Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and his ally Ali Sabry PC, made a very strong and seemingly compelling case for the Muslim community to back the former last week at the packed National Muslim Collective Forum at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, with a key highlight being the continuous applause for various statements made by both Rajapaksa and Sabry.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday challenged Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa to prove the renunciation of his American citizenship before the country goes to the polls next week.

Former General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake was of the opinion that the reason the UNP collapsed after four and a half years in Government was because he was not with it.

Two persons were injured after parliamentarian S.B. Dissanayake’s security personnel opened fire to disperse a group of people who obstructed the vehicle carrying Mr. Dissanayake at Polpitiya in Ginigathhena this evening, police said.

Presidential candidate of the National Movement for People’s Power MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the people must be open to change, in order to fulfil their aspirations.

IGP Pujith Jayasundera and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were further remanded until November 16 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage today.

Ven. Ududumbara Kashyapa Thera has called off his protest fast after receiving letters from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister Sajith Premadasa stating that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Agreement will not be signed.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera today assured that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement would only take effect after Parliament ratifies it and that it would be presented to the House after the presidential election.

Judging by the derogatory remarks by some SLPP MPs on the subject of menstruation and sanitary napkins, we cannot expect that women will be treated with much care under a government headed by the SLPP,” UNP parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra told news media yesterday.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga urged the public to take into consideration the policies put forth by the presidential candidates when casting their vote at the forthcoming presidential election.

The JVP has vehemently opposed the signing of all international agreements without following due process and by evading Parliament scrutiny.

Venerable Ududumbara Kashyapa thero commenced a fast unto death at the Independence Square in Colombo against the Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement with Sri Lanka.

New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential candidate Minister Sajith Premadasa said he will initiate a historic people’s welfare programme by converting the string of Presidential mansions in the country into Youth Technological Institutes once elected to power on November 16.

For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, its workforce is planning to stage a token strike, informed sources said yesterday (4).

SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that the former government used the TID and the CID of the Police to find terrorists, but the incumbent government is using those agencies to ‘chase after political opponents’.

The Ministry of Finance has taken measures to immediately purchase 12,000 Metric Tons (MT) of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a remedy for the LP gas shortage currently in the market.