Welikada Prison riot report delayed, even after 10 months

Tuesday, 03 September 2013

Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera has said that the report on last year’s Welikada prison riot has been delayed further.

Authorities are yet to finalize and release the report on the riot at the Welikada Prison last November that resulted in the death of at least 27 inmates and injuries to over 40 people.

Earlier last month the three-member committee had given an assurance that the report, after being delayed on several occasions, will be handed over by the end of last week.

Minister Gajadeera has said that all members of the committee appointed to prepare the report need to be present to submit it.

However he said that most often one committee member is not available or is overseas resulting in the delay in handing over the final report.

Some dictators have held regular elections - UNP

Tuesday, 03 September 2013 

The UNP has said that some dictators were of the habit of holding elections on a regular basis.

UNP parliamentarian Harin Fernando made this comment at a news conference in response to a statement made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa that he could not be considered a dictator since he held elections regularly.

Fernando explained that it was not the holding of elections, but the manner in which they are held that determined the actions of a dictator.

According to Fernando, it was important to have independent commissions especially the Independent Elections Commission if the government wanted to hold free and fair elections in the country.

“The absence of an Independent Elections Commission will mean the absence of free and fair elections,” he has said.