Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for progress reports on the investigations on several high profile murders and disappearances.

The cases include the murder of former MP Nadaraja Raviraj, the murder of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunga, the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda and the death of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.

Accordingly, the Prime minister has made the order today through the Prime minister's secretary who has briefed the Attorney General, the IGP, CID Director and Terrorist Investigation Department Director on this regard.

President Maithripala Sirisena thanked the United National Party for its leading role in making a change in the country on January 8.

Speaking at the 69th Convention of the UNP at Sirikotha party headquarters, President Sirisena, who is also the SLFP Chairman, stated that the challenges faced by the government should be faced together. The new political culture of cooperation between the UNP and the SLFP should go to the grass-root level, he said.

Sirisena, who was once a senior member of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cabinet, left the then government on November 21, 2014, to become the common candidate of the opposition in the January 8 Presidential Election. Sirisena said that he took the decision to leave the Rajapaksa government following discussions with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said that there were no prior agreements with the UNP.

The UNP and the SLFP agreed to form a national government following the August 17 general election.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party Chairman President Maithripala Sirisena will be the Chief Guest at the 69th UNP party convention held at Sirikotha party headquarters.

Meanwhile, leaders of the parties which contested the recent election under the UNP ticket have also been invited.

UNP Spokesperson Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told media that this is a positive development at the backdrop of the formation of a national government.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be in New Delhi on a three-day visit from September 14 to 16, The New Indian Express said citing 'reliable sources'. 

Wickremesinghe will be having meetings with Indian leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 15 and leave the next day, the report said further. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will be visiting India from October 8 to 10.

This visit is linked to promoting Buddhism as a link between Asian countries, sources said.

Prime Minister Modi, hailing from the ancient Buddhist center of Vadnagar in Gujarat, is an ardent advocate of Buddhism and since 2012, has been trying to promote his native state of Gujarat as an ancient Buddhist center which ought to be part of the Asian Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist circuits.

Modi was the keynote speaker at an international Hindu-Buddhist conference on September 3 in New Delhi. The "Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative on conflict avoidance and environment consciousness", was addressed by former Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga also.

Speaking at the conference Kumaratunga said: " To avoid conflicts, it is important to ensure equality in the treatment of ethnic groups. And when confronted with conflicts, it is essential to go into the basic causes of the unrest and disaffection and address them."

The conference was organized by the Vivekananda International Foundation, an organization close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumaratunga met Modi  on the sidelines of the conference.

(With inputs from The New Indian Express)

UPFA MP Padma Udayashantha Gunasekara said that he will not bow down to the Prime Minister's attempts at shutting down opposition voices in Parliament.

Gunasekara, a new MP elected from Moneragala District, was involved in an heated incident in Parliament involving the Prime Minister and the National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa among others. Gunasekara is also a member of the NFF led by Weerawansa.

Speaking to Asian Mirror yesterday, Gunasekara said that the Prime Minister's conduct in Parliament on Thursday was inappropriate. No Prime Minister ever asked a Member of the House to leave in that manner, Gunasekara said.

He also said that the Prime Minister was acting in an authoritarian manner despite his claims of good governance.

Gunasekara also said that the government was fulfilling its federalist agenda. Giving the TNA the Opposition Leader position was one indication of what is to come ahead, he claimed.

Furthermore, Gunasekara said that he will mobilize the people against the government's federalist agenda.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the Parliamentary Committee system will be strengthened in such a manner that all parties are able to get involved in the government.

Speaking at the swearing-in of new ministers of the government, Wickremesinghe recalled that such a system was instituted under the Donoughmore reforms of 1931.

Meanwhile, Development Coordination Committees will also be established, the Prime Minister said.

Accordingly, all the MPs could then take responsibilities in governing the country, he stressed.

The motion to increase the number of Cabinet and other ministerial portfolios proposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was approved by the Parliament with a majority of 127 votes.

143 MPs voted for it while 16 opposed.

64 MPs were not present in the Chamber when the vote was taken.

The JVP MPs voted against the motion along with the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna MPs, Jathika Nidahas Peramuna MPs and Udaya Gammanpila. The TNA MPs were not present in the Chamber. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was another prominent absentee.

The proposal will now enable the government to appoint 48 Cabinet Ministers and 45 State and Deputy Ministers.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya allowed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to move motion in Parliament to increase the number of Cabinet Ministers.

Announcing his verdict, Jayasuriya said that there was no need for all parties to join in forming a national government.

Several MPs had argued that a national government has not been formed since there was an opposition in the Parliament.

The UNP and the SLFP recently signed a MoU on forming a national government. However, a section of the UPFA MPs opposed this. Both the TNA and the JVP also remain in opposition.