Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said there will be no Cabinet reshuffle despite protests against the government’s education reform program.

Responding to questions from journalists on the Satyagraha campaign launched by Wimal Weerawansa, Jayatissa said yesterday’s Cabinet’s decision to defer some reforms is unlikely to affect the ongoing protest.

“Wimal Weerawansa is free to continue his campaign, as long as it does not obstruct the activities of the Education Ministry, the Department of Examinations, or inconvenience the public,” he said.

“He can protest until the Prime Minister and Education Minister are removed, but that is his decision—he might have to stay long, no one will give Thambili to him” the Minister said.

Jayatissa stressed that the government is implementing education reforms in line with its policy and the public mandate. He said the issue in question relates to a single module and is being addressed.

He said Harini Amarasuriya will not step down from her roles as Education Minister or Prime Minister. (Newswire)

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A letter of demand will be sent to National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa, requesting a correction to a statement made regarding Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.

The statement in question was made during a television interview and later published on a news website, suggesting that Cardinal Ranjith’s absence from the 2019 Easter service in Kochchikade may have been due to ‘divine warning’.

The Media Spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Colombo Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini addressing a media briefing said the remarks misrepresented the Cardinal and could lead to a misunderstanding.

According to Fr. Gamini, Weerawansa implied that the Cardinal may have had prior knowledge of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Weerawansa had stated that, for the first time in history, the Cardinal did not attend Easter Sunday morning Mass on the day of the attacks, despite having done so in previous years. Weerawansa had also mentioned the Cardinal resumed participation in Easter Mass services after 2019.

Fr. Gamini refuted these claims, stating they were false and was completely baseless. He clarified that the Cardinal traditionally conducts a midnight Easter Mass, considered the main Easter celebration for Catholics in Sri Lanka.

In 2019, the Cardinal held this midnight service at St. Lucia’s Cathedral in Kotahena, consistent with Catholic custom. Fr Gamini added that the Cardinal generally does not lead morning services on Easter Sunday.

Fr. Gamini emphasized that while freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, it does not extend to spreading falsehoods. He confirmed that legal steps are being taken to issue a letter of demand to Weerawansa, requesting a formal correction of the inaccurate claims. (Newswire)

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Former MP Wimal Weerawansa alleged that the USAID has spent US $7.9 million in Sri Lanka on projects designed to destroy the country’s culture and reduce its population.

“According to Elon Musk, USAID has spent US$ 7.9 million for Sri Lankan projects, which is over Rs. 2400 million approximately,” he said addressing a media briefing.

Weerawansa alleged that Elon Musk personally intervened to dismantle USAID funding across the world, claiming it was influenced by his son’s exposure to gender transition advocacy supported by USAID-funded organizations.

“They promoted various kinds of change, especially change related to the promotion of the LGBTQ community among the youth. US$ 7.9 million is a massive sum,” he said, adding that these projects were designed to promote gender change and ultimately reduce population.

“Bill Gates once said that the world was overpopulated, and therefore needs to be controlled by creating disease. To cure diseases, vaccines are required,” Weerawansa said, alleging that it was a conspiracy to promote businesses as well.

He also claimed that these funds were spent to teach Sri Lankan journalists the use of gendered language.

We urge the government and the opposition to reveal which media outlets received how much in funding for these activities,” Weerawansa said.

The former MP called for an explanation as to how these funds were utilised by media organisations and YouTubers, especially if they were funding regime changes and anti-buddhist groups.

“Not only have people of this country been bought, but also political leaders have been funded through these initiatives that were designed to destroy our culture,” he said, adding that he plans to reveal names in future.

Weerawansa’s comments come after USAID placed all direct-hire staff on leave globally after mass layoffs and program shutdowns due to US President Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze policy.

Meanwhile the Sunday Times reported that the project in question was the “Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka” (MEND) implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) with USAID funding. 

MEND originally spanned five years and was extended for two more, during which they worked on several programmes, the report said quoting officials who worked with the project who had requested anonymity. 

They said that expanding gender-sensitivity was a part of the programming but not the most significant component.

“MEND’s funding went towards a media exchange programme, investigative journalism workshops, web development grants for publications, teaching digital literacy, training on pandemic and election reporting, and grants to upgrade newsrooms, amongst other things. The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and leading media outlets in Sri Lanka (which received newsroom training and grants for web development) were among the beneficiaries. The project ended last year,” the report said. (Newswire)

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