China congratulates Ranil, hails SL polls

China congratulated UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on his election victory and said that the country was willing to enhance mutual beneficial cooperation with Sri Lanka to push forward bilateral strategic partnership.

Udaya Gammanpila at SIU

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila has arrived at the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) this morning to give a statement, police said.

SLFP agrees to join National Govt.

The SLFP Central Committee today decided to form a national government with the UNP for two years with either party failing to secure an overall majority to form a government at this election.

Lal Kantha resigns as WPC member

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) member of the Western Provincial Council K. D. Lal Kantha has resigned from his post in order to engage in trade union work full time, party sources said.

Handunnetti, Mayadunne nominated from JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has nominated former Auditor General Sarath Chandra Mayadunne and its defeated Matara District candidate Sunil Handunnetti as its national list MPs, party sources said.

Video: Shashi Weerawansa at FCID

Shashi Weerawansa, the wife of MP Wimal Weerawansa arrived at the Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) a short while ago to give a statement.

MS convenes SLFP CC meeting

President Maithripala Sirisena has convened a meeting of the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, scheduled for 9.00 am today, at his official residence in Colombo, to discuss the formation of a National government, informed sources said.

​Top SLFPer to join UNFGG?

A powerful Sri Lanka Freedom Party politician had reportedly wanted to join the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG), political sources said.

Election was a research -Sannasgala

The well known tuition master Upul Shantha Sannasgala, who entered the Sri Lankan political arena by contesting the Colombo District from the UNP, but failed to win a parliamentary seat, said yesterday that he considered his contesting the election as an act of research done by him.

Bangkok blast: President Sirisena offers his condolences

President Maithripala Sirisena today offered his condolences to Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej over the death of 20 innocent people, including foreigners, due to a deadly bomb blast near Bangkok's Erawan shrine on Monday.

UK congratulates Ranil on election victory

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond today congratulated UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on his party’s election victory and said the manner in which the general election was held was a credit for Sri Lankans.

BJP happy over the number of votes secured

Bodu Jana Peramuna (BJP) said today winning parliamentary seats was not their main objective of contesting the general elections but to prove their strength as a party capable of promoting its ideology among the citizens.

Revise the Constitution, electoral system: C’wealth observers

Publishing the interim report based on the observations of the general elections 2015, Commonwealth observer group Chairman Dr. George Abela today suggested that the electoral system of Sri Lanka should be put under review and an independent Elections Commission should be established immediately to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for elections.

Video: RW for Broad National Policy

A broad national policy for the betterment of the country will be put to Parliament after obtaining President Maithripala Sirisena’s approval by the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) which emerged victorious at the general elections.

Will come to Parliament: MR

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has confirmed he will assume duties as an Opposition MP while stating that he accepts the results of the parliamentary elections with humility.

Remanded Premalal tops Ratnapura UPFA list

Former Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, who is still in remand custody, had topped the UPFA list in Ratnapura with 154,980 preferential votes, way ahead of W. D. J. Seneviratne who made it to the second place of the list with 90,472 votes.

National govt. need of the hour: Sobitha Thera

The leader of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, who pioneered the campaign for the election of candidates with better qualities, today said that a national government should be formed even for a brief period to make political reforms and stable national policies.

No regrets: Rosy

Former State Minister and UNP Colombo district candidate Rosy Senanayake, who failed in her bid for re-election, told Daily Mirror that having to confine her campaign within the Colombo West electorate was one of the reasons to have obtained only 65,320 preferential votes.

Customs seized Rs.35.5 Mn worth of gold

Two airline company employees, who were attempting to smuggle into the country 75 gold biscuits worth Rs.37.50 million, were arrested by SriLankan airline security staff at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning.

They were not re-elected

Several United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) heavy weights, including former ministers S.B. Dissanayake, Lakshman Seneviratne, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane and Mahinda Samarasinghe were not re-elected according to the results announced today.

UN chief congratulates new SL govt.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today called on the new government in Sri Lanka under United National Front (UNF) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to make further progress on good governance, accountability and reconciliation.

Ranjan, Prasanna top Gampaha list

Former MP Ranjan Ramanayaka has obtained 216,463 preferential votes in the UNP lists in the Gampha district while Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has topped the UPFA list with 384,448 preferential votes.

Ranil tops with over 500,000 votes in Colombo

Incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has topped the UNP Colombo district list with 500,566votes. UPFA former parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, who obtained 313,801 votes, has topped the UPFA list.

Modi congratulates Ranil

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up Ranil Wickremesinghe to congratulate him on his party's victory in Sri Lankan parliamentary polls, and expressed confidence that the relations between the two countries will get better under his leadership.

MR, Akila top Kurunegala list

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who contested the parliamentary election in the Kurunegala District secured 423, 529 preferential votes while Akila Viraj Kariyawasam topped the UNP list with 286, 155 preferential votes.

Bonus seats: UNP 13, UPFA 12

The Elections Department allocated the bonus seats as follows: UNP-13 seats; UPFA-12; JVP-2 and ITAK-2.

Range Bandara leads Puttalam list

UNP’s Palitha Range Bandara topped the party’s Puttalam district list with 66, 960 preferential votes while Niroshan Perera (59, 337), Hector Appuhamy (55, 475), Shantha Abeysekara (36, 390) and Ashoka Priyantha (35, 418) placed at the second, third, fourth and fifth places respectively.

Kiriella tops Kandy list

Lakshman Kiriella has topped the UNP list in Kandy with 199,046 preferential votes while Mayantha Dissanayake, Abdul Haleem, Rauff Hakeem, Lucky Jayawardane and Ananda Aluthgamage obtained preferential votes 111,190, 111, 011, 102,186, 67, 461, 67, 461 and 56, 625 respectively.

Video: We should have performed better: JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which admitted to the fact that it had not performed as expected at yesterday’s election said the party would however function as a vibrant and effective political party while being in the opposition.

Video: SL too can hold a free and fair election - IGP

The free and fair election held on Monday had sent a clear message to the world that Sri Lanka too can hold elections in a peaceful manner, Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon said today.