briefing.lk

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

As usual, meeting people at Katugampola remains an important part of my responsibility as a political representative.

This Saturday, I visited Makandura, Pannala, and Elabadagama, where we held a series of productive planning meetings in preparation for the upcoming public gathering with SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa.

The enthusiasm and commitment shown by local organizers and residents were truly encouraging. Looking forward to a successful event and meaningful engagement with the people.

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

Delighted to announce the commencement of InSITE Campus, a new higher education institution committed to academic excellence, innovation, and leadership development.

Through partnerships with institutions in the UK, Australia, and China, we will offer internationally recognized programs in Management, Engineering & Technology, Cyber Security, Law, Project Management, Education, Hospitality Management, Community Services, and Strategic Leadership & Management.

Learn more: https://t.co/fyaul6FXLL

#InSITECampus #HigherEducation #Innovation #Leadership #CyberSecurity #Engineering #Management #Education #SriLanka

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

The news item about Hans Wijayasuriya joining SriLankan Airlines as an advisor has generated much humour on social media. I wish Hans all the very best in this challenging assignment.

However, my position on SriLankan Airlines has remained unchanged for many years. SriLankan Airlines has become an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers of this country. It is a loss-making State-Owned Enterprise that has consumed enormous amounts of public funds over decades, with very little accountability.

As Chairman of COPE, I had the opportunity to examine the affairs of SriLankan Airlines in depth. Based on those findings, I submitted a report to Parliament highlighting the urgent need for far-reaching reforms. Unfortunately, successive governments have failed to take the bold decisions required. @EranWick @samarajiva @VeriteResearch @danielalphonsus @dhananath

The issue before us is not about individuals appointed to positions of responsibility. It is about the sustainability of a State enterprise that continues to operate at a significant cost to the public. Sri Lanka can no longer afford to postpone difficult but necessary reforms.

I sincerely hope that Hans Wijayasuriya's involvement will contribute to a serious discussion on the future of SriLankan Airlines. But the real question remains: how much longer can the people of Sri Lanka be expected to carry the financial burden of an enterprise that has repeatedly failed to justify its existence in its present form?

Reform cannot wait any longer.

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

I was delighted to see the recent Gazette Notification relating to the Chartered Media Professionals Institute Act. This marks an important milestone in the long journey toward the professionalization and institutional development of Sri Lanka’s media sector.

Several years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the Chairman of the committee appointed by then Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma (@DullasOfficial) to draft the proposed legislation for establishing a Chartered Media Professionals Institute in Sri Lanka. It was a challenging but rewarding task, undertaken with the support of an exceptionally capable group of media professionals, academics, legal experts, and industry practitioners who generously contributed their expertise and experience.

Although our committee successfully completed the drafting process, circumstances at the time did not permit us to take the proposed legislation to Parliament as a draft bill. Therefore, it is particularly gratifying to witness the initiative moving forward and receiving official recognition through the present government’s Gazette Notification.

Professionalizing the media sector has long been a necessity in Sri Lanka. The establishment of a Chartered Media Professionals Institute can contribute significantly to enhancing professional standards, ethics, continuous learning, accreditation, and public trust in journalism and media practice. Such an institution has the potential to become a cornerstone in strengthening the quality and credibility of our media landscape.

I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all members of the original drafting committee whose dedication made this achievement possible. Progress in public policy is often the result of collective efforts that transcend political administrations and individual recognition.

I am pleased to share here a photograph of the committee together with the draft that we prepared at the time. It serves as a reminder that meaningful reforms often require patience, persistence, and the commitment of many individuals working toward a common goal. @NalakaG @rkalansooriya @anushapalpita @milindarj @MahindaPathir11 @asokadias

#MediaProfessionals #SriLankaMedia #MediaDevelopment #PublicPolicy #ProfessionalStandards #CharteredMediaProfessionalsInstitute

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

පුංචි පැලේ ගස වෙනා.....
"From a tiny sapling to a flourishing tree."
(Twelve years ago, on World Environment Day 2014, I planted this mango sapling. Today, it stands as a thriving tree—a small reminder that meaningful change begins with small actions)
#WorldEnvironmentDay
#EnvironmentDay
#ProtectNature
#GoGreen
#Sustainability
#ClimateAction
#EnvironmentalProtection
#GreenFuture
#NatureConservation
#PlantATree

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

Today is World Environment Day.

Having had the privilege of serving in a position responsible for environmental conservation and management in Sri Lanka, I firmly believe that our country possesses a strong and comprehensive legal framework for environmental protection. What is needed now is greater commitment, stronger enforcement, and more effective implementation of these laws and regulations.

It is particularly encouraging to see some of the initiatives that were launched during my tenure as Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority continuing to move forward with strength and purpose. One of the most significant among them is the effort to amend and modernize the National Environmental Act. After years of consultations, technical work, and policy engagement by many stakeholders, it is gratifying to see that this important reform process has now reached a more concrete and meaningful stage.

On this World Environment Day, let us reaffirm our collective responsibility to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage our natural environment for future generations.

