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Home » ColumnsWelikade riot: Committee calls for criminal probe
An official committee that probed the deaths of 27 inmates at the Welikade Prison four years ago has declared that a “fresh criminal investigation” is necessary to “ascertain the truth” and institute “criminal proceedings.” The Committee’s report runs into more than 327 pages and copies of it were circulated amongst ministers last month. The Committee’s [...]
Talks with IMF on moves to raise billions
Govt. explains plans for sale of six ‘non-strategic’ assets, and Hambantota port deal, but opposition grows Three more measures to raise big money, but IMF expresses caution Ranatunga in war of words with Amunugama over Concession Agreement, Cabinet decision unlikely tomorrow By Our Political Editor An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission that spent two weeks [...]
The good and bad of the son of Philip
My dear Dinesh, I thought of writing to you when I heard that you had been booted out of Parliament for one week just because you were arguing on behalf of your colleague Wimal sahodaraya, raising your voice when you were not supposed to do so and disobeying the orders of the boss in the [...]
Why Lanka is in balance of payments crisis again
The IMF mission’s latest assessment, released early this week, said, “The current account (of the balance of payments) remained stable, but the financial account weakened with the resumption of capital outflows” and the country’s “net international reserves fell short of the target.” In short the country is in a balance of payments crisis with low [...]
Going beyond empty speeches for gender justice
The Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) issued in regard to Sri Lanka on March 3rd this year is illuminating in several respects. It was significant that the Observations were released just a few days before the world marked the International Day of Women. In Sri [...]
That’s the stuff to give the troops
Rounds of applause emanated from a school in Polonnaruwa that bears the same name as another in Colombo 7. But let’s leave names out of this lest those with more brittle backbones or none at all, go crying to mummy or the closest primary dealer in Treasury bonds. President Sirisena had told some of the [...]
If loving her is wrong, I don’t wanna be right: Song icon Victor Ratnayake
Son damns singer’s affair with woman, 45 years younger; and says, “March 1st was the day my father passed away” A family row has broken out in public between Lanka’s top notch singing legend Victor Ratnayake and his son over the singer’s live in lover, 45 years younger to him. Using his Facebook account the [...]