event that internal conflicts persist beyond the declaration of elections.

Editor of the official Catholic Sinhala weekly ‘Gnanartha Pradeepaya’, Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today for an investigation related to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Sri Lankan Rupee remains steady against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (Apr 19) compared to Thursday. According to Seylan Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar are unchanged at Rs. 295 and Rs. 305.50, respectively.

It is reported that the Presidential Security Division has taken over the security of the visiting Iranian President – Ebrahim Raisi, who will arrive at Sri Lanka on April 24 for the inauguration of the Uma Oya project.

Sri Lanka remains on high alert as Canadian leaders may make genocide allegations next month when the country marks the war victory, according to a diplomatic source.

The respondent parties in the first application filed before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court under the newly enacted Online Safety Act, raised objections challenging the maintainability of the application.

The Court of Appeal has issued notice on former Member of Parliament Hirunika Premachandra, requiring her to appear before court on May 8 in connection with a contempt of court application.

The Catholic Church has received the remaining parts of the report submitted by the presidential commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today. Cardinal Ranjith said the church had received it three weeks ago. “A team of lawyers are studying the report and we will come up with a statement on it once the study is completed,” he told a briefing.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested two suspects, including a retired Major of the Sri Lanka Army for fraudulently obtaining money from individuals promising employment in the Russian army.

The Colombo District Court today further extended its enjoining order preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). This order will be effective till May 9. The Colombo District Court made this order following a lawsuit filed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Sri Lanka is considering providing free visas to over 50 countries, it was reported. According to Tourism Ministry sources, a proposal in this regard is to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers next week.

According to the family members, the funeral service for former Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma is scheduled to take place this Friday (10).

Admissions for the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations will be issued by next week, the Examinations Department said. Accordingly, admissions will be issued to school applicants through the respective principals and to private applicants by post. The examination is scheduled to be held on May 6.

Preparations are underway to bid farewell to late Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, the founder and President Emeritus of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, with full state honours.

The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated further against the US Dollar today (Apr 17), compared to Tuesday, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 294.20 to Rs. 295.28, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 303.54 to Rs. 305.19. The Rupee has also depreciated against several foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies.

The United States (US) Government recently held preliminary talks with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Colombo regarding the planned transfer of a fourth US Coast Guard cutter to the SLN, as part of the ongoing security partnership between both the countries.

Amidst reports that some ex-military men from Sri Lanka have joined the Russian military operations against Ukraine, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Moscow Prof. Janita Liyanage said she asked for details about them from the Russian military if any. She said this in response to a query about media reports to that effect. “I sought such details from the Russian military if there is anyone there,” she said.

Sri Lanka cannot be pushed and bumped into a global conflict and therefore it should be diligent in its dealings with various nations, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP said today.