#WorldEnvironmentDay #Environment #EnvironmentalProtection #Sustainability #SriLanka #CEA #CharithaHerath

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

There has been a narrative that, even after 76 years of independence, Sri Lanka has achieved nothing and that the country has failed. I believe that is a mistaken judgment.

While we may disagree with the views of the JVP and others, we must listen carefully to the message sent by the people who voted us out. Democracy requires not only defending our own record but also understanding the concerns, aspirations, and frustrations of the people.

The way forward is not denial, but honest reflection, engagement, and a renewed commitment to building a stronger Sri Lanka.
#charitha_herath #SJB

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

In my discussion on Point Blank, I explained that Sri Lanka’s economic collapse cannot be understood by looking only at the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration. The root vulnerability was the country’s growing dependence on International Sovereign Bond (ISB) borrowings accumulated over successive governments since 2008.

When global financial conditions tightened and Sri Lanka lost access to international markets, the Gotabaya government could not refinance maturing ISBs as previous governments had done. The resulting foreign exchange crisis became the decisive factor behind the economic collapse and ultimately led to the fall of the administration.

Understanding the crisis requires an objective analysis of structural debt vulnerabilities rather than a purely political narrative.

#SriLanka #Economy #DebtCrisis #ISB #PointBlank #EconomicPolicy #SriLankaPolitics

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

May this Vesak bring peace, compassion, wisdom, and the light of humanity into your life.
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Vesak filled with happiness, serenity, and meaningful reflection.

#Vesak2026 #HappyVesak #VesakBlessings #වෙසක් #පින්බරවෙසක් #MayPeacePrevail #Compassion #Humanity #SriLanka #Mindfulness #PeaceAndHarmony #charitha_herath

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, courage, and wisdom of women who shape our families, communities, and nations.

From mothers and daughters to leaders, scholars, and workers across every field — women continue to inspire progress, resilience, and compassion in our society. Their voices, ideas and leadership are essential in building a more just and inclusive future.

Let us renew our commitment to equality, dignity, and opportunity for every woman and girl.

Wishing a meaningful International Women’s Day to all the remarkable women who make our world stronger every day. 🌸

#InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #WomenEmpowerment #GenderEquality #WomenLeadership #srilankanews

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Tissa Vitharana.

Just last week, I had the privilege of meeting him at the Constitutional Dialogue held at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), an initiative by Onetext and organised by @NexusLK. Even at this stage of his life, he remained intellectually sharp, principled, and deeply committed to constitutional reform and democratic progress in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Vitharana was not only a seasoned political leader but also a rare bridge between scholarship and public service. His long engagement with constitutional debates reflected consistency, patience, and an unwavering belief in pluralism and dialogue.

Sharing these photos from our recent meeting makes this loss feel even more personal. Sri Lanka has lost a thoughtful statesman and a lifelong advocate of democratic reform.

May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

I was reappointed as the Chief Organiser of the Katugampola Electorate in the Kurunegala District by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Honoured by the trust placed in me. Thank you, @sajithpremadasa @RanjithMadduma .
#SriLanka #SJB #Kurunegala

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

It was a delight to be invited for lunch with His Excellency Damiano Fracovigh, Ambassador of Italy to Sri Lanka, at his residence Villa Roma in Colombo. I truly appreciated the opportunity to share thoughts on our country’s economic situation and possible avenues for enhancing growth. Many thanks for the warm hospitality, the delicious Italian cuisine, and the enriching discussions on a range of topics. #SriLanka #Ika

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

2022 අරගලයෙන් පසු දේශපාලනය

අපේ රටේ දේශපාලනය ගමන් කරන්නේ ඒ ඒ සන්දර්භීය තත්වවලට (Conjuncture) සාපේක්ෂ ලෙසින්ය. 2015 ජනාධිපතිවරණය අවස්ථාවේ මගේ මිත්‍රයකු සිදුකළ දේශපාලන විශ්ලේෂණයකදී කියා සිටියේ ‘යුද්ධය නිමාවී - ප්‍රභාකරන් නොමැති අවකාශයක ශ්‍රී ලංකා මැතිවරණ දේශපාලනය මෙහෙයවන සාධකය බවට උතුරේ නැගෙනහිර ඡන්දය පත්වන බවයි.’ මේ අදහස සත්‍යයක් බවට 2015 ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී ඔප්පු විය.

ඒ වගේම නව සන්දර්භී​ය තත්වයක් 2022 අරගලයෙන් පසුව රට තුළ නිර්මාණය වී ඇති බව මගේ අදහසය. 2022 න් පසුව මෙරට දේශපාලන විඥානය ගමන් කරන්නේ එතෙක් තිබූ ආකාරයෙන් ‘මැතිවරණයෙන් ආණ්ඩු මාරු කරන පිළිගැනීමෙන් එහාට ගොස් සමාජ මාධ්‍ය අවකාශය කළඹා ආණ්ඩු මාරු කළ හැකියි.’ යන විඥානයත් සමගින්ය. ඒ නිසා මෙතෙක් කාලයක් බලයේ සිටි ආණ්ඩු මුහුණ නොදුන් අලුත් අත්දැකීමක්, අලුත් තත්වයක් වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව ඉදිරියේ තිබෙන බව මගේ අදහසය. වෙනත් ලෙසකින් කිවහොත් 2022 න් පසු සමාජ විඥානය වැඩ කරන්නේ ආණ්ඩු මාරු කරන්නට මැතිවරණ තෙක් බලා සිටිය යුතු නැතැයි ආකල්පයකින්ය.

