The office of Minister Sunil Handunnetti clarified that the Minister had mistakenly referred to the Nobel Prize instead of the Guinness World Record when speaking to the media on Sri Lanka Tea’s latest global achievement.

Officials said the Minister was referring to Sri Lanka receiving recognition for the most expensive tea ever sold, which was officially certified as a Guinness Record. They noted that his mention of the Nobel Prize was an error during the speech.

Sri Lanka Tea recently set the Guinness World Record with the sale of an exclusive tea variety at the highest recorded price. (Newswire)

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The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) has won six (06) seats in the Matara District under the Preferential voting system.

The preferential votes for the Matara District are as follows;

• NPP – 06 seats

Sunil Handunneththi – 249,251 votes

Saroja Polraj – 148,379 votes

L.M. Abeywickrama – 68,144 votes

Arkam Ilyas – 53,835 votes

Ajantha Gammaddage – 48,820 votes

Lal Premanath – 48,797 votes

• SJB – 01 seat

Chathura Galappaththi – 32,196 votes. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has elected the last Executive President of the nation, National People’s Power (NPP) politburo member Sunil Handunnetti said. 

Addressing the media today, former MP Sunil Handunnetti assured that the nation will not see an Executive President after this presidency.

“A President who will abolish the executive presidency has now been appointed. We appeal to the public to give us their support for this purpose,” he further said. 

The NPP politburo member also confirmed that the Parliament will be dissolved and that a decision in this regard will be taken accordingly. 

“This is just the beginning. With the acceptance and the help of the citizens we will build this nation,” Sunil Handunnetti added. (Newswire)

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National People’s Power (NPP) politburo member Sunil Handunnetti says as the first task after assuming office as the President, NPP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake must investigate the assets and liabilities declared by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

Addressing the media today, Sunil Handunnetti alleged that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s declaration of assets and liabilities was deceitful and the public would not believe it.

Sunil Handunnetti made the remarks in response to a question raised on the declared assets and liabilities of the President being less than those of the other Presidential candidates. 

“Can you believe that the assets and liabilities declaration of Anura Kumara Dissanayake is higher than that of the President? Will the public believe this fact? A fraudulent act has taken place here too. I think as the first task after assuming office as the President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake must probe whether Ranil Wickremesinghe’s assets and liabilities declaration is correct,” he said. 

Stating that the public knows how Ranil Wickremesinghe has made his earnings, Sunil Handunnetti said the earnings include the money from the Central Bank bond scam, but they are in different bank accounts. 

He questioned whether the public is willing to believe the fact that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s assets are less than those of Anura Kumara Dissanayake. (Newswire)

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National People’s Power Economic Council Member Sunil Handunneththi said that the government’s new Economic Transformation Bill will be challenged in Supreme Court. 

“We will take action on behalf of all those aggrieved by this Bill. We are prepared to go to the Supreme Court on this matter,” Handunneththi said addressing a media briefing.

He stressed that the Bill presented in Parliament was rushed and has several problematic clauses, with certain provisions that will thrust the local entrepreneur, industrialists and businessmen in the private sector into serious crisis.

Handunneththi also demanded that the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya make their stance on the Bill clear to the public. “It doesn’t appear that the SJB will oppose this Bill, according to what has been outlined in their economic blueprint. It may also be that this is an attempt by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe to expose Mr. Sajith Premadasa’s stance on the subject,” Handuneththi said. 

He charged that the new Bill will completely amend and transform the current economy according to the requirements of the International Monetary Fund, calling the general public and activists to oppose the new Bill. (Newswire)

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The National Peoples Power (NPP) has challenged Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa for a public debate, stating that it accepts the various calls for a debate proposed by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) members. 

Addressing the media, NPP member Sunil Handunnetti said party Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake was ready for a public debate with MP Premadasa. 

He further said several SJB MPs, such as Nalin Bandara and Harsha de Silva, have called for an open debate with NPP’s economic council members.

Stating that the NPP accepts the invitations for the debates, Handunnetti highlighted it was important for different political parties to engage in such debates to maintain the quality of national politics. 

However, Handunnetti said the NPP was more keen to hold a debate between the leaders of the NPP and SJB, keeping in mind the upcoming Presidential Election. 

Calling on the SJB to send a written invitation for the debate, Handunnetti said that it would be more meaningful for those intending to contest the Presidential Election to present their policies to the public themselves. 

Handunnetti also pointed out it was pointless engaging in debates with SJB members as some of them, such as Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, and Kabeer Hashim, had worked as policymakers under the United National Party (UNP) and are now working in that capacity for the SJB. 

Stating that the NPP was prepared to allocate a time and pick a media forum to hold the debate, Handunnetti added that if MP Premadasa was unwilling to do so, other arrangements could be considered. (NewsWire)

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