Arjuna Ranatunga to chair 15-member National Sports Council

Elections chief to write to political parties

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya says he will be writing to all the registered political parties seeking clarity on who will be contesting the August 17 Parliament elections. Deshapriya told reporters today that the Department of Elections has been given the minimum number of days to prepare for the Parliament elections. But he said the Department will prepare for the election within the time it has in hand and ensure everything is in place by election day. He said that over the next

27 Jun, 2015

US observers to be invited for August election

Election observers from the United States are to be invited to Sri Lanka for the first time to observe the?August 17?Parliament elections. Discussions are likely to be held with the National Democratic Institute and the Jimmy Carter Institute in the USA to invite observers for the election. Sri Lanka has in the past invited observers from the EU, the Commonwealth and India for crucial elections. Meanwhile, the People?s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), said that they will be looki

28 Jun, 2015

Gold chains, liquor smuggled from Lanka seized

Customs officials at the Madurai airport seized 604 grams of raw gold chains (unfinished 24 karat gold chains) and 35 bottles of foreign liquor from 11 persons, all Indian citizens, who arrived from Sri Lanka. The gold chains, numbering seven, were recovered from as many persons. The officials confiscated the gold and registered a case under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, against them. Assistant Commissioner (Customs) M. Chandrasekaran said that the customs officials on duty grew sus

27 Jun, 2015