මා කියන මේ කාරණය ආණ්ඩුවේ අයට හොඳින් තේරුම් යනවා ඇත. මොනවා කළත් ඊළඟ මොහොතේ එයට එරෙහිව හෝ වෙනත් දෙයකට එරෙහිව ජනතා බලයක් ඒකරාශී කරවන තැනකට සමාජ මාධ්‍ය අවකාශය බලවත් වී ඇත.
ඇත්තටම වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව හැදුණේම එවැනි සමාජ මාධ්‍ය පෙණ මතුවීම් (Social medin bubbles) ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගනිමිනි. ඒ බලවේගයට මුහුණ දීමේ අභියෝගයට දැන් ආණ්ඩුවත් හැඩ ගැට ගැසී ඇත. මේ තත්වය කළමනාකරණය කරන්නේ කෙසේද යන්න මත ආණ්ඩුවේ ගමන් මග තීරණය වන බව මගේ නිරීක්ෂණයයි.

© චරිත හේරත් (ලංකාදීප කිවිදා දැක්ම)

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

රටේ අධ්‍යාපනය පැත්තෙන් ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණයක් අවශ්‍යයි. එසේම ඒ ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ යෝජනා 2015 සිටම ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙන එකක්. මේ ආණ්ඩුවට තියෙන එක ප්‍රශ්නයක් වෙන්නේ ඒ අය 'සියල්ල දත්' කියල හිතාගෙන ඉන්නේ. මීට ඉස්සර කවුරුවත් මොනවවත් කලේ නැහැ කියල කියන්න හදන්නේ. ඒක කරන්න ගිහින් මේ වැඩේ අවුල් කරගනීද දන්නේ නැහැ. ඊයේ අලුත් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව වැඩ සටහනේ මගේ ආරම්භක මැදිහත්වීම #History #SriLanka #EducationReform

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

It seems President @anuradisanayake is having a hard time coming to terms with the clear mandate given by the people in the last local government election. As democrats, we must respect the people’s verdict—whether we agree with it or not. The results signaled a significant setback for the so-called two-thirds government, which lost 2.3 million votes in just six months. If this level of frustration begins to manifest in executive decisions, one can only imagine how many more votes they might lose in the next six months. #SriLanka #NPP

[VoiceTube @VoiceTubelk]

ඩෑන්ට වෙඩි තිබ්බ සිද්ධියට සජබේ ප්‍රභලයෝත් ඇවිලෙයි...! | මාධ්‍යහමුව පටන්ගන්න කලින් චරිතගෙන් ආණ්ඩුවට ප්‍රහාරයක්...!
https://t.co/g3UwD75ONp #charithaherath #LKA #VoiceTube #SriLanka #Politics #Charitha_Herath

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

This matter requires a comprehensive discussion, as it raises concerns about the potential misuse of valuable government properties. In the past, there have been instances where significant assets, such as rest houses in Belihuloya, Polonnaruwa, Habarana, and Matara, were transferred to individuals closely associated with the government of the time. While some of these properties were developed, others suffered from neglect, leading to a loss of their value and purpose.

This proposal appears to include highly valuable government bungalows, some of which possess historical and architectural significance. Notably, the President's House in Nuwara Eliya is reportedly among the properties in question. Such actions, if not handled transparently, could set a concerning precedent.

It is imperative that we initiate a national dialogue to thoroughly evaluate this proposal. The public must be informed about the rationale, the selection process, and the intended use of these properties to ensure that they are preserved and managed in a manner that benefits the nation as a whole, rather than serving narrow interests. #Srilanka #SriLanka #srilankannews @ChandaniKirinde @AzzamAmeen @Mandana_IA @MarianneDavid24 @nimilamalee

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

Yesterday, I attended a breakfast meeting organized by the office of the Leader of the Opposition with the country’s media heads. It was a very productive discussion covering a range of important topics. #Media #Leadership #Collaboration

[Charitha Herath, (PhD) @charith9]

As the #UKElections2024 comes to a close, various theories have emerged to analyze the results. Some argue that the Conservative votes were divided between them and the Reform UK party, giving an edge to Labour and the Lib Dems. Others point to a growing anti-establishment sentiment after 14 years of Conservative rule as a contributing factor to their defeat. However, I believe the central focus should be on the contrasting economic policies that set apart the Tories from Labour. While immigration was a focal point, it's clear that Labour's commitment to social democratic values concerning the NHS, Transportation, and Education deeply resonated with voters. As we approach the upcoming election, it's crucial to address these key issues alongside our discussions on economic growth and debt management. #SriLanka #PresidentialElectionLK #CharithaHerath