Apps offering money to farmers and vulnerable people in difficulty are rife across the island, concealing draconian terms. In March, parliament had approved ad hoc legislation intended to tackle the phenomenon, but the necessary implementing regulation has still not been published in the Official Gazette.
The initiative, scheduled from 3 to 10 October, coincides with World Temperance Day. The health costs due to alcohol use (or abuse) in the country are around 726 million euros. There are 20,000 alcohol-related deaths and associated illnesses each year. A decalogue to relaunch the fight against abuse.
After the choice of anti-system President Dissanayake, the country's political and ruling class is looking ahead to the snap elections on 14 November. The role of the smaller forces that together make up 25% of the electorate will be decisive. In the background the international dynamics and the framework of relations with China and India (and the West).
Following his election victory in Colombo among the new president's priorities are negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and a commitment to a country that "embraces diversity." After the swearing-in of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, dissolved Parliament with elections set for Nov. 14.
The completion of a 96-kilometre water conveyance project in the North Central Province is one of the challenges facing Sri Lanka's new government. Key for local communities, it will benefit up to 100,000 families. One of its main objectives is to promote the fishing industry, livestock farming, and tourism.
The victory of the 55-year-old leader of a Marxist-leaning party breaks with the country’s “dynastic” politics, reflecting the demands of the Aragalaya movement that ousted the Rajapaksas. During the election campaign, the new president pledged to review the austerity policy imposed by the International Monetary Fund, but also reopen the investigation into the Easter 2019 attacks. Both India and China reacted to the outcome of the vote.
They are the outgoing president Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, head of a left-wing alliance, who is seen as the favourite. At 12 noon, 30% of the eligible voters had voted. The majority of voters, 17 million in all, expressed concern about the economy.
The UN-backed World Restoration Flagship project seeks to restore 10,000 hectares by 2030. Coastal forests are vital to protect the country from natural disasters such as storm surges and tsunamis, playing a crucial role in resisting climate change. For environmentalists Dissanayake and Semasinghe, mangroves also provide “sustainable livelihoods for rural communities.”
A number of complaints have been made about the use of minors in propaganda for the 21 September vote. A worrying phenomenon in a country already plagued by serious problems on issues such as child abuse. Sr. Deepa Fernando: ‘Sri Lanka does not have a national framework for child protection: more attention and assistance is needed’.
The introduction of a new and complex visa system is forcing tourists at Colombo airport to wait two and a half hours before they can enter the country. With a petition to the Supreme Court and an imminent strike, operators are calling for a return to the old online system, stressing that too much red tape risks compromising the season and the post-pandemic economic recovery.
In the run-up to the 21 September vote, the Sri Lanka Bishops' Conference (CBCSL) and the National Christian Council in Sri Lanka (NCCSL) are calling for a “wise and courageous” leader. To the 38 candidates the request not to delude with favours or false promises and the warning: ‘Serve, don't be served’. The importance of the vote, which is ‘precious’ and should not be wasted with a boycott or a void ballot.
In Iyankarni, a village in the Eastern Province, the civil war destroyed lives and relations between Muslims and Tamils. Now, thanks to an organic farming project promoted by Caritas Batticaloa, the two communities are working together to rebuild their lives. For the charity’s director, Fr Samson Jayanixon, “healing people and building harmony between them are the core of religions.”
The country's most marginalised peoples continue to struggle for recognition. Despite the UN call in 1996 and the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, governments have failed to provide a legal and policy framework to protect this community. The establishment of the Maduru Oya National Park has devastated their habitat, forcing them to give up millennia-old traditions and a self-sufficient life maintained for generations.
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