Columns
Home » ColumnsTalk at the Cafe Spectator
Jetsetter GL gets high-flying advice in Brasilia
That Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris loves to jet set from one world capital to another is too well known. So much so, it was the topic of discussion when Pedro Hendrik, one time Brazil’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, hosted Peiris for lunch in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil during the Minister’s visit [...]
Political Column
Crisis after crisis: C’wealth, Geneva and anti-Muslim campaign
Human Rights chief takes Lankan issue to UN Security Council, tough US resolution drafted and ready External Affairs Ministry mess up CHOGM issue; Ministerial Action Group may reconsider venue G.L. Peiris wants Commonwealth SG to use good offices to prevent Lanka going fefore CMAG By Our Political Editor It was one time Mayor of Colombo [...]
5th Column
Running away from politics, Angelo!
My Dear Angelo, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had been appointed to that all important position of Sri Lanka’s cricket captain. Next to the appointment of the President, I think that is the most talked about position in the country, now that appointing the Chief Justice is not [...]
Focus on Rights
The games that these people play
As we await with breathtaking suspense the coming of yet another ‘procedural’ resolution in Geneva, there is a certain exquisite irony to the manner in which the Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency has been able to run rings around its international critics so far. Drastically undercutting the tone and tenor of LLRC report So while the Government [...]
From the sidelines
It’s called diplomacy, stupid
From the sidelines By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya The communications activities of the Ministry of External Affairs got off to a flying start this week with Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama declaring that Sri Lanka had been confirmed as the venue for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in November –only to be contradicted the very same [...]
The Economic Analysis
IMF loan: Paradox of high reserves and further borrowing
The Government’s request for a further US$ 1.5 billion loan from the IMF has been turned down on two grounds: that the IMF does not provide budget support to governments and that Sri Lanka’s external reserves have now reached a level of about US$ 7 billion and “accordingly, there appears to be a very limited [...]