Columns
Home » ColumnsGood governance googly at World Cup winning captain
He captained the prestigious club and then went on to captain the national team to great heights winning the World Cup, so it was quite in order for the Executive Committee of the Grand Old Club to organise a felicitation for its illustrious member who had now gravitated into politics and become a Cabinet Minister. [...]
New Constitution coming: Constitutional Assembly to be set up shortly
Proceedings to be made public; civil society views will be sought; final draft to be approved at national referendum President briefs SLFP Central Committee; Prime Minister to present relevant resolution to Parliament He timed it for the week that marked the first year since he quit the previous Government to contest the January presidential election against [...]
Justice must not only be done
My dear Wijey, I thought I must write to you because you are very much in the news these days, offering legal advice and opinions, boasting about how you had prevented certain people from being arrested and trying to sue other people for hundreds of millions of rupees. You are one busy man! Wijey, we [...]
Green Budget, envy of the Opposition gives it the blues
Not many would envy the job of the Finance Minister when the Budget comes around, and not many in particular could have envied the task entrusted to Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake of presenting a people-friendly Budget, along with one that would set the country on the road to better fiscal management. Hence, as predicted, while [...]
Farewell friend, one of a dying breed
I first met Rex de Silva in April or May 1966. It was on a flight to Karachi. It seemed we were both headed for the same destination. That, I discovered, when we found ourselves on the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt from Karachi. We were going to West Berlin and to the Berlin Institute for [...]
How trailblazer Rex de Silva made journalism’s sun shine
The year was 1964. Clad in blue jeans, Rex de Silva walked into the office of the chairman of M. D. Gunasena bookshop in Olcott Mawatha even without a by your leave, introduced himself, said he was a Catholic and a member of Catholic Action and asked the boss of this predominant Sinhala Buddhist publishing [...]
Budget continues fiscal populism and changes expenditure priorities
The four-and-a-half hour marathon budget speech by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake covered nearly every sector and sub sector of the economy, even the government’s policy to increase arecanut production. It was populist in its proposals, reiterated the government’s economic policies and reoriented public expenditure priorities towards education and health. This budget once again exemplified the [...]
A dangerous feeling of deja vu
There is an uncanny sense of déjà vu in the air. The persistent recalling of worrisome history is pervasive, whether in regard to roguery relating to public funds, ministers appointing relatives to state offices because they are ‘trusted’ or the intimidation of citizens and students. Continuation of an abusive state apparatus Unlike its infinitely cruder [...]