Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the prime minister for the fourth time Sunday after his party secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections that cemented his family’s hold on power.

Rajapaksa took oath before his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at a prominent Buddhist temple on the outskirts of the capital Colombo.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa brothers secured a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, giving them nearly the two-thirds majority of seats required to make constitutional changes, according to results released Friday.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is likely to be sworn in the same position by his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, after the vote that could strengthen dynastic rule in the Indian Ocean island nation.

Colombo, Aug 6 (PTI) The counting of votes in Sri Lanka's twice-postponed parliamentary election began amidst tight security on Thursday with the powerful Rajapaksa family-run Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) saying it is confident of recording a historic victory by securing a two-thirds majority.

The election, conducted amidst COVID-19 pandemic fears, concluded in a peaceful manner on Wednesday, with a voter turnout of over 70 per cent, according to Chairman of the National Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya.

Colombo, Aug 5 (PTI) Sri Lankans, wearing face masks, on Wednesday started voting in the twice-postponed parliamentary election which is expected to be won by the powerful Rajapaksa family-run party.

Polling stations opened at 7 AM and would be open for voters until 5 PM local time.

The election, which was postponed twice due to the coronavirus, is to elect a 225-member Parliament for a 5-year term.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans started voting Wednesday to elect a new Parliament that is expected to give strong support to the powerful and popular Rajapaksa brothers.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected last November projecting himself as the only leader who could secure the country after the Islamic State-inspired bombings of churches and hotels that killed 269 people.

His older brother, the charismatic former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is seeking a majority of the 225 seats in Parliament to return as prime minister.

COLOMBO, June 2 (NNN-SLNEWS) – Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, on Monday, voiced his country’s continuous support to China’s sovereignty over its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

“Sri Lanka expressed continuity of its support on sovereignty of China (over) its territory and national security in relation to Hong Kong,” Gunawardena wrote, on his Twitter account.

“All Sri Lankans will continue to enjoy usual work and business in Hong Kong,” Gunawardena added.

Colombo, May 24 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has requested India to provide a special USD 1.1 billion currency swap facility to boost the country's draining foreign exchange reserves in view of the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rajapaksa's office said that the new request is in addition to the USD 400 million amount Sri Lanka has sought from the Indian government under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework.

Colombo, May 13 (PTI) An all-party meeting convened by Sri Lanka's election commission to decide whether to hold parliamentary polls in June remained inconclusive, party members said on Wednesday.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved the opposition-controlled Parliament on March 2, six months ahead of the schedule, and called a snap election on April 25 to elect a new 225-member House.

COLOMBO, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Police said Monday that over 46,000 people had been arrested from across the country for violating a curfew in several districts which has been in place since March 20.

In a statement, the Police said 46,284 people have been arrested for loitering on the roads, gathering and consuming alcohol at public grounds, traveling by vehicle on the roads, keeping restaurants open, behaving in an unruly manner on the roads while intoxicated and engaging in trading, defying curfew rules.

Colombo, Apr 21 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Election Commission has postponed the parliamentary elections for nearly two months in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed seven people and infected 295 others in the country.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on March 2 dissolved the Parliament, six months ahead of schedule and called a snap election on April 25.

A gazette notice signed by the three members of the National Election Commission announcing June 20 date of the election was issued on Monday.