SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 LATEST EDITION VOL: 09/43 PRICE : RS 70.00 READ CEYLON TODAY Inside Story AND SLR to kick off with 7s tournament WIN Despite not playing rugby for LUXURY HOTEL nearly sixth months, Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) is planning to kick off STAYS! the sport with two inter club Sevens rugby tournaments end of D INSIDE October. ETAILS A16 Report on 20A to PM soon BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU The report compiled by the Ministerial Committee, formed to examine the merits and demerits of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, is to be submitted to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the coming week, informed sources revealed. When contacted, Minister of Justice, President’s Counsel M.U.M. Ali Sabry said the committee would decide whether any amendments would need to be Ten Opposition included or not in the proposed draft. Story Continued on PAGE 2 MPs to Support ‘MT New Diamond’ Court orders to obtain 20th Amendment crude oil samples BY HANSI NANAYAkkARA Some to cross over to Govt during vote Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne on 11 September, ordered the Director of the Sri Lankan shipping firm, which is in charge of the oil tanker ‘MT New Rifts appearing within SJB coalition? Diamond’, to obtain samples of the crude oil stored in it and to hand over copies of the vessel data records to the BY W.K. PRASAD MANJU to back the Government in two ways, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), in order for Minister added. them to ascertain whether the spewing of oil by the tanker Ten Opposition Parliamentarians have He averred that some of the Opposition MPs had occurred due to an error on the part of its officials or expressed willingness to support the proposed would cross over to Government ranks when the due to any other reason. draft of the 20th Amendment to the vote will be taken. The Chief Magistrate also issued an order to the firm, Constitution, a top Cabinet Minister said. The Minister noted that a sizeable lot from the which has presently placed 23 members of its crew in self- The group had affirmed that they were ready Opposition would still continue to back the... isolation, according to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, to... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Failure to fill SLMC vacancies GMOA will strike if Minister doesn’t intervene BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE GMOA Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando said, of the 25 Council The Government Medical Officers’ Members, only 21 were there at Association (GMOA) on 11 present. Although Wanniarachchi September warned it would resort called for the Council to conduct to strike action if Health Minister the elections, the incumbent Pavithra Wanniarachchi did not Council Chairman and several take measures to ensure that the others who are staunch supporters Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) of former Health Minister Dr. conduct its elections to fill in four Rajitha Senaratne have been vacancies. stalling it. Story Continued on PAGE 2 Producing medicine locally Khawaja Govt hopes to breaks down in halve pharma Sydney Court imports in Apologises for three years framing love rival The Government plans to produce Arsalan Khawaja, brother of 50 per cent of the country’s Australian Cricketer Usman requirement of pharmaceuticals Khawaja broke down in a Sydney locally within the next three years. Court and apologised for framing... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Names of COPE, COPA members announced BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on 11 September announced the names of Parliamentarians appointed to the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), the Committee on Standing Orders and the Committee on Public Petitions. Accordingly, MPs Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Susil Premajayantha, Jayantha Samaraweera, Dilum Amunugama, Indika Anuruddha Herath, Dr. Sarath Weerasekera,... Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Court orders... Obituary Ten Opposition... ...facilitate the CID to record statements from Tony Opatha (73) passed away on Friday, 11 September 2020 them in this connection. with his family by his side following a sudden illness. ...Government with regard to Opposition MPs had not taken part in Jayaratne also issued an order to the Marine He leaves behind his wife, Indrani Opatha and children, as democratic and progressive Bills that some of the recent anti-Government Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) well as many beloved family and friends, especially his youngest are tabled, while remaining in the protests organised by the main officials, to visit the oil tanker in question to brother, Mervin Opatha. Opposition benches in Parliament. Opposition SJB, and this has now inspect and decide whether the oil samples A memorial service will be held at Barney Raymond funeral He remarked that