Rishad arrives in Parliament in PPE FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2020 LATEST EDITION VOL: 09/259 PRICE : Rs 30.00 Easter Attacks Zaharan’s wife, five others remanded All Ceylon Makkal Congress MP Rishad Bathiudeen is seen arriving at the Parliament Complex clad in Personal Protective Equipment. He is presently detained at the Pallansena Quarantine Centre. Story Continued on After his arrival, the MP’s body temperature was checked PAGE 2 156 in favour 65 against 8 SJB MPs 20A Sails 157 votes in including favour of Dual Diana Citizenship Gamage vote Through Clause in favour Rishad, Maithripala With 2/3rds Hakeem, dodges vote Digambaram against; their Majority party-men in favour Story Continued on PAGE 9 SJB MP displays U.S. SL records 14th Providing bogus info Dual citizens to destabilise Govt entering Parliament flag in Parliament COVID-19 death Swiss Embassy President promised to BY GAGANI WEERAKOON Curfew imposed in 5 remove Clause from new staffer to be indicted Constitution – NFF, PHU In an unprecedented turn of events, a flag of a areas in Colombo BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA foreign country was displayed in the chamber of BY DILANTHI JAYAMANNE, BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND Parliament yesterday (22) by an Opposition THAMEENAH RAZEEK, EUNICE RUTH, The Criminal Investigations Department METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE legislator. AMANI NILAR AND NABIYA VAFFOOR yesterday (22) informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Mohammad Mihal, the probe The National Freedom Front (NFF) and Story Continued on PAGE 2 Sri Lanka recorded its 14th COVID-19 conducted by them against Swiss Embassy the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), death yesterday (22), when a 53-year-old employee Garnier Bannister Francis, on yesterday (22), said they decided to vote woman transferred from the Teaching charges of providing bogus information to for the 20th Amendment Bill, after Implementing death penalty Hospital (TH) of Kuliyapitiya, to the destabilise the Government, had been President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had given National Institute of Infectious Diseases concluded. an assurance to them that the Clause... an urgent need – Sajith (NIID), died at its Intensive Care Unit. Story Continued on BY GAGANI WEERAKOON AND METHMALIE Story Continued on PAGE 2 PAGE 2 DISSANAYAKE Story Continued on PAGE 2 U.S. State Dept says De-proscribing LTTE The main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya Political victimisation PCoI (SJB) yesterday (22), in Parliament, expressed Pompeo will focus on GoSL made aware of consent for the implementation of the capital UNF Govt misused punishment. broad range of topics POAC’s Open Judgment Public Property Act Story Continued on PAGE 9 U.S. Secretary of State, Michael R. The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) – Yoshitha Pompeo, speaking to the Media in has been made aware of the Open Washington, D.C. on 21 October, said his Judgment by the Proscribed Case against Basil et al BY FAADHILA THASSIM visits to India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Organisations Appeals Commission Indonesia, beginning on 25 October, will (POAC) of the United Kingdom (UK), Prosecution concludes submissions Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Yoshitha focus on a broad range of bilateral topics, dated 21 October. Rajapaksa, yesterday (22), said the United not least the preservation of a free and open The decision of the POAC arises from BY HANSI NANAYAKKARA National Front (UNF) Government misused Indo-Pacific, the U.S. State Department said an appeal filed in May 2019 by an LTTE the Offences Against Public Property Act on its website. front organisation, challenging the Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige and the Prevention of Money Laundering His meetings in India, where he will be decision of the UK Secretary of State for yesterday (22) informed Colombo High Court Judge Act, to remand him and his family. joined in by U.S. Defence Secretary Mark T. Home Affairs dated 8 March 2019, which R. Gurusinghe the prosecution had concluded its... Testifying before the Presidential... Esper, will include discussions on how... refused the application by the group... Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 Story Continued on PAGE 2 A2 FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2020 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 President.... SJB MP... GoSL... Samagi Jana Balawegaya Kurunegala MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake: “MP ... allowing dual citizens to enter Parliament, District Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara Jayamaha had brought the loin cloth of ... to de-proscribe the LTTE from the list of which will be enacted through the 20th Amendment, Jayamaha, during the second day debate on his former leader Ranil Wickremesinghe Proscribed Organisations under the UK Terrorism would be removed from the new Constitution that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution here. That should be removed from the Act of 2000. will be enacted next year. Bill, showed the United States (U.S.) national house.” While the GoSL was not a party to these During a Media briefing which was attended by flag and said the sole purpose of bringing MP Jayamaha, wearing a mask showing proceedings at the POAC and could not make Parliamentarians Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Professor about the 20th Amendment was to enable the face of a black American, said: “This direct representations, the GoSL has assisted the Tissa Vitharana and Weerasumana Weerasinghe, persons holding U.S.