30 July 2025 | Vol. 11, #132

DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS

Virakesari: “The new constitution is just a mirage; a new constitution is necessary to resolve the ethnic issue“ – Former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe | Priyantha Jayakody remanded till August 6 | Namal granted bail | Deshabandu files anticipatory bail application

Thinakaran: The defamation case filed by President Dissanayake seeking Rs. 10 billion: MP Tissa Kuttiarachchi who defamed the president expresses his unconditional regret | President’s official visit: Sri Lanka and Maldives sign agreements

Thinakkural: Swiss ambassador visits Chemmani mass grave site; 45 minutes of discussion with those involved in the excavation | Swiss ambassador inquires about Chemmani and Thaiyiddi | Seven skeletons were recovered yesterday; three exhumed | “Provide adequate
security for the president” – Ajith P. Perera of the SJB | Continuing delays in obtaining approval from the Ministry of Defence; Scan in collaboration with the University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Thamilan: PAFFREL urges govt. to hold provincial council elections | “Proper legislation is necessary for provincial council elections; cooperation of political parties is also needed” – Saman Sri Ratnayake | Lahiru Weerasekara arrested| Photograph: Hoisting of flag for Nallur Kovil annual festival

Lankadeepa: Did he kill his daughter and wife and die by suicide? | A mysterious document behind the death of the opposition leader of the Yatinuwara Pradeshiya Sabha | A gang has taken his vehicle away | A
high-ranking police officer’s name in the four-page letter written by the deceased

Divaina: The opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS, who was burdened with debt, dead by suicide after sending his wife and elder daughter to the afterlife. The life of his younger daughter saved despite being given sleeping pills

Ada: The opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS dead by suicide after killing his wife and daughter| Younger daughter escapes attempt to kill | A letter written by the deceased opposition leader mentions at length of threats made by a person named Wijesinghe | A group has been extorting money for some time by showing documents regarding a land transaction made when the opposition leader was the PS chairman | SSP Anuruddha Bandaranaike had been informed to
stop the extortion incident

Mawbima: A fundamental rights petition filed at the Supreme Court by the Young Journalists’ Association against the Sri Lankan government, including the president as a respondent, due to the absence of a chairperson for the Right to Information (RTI) Commission for six months

Dinamina: 1,900 illegally imported vehicles seized by Customs | Risk of losing Rs. 3 billion in taxes

Aruna: The Yatinuwara PS opposition leader has written a four-page letter before dying by suicide | Was stressed due to the daughter’s illness | Business was also under threat

Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only

TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES

Seven skeletons identified yesterday at Chemmani mass grave site

Thamilan, Virakesari, Thinakkural

The total number of skeletons identified at the Chemmani mass grave site has risen to 111, with 99
skeletons having been fully exhumed so far.
Thamilan and Thinakkural: The process of conducting a ground scan of the area has been delayed due to the Ministry of Defence not yet granting full permission. As an alternative, experts have sought assistance from the technology department of the University of Sri
Jayewardenepura. The ground scanning is now expected to take place on Monday August 4.

“Proper legislation is necessary for provincial council elections;
cooperation of political parties is also needed” – Saman Sri Ratnayake 

Thamilan, Virakesari

Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has stated that the provincial council elections cannot be conducted due to the absence of a firm law. He affirmed that the Election Commission is prepared to hold the elections at any time, provided that a proper law is enacted. Ratnayake emphasised that conducting an election is an executive function that requires a legal framework passed by the legislature. He urged political parties and other pressure groups to cooperate with the Election Commission to advocate for the necessary legislation to be passed.

PAFFREL urges govt. to hold provincial council elections 

Thamilan

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) is pressuring the government to immediately hold the provincial council elections, which have been delayed for over 11 years. In a letter, PAFFREL’s Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi urged the government to act on two existing private members’ motions to pass a simple legal amendment. This would allow the elections to be held under the old system by the first quarter of next year. The organisation also recommends including a 25% quota for women’s representation in nominations, if the old system is used. In response, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Abhayaratna stated that
preliminary legal preparations are underway for a new electoral system.

Swiss ambassador visits Chemmani; holds discussion with Northern governor

Thamilan, Thinakkural

Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka Siri Walt visited the Chemmani mass grave excavation site in Jaffna on Tuesday morning. She reportedly spent 45 minutes discussing the ongoing work in detail with those involved in the excavation. Following this, the ambassador met with Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayagan and inquired about matters including the Chemmani issue, the Thaiyiddi vihara and flight services from the Palali-Jaffna International Airport. During the meeting, the governor highlighted the province’s post-war economic challenges, including unemployment due to a lack of factories, and suggested that establishing value-added production facilities would benefit local agricultural and fishing communities.

Thamilan: Merely reports the visit of the ambassador to Chemmani.

SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES

Kandy Esala perahera to begin tonight with first Kumbal perahera

Divaina, Lankadeepa, Dinamina

The first Kumbal perahera of the Kandy Esala festival will parade the streets of Kandy tonight (30th), marking the official commencement of the annual cultural and religious celebrations at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The perahera will set off from the forecourt of the Sri Dalada Maligawa at 7.05 pm, proceeding along Dalada Veediya, D.S. Senanayake Street, Pansala Road, Deva Veediya, Colombo Street, Yatinuwara Street, and returning via Raja Veediya. The Kumbal perahera will be held for five consecutive nights, culminating in the Randoli perahera which begins on August 4. The festival will officially conclude with the day perahera on August 9, ending one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most revered cultural traditions. To ensure security and smooth operations, over 6,000 police and armed forces personnel have been deployed across the Kandy city.

Theft at Narahenpita police garage: batteries and helmets stolen

Aruna, Lankadeepa

The Narahenpita Police have commenced investigations into two incidents of theft of a stock of safety helmets and batteries stored in the main garage of the Narahenpita Police Transport Division. Three safety helmets worth Rs. 15,000 and 12 used motorcycle batteries worth Rs. 12,000 were stolen. The police say that the thefts had occurred between the 25th and 28th of last month.

COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS