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MS walks tightrope for Yahapalanaya within a House divided

MS walks tightrope for Yahapalanaya within a House divided

It’s now obvious that the Government installed by President Maithripala Sirisena to take forward his “yahapalana” programme is going off the track. On Wednesday, a special session of Parliament called to confirm nominees to the Constitutional Council (CC) ended abruptly with discussion on the matter put off for another day, a clear illustration that the [...]

Milan Expo: Quake-hit Nepal better than Lanka

Milan Expo: Quake-hit Nepal better than Lanka

Lankans in Italy and those who had travelled to Milan for the ongoing Expo were disappointed over the Sri Lankan stall.  They found the stall had little to show about Sri Lanka. In the past, a Sri Lankan businessman had run these Expo stalls. But this year he was unable to do so. The result [...]

Maintaining core economic development in a turbulent political environment crucial

Maintaining core economic development in a turbulent political environment crucial

The first half of the year has been one of political change, instability, uncertainty and confusion. This state of affairs is likely to prevail till after the parliamentary elections, when hopefully a stable government takes office under President Maithripala Sirisena. Meanwhile the wheels of the economy must be kept running as smoothly as possible. The [...]

Are we being cast in a Mad Hatter’s tea party?

Are we being cast in a Mad Hatter’s tea party?

If the minority government of the United National Party was not so arrogant in its unshakeable conviction that each and every action taken by it is unreservedly right, we may not be now witnessing this agonizing ebbing away of the high moral ground on which President Maithripala Sirisena won the Presidential election in January 2015. [...]

President pledges dissolution if 20A not approved

President pledges dissolution if 20A not approved

A major blow to the Government’s controversial anti-corruption drive came this week.A key mechanism of this drive, probes by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), has ground to a virtual halt. It can only record complaints. It cannot act on tip offs and catch a bribe taker in the act red-handed. [...]

Fifty shades of Green

Fifty shades of Green

My dear Green Man, I thought I must write to you because you seem to be the target of a lot of people these days: There is Comrade Vasu scolding you in unparliamentary language in Parliament and now they say some of the Blues have submitted a motion of no-confidence against you. Anyway, Green Man, [...]

Verbal challenges that go up in smoke

Verbal challenges that go up in smoke

This, one must see. It may not be the greatest show on earth. It might even turn out to be a comic circus act. But it would be worth waiting for. That is of course if it does come off in which case the public would be entertained to a display of verbal gymnastics if [...]

Human Rights Council – precedents set could come back to haunt us, says Kohona

Human Rights Council – precedents set could come back to haunt us, says Kohona

The upcoming visit to Sri Lanka of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances could be ‘the thin end of a large wedge,’ leading critics of Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms to demand more international interventions, a former diplomat has warned. While adherence to international human rights standards is a must, respect for our [...]

Take good care, Mr. President: Don’t play dice with the Fates

Take good care, Mr. President: Don’t play dice with the Fates

‘There with the blessings of the Triple Gem go I’, seems to be the guiding policy of this unassuming people’s President of Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena as he makes his way through the manifold duties of presidential office with the same simple and easy, unpretentious style of his farming days, as if he was still tilling [...]

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