-Lankan dual house comprises Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim Government of the UK, by providing information NFF and PHU Leaders and Ministers Wimal citizenship to become MPs. MPs. When we stand together it is difficult to with regard to continued terrorist activities. Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, respectively, He said: “There would be a day soon when identify who is Tamil, who is Sinhala and The Open Judgment of the POAC, while said the President held a discussion with the American citizens would come here as MPs. who is Muslim. But this Bill would help allowing the Appeal, provides for further Government Party Leaders on 21 October and made The 20th Amendment is to pave the way for those with different racial features to come hearings, and the GoSL will continue to closely an emotional appeal that the Clause in the 19th that purpose.” here.” monitor the progress of the case in the UK. Amendment was brought targeting him, to prevent He read out the oath that should be taken SLPP MP A.D. Jagath Kumara: “The The GoSL has sufficient evidence to prove that him from contesting the Presidential Election. by a foreigner when becoming a U.S. citizen Opposition MP read out an oath before the the remnants of the LTTE and groups aligned Gammanpila said the President requested them to and said as per that oath, the person who U.S. flag. That oath should be given before with its terrorist ideology are active in foreign give their support to abolish that Clause from the takes that should give his or her first priority the U.S. flag. He did the same inside this countries, working to incite violence and Constitution. However, the President pledged that to American interests. house. This house should not be permitted destabilise the country. Sri Lanka remains the Clause would be included in the new “Where are those who wallow in patriotism to give the oath of allegiance to the U.S.” vigilant of threats to its national security as well Constitution. today? They made use of patriotism to win Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena as that of the region, and will always support “The President agreed with all of the other elections but they pass laws against national requested the Chair not to let the Opposition members of the international community in the requests that we made, such as that the passing of interests. Soon there would be a day where MP to act against the dignity and decorum of global fight against terrorism. emergency Bills be limited to facts relevant to we would be among Americans who would the house. “The Opposition MP has national security, giving power to the Auditor become MPs,” he said. smuggled in items not permitted in this General to audit public institutions and keeping the “The danger is that this Bill would not only house. An investigation must be held as to limitation on the number of Ministers. Therefore, we allow Americans but also Chinese too. how he had managed to bring them in here. decided to vote for the 20th Amendment,” he added. Chinese too can become MPs here,” he said He must be stopped from making use of this However, as a Party, the PHU is against allowing showing the U.S. flag. august assembly to display his undignified Zaharan’s... duel citizens to enter Parliament and we will always Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) actions,” Abeygunawardena said. Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Priyantha adhere to that principle, he said. Liyanage, yesterday (22), ordered Abdul Cader Weerawansa said: “Earlier, we decided to support Fathima Hadiya, wife of the mastermind of last the 20th Amendment as a whole while voting year’s Easter Sunday terror attacks and leader of against the Clause about allowing duel citizens to an extremist organisation Zaharan Hashim, and enter Parliament, during the Committee Stage five other suspects, to be remanded till 4 debate. But the President pledged that the Clause SL records... November. will be abolished in the new Constitution. He also Hadiya, who was held on detention orders by said Justice Minister, M.U.M. Ali Sabry PC would The patient was admitted to the TH In addition, a total of two Customs the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for mention that in his reply speech at the end of the Kuliyapitiya on 12 October, where she was Inspectors engaged in duty at the new 18 months, was thus ordered to be incarcerated debate. So we changed our earlier decision.” transferred to the Hospital’s ICU when her container gate of the main entrance to the along with the five other suspects, by Colombo Nanayakkara, Prof.