talks which are become a heated topic of discussion in they had taken near the distressed tanker, parlour at Borella on Sunday, 13 September at 3:30 p.m. presently proceeding with Opposition local political circles. It is claimed that would match with the oil samples taken from MPs in this connection have been some of the MPs belonging to smaller the ship. positive. parties in the SJB coalition had not The CID informed the Court that they had He pointed out that in order to carry attended these anti-Government commenced an investigation to ascertain out expeditious development work in protests. whether any violation of the provisions Report on... the country, the support of the These anti-Government protests had contained in Sections of 25, 26, 38 and 53 of Opposition would be most welcome been held against the 20th the Marine Pollution Prevention Act, No. 35 of He remarked that though Amendment rather than the and insisted that a sizeable number of Amendment, opposite the statue of the 2008, had taken place due to the blaze that had some had claimed that before incurring of additional MPs from the Opposition had already late monk Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha occurred on the oil tanker ‘MT New Diamond’. the ratification of the 20th expenses for the staging of an expressed their willingness towards Thera. The sporting of black shawls The Attorney General and the prosecution Amendment, a referendum unwarranted referendum. this. (satakayas) within Parliament too took were represented in Court by Deputy Solicitor would have to be held, the The committee formed by Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture place recently. General Dileepa Peiris and senior officers from Government had not included Prime Minister Rajapaksa to Mahindananda Aluthgamage revealed Political analysts had further opined the CID, while Attorney-at-Law and Head of the any clauses to the proposed study the pros and cons of the in Parliament on 10 September that that the internal tension in the SJB MEPA, Dharshani Lahandapura and Dr. Amendment which would draft proposal for the 20th some 10 to 15 MPs from the Opposition had been underscored with All Ceylon Turney Pradeep Kumara appeared for the warrant the conduct of a Amendment is set to convene were ready to support the draft 20th Makkal Congress MP S.M. Musharaf MEPA. referendum. on 14 September in Colombo Amendment mooted by the speaking in favour of the conduct of The Court also instructed the CID to record Ali Sabry PC opined that and the final report of this Government. the present regime when the House statements from the Captain and crew both the 18th and 19th committee is to be handed In the meantime, some of the had convened on 10 September. members of the distressed crude oil tanker. Amendments to the over to the Premier during the Constitution had been ratified course of the coming week. in Parliament with a majority According to informed of two-thirds vote. sources, the Government is Hence, he argued, the expecting to table the draft Names of... majority vote in the House 20th Amendment to the Govt hopes... would be sufficient for the Constitution in the House on ...D.V. Chanaka, Dr. Nalaka MPs Pavithra Wanniarachchi, ratification of the said 22 or 23 September. The objective is to provide high-quality medicine to Godahewa, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Susil Premajayantha, Dilan Perera, the public and the foreign market as well, at Rauff Hakeem, Anura Kumara Chandima Weerakkody, Mayantha affordable prices. All products are to be made Dissanayake, Patali Champika Dissanayake, Charles according to the recommendations and standards of Ranawaka, Jagath Pushpakumara, Nirmalanathan, Sujith Perera, the World Health Organisation. Eran Wickremaratne, Ranjan Sagara Kariyawasam and Dr. Suren GMOA will... At present, 85 per cent of the country’s drug Ramanayake, Nalin Bandara Raghavan have been appointed to requirement is met by imports at an annual cost of Jayamaha, S.M. Marikkar, the Committee on Standing Orders. He alleged that with their presence in the Council, it would Rs 130 billion. Manufacturing pharmaceuticals Premnath C. Dolawatte, Sanakiyan MPs Gamini Lokuge, Dayasiri only help in politicising the Council and disrupting the services locally will save Rs 60 billion. Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam and Jayasekera, Nimal Lanza, Janaka being carried out by it such as the issue regarding the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made these Professor Charitha Herath have Wakkumbura, S. Viyalendran, de-registration of four Russian Universities. remarks at a discussion held at the Presidential been appointed as Members of Thenuka Vidanagamage, Jeevan He said, the Union would decide on its course of trade union Secretariat on 10 September on the future plans of COPE. Thondaman, Imthiaz Bakeer action from the week commencing on 21 September, if the the State Ministry of Pharmaceutical Production, Members of the COPA are MPs Markar, Jagath Pushpakumara, Minister failed to resolve the issue.