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Home » ColumnsPresident’s make-believe world comes a cropper and falls apart
Evidently, these are not the best of times for President Sirisena. As he surveys the horizon, he can only expect to see the ominous prospect of fast gathering clouds further darkening the twilight sky, with thunder’s rumble starting to resound in the distance, portending bad, bad, bad stormy weather. One that will blow without respite. [...]
Oslo envoy victimised again to make way for political appointee
Last week’s Café item headlined “Norway diplomatic position raises questions”, has now taken a new twist. The hapless Sri Lankan envoy to Oslo is being given the run-around and asked to sign an agreement prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he will serve only a two-year term after he reaches the age of [...]
A corruptive influence
My dear Maithri, I didn’t think I would be writing to you again so soon but I think I must, after hearing what happened this week, what with your Chief of Staff being arrested for bribery and even more importantly, your declaration at your May Day rally that you wouldn’t be retiring in two years’ [...]
‘Yahapalanaya’ in free fall as MS drapes crumbling Unity Govt. in rhetoric
The developments in Parliament this week, with 16 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs crossing over to the Opposition, leaves little doubt that the government is falling into an abyss from which, it may not find its way out. The latest defections add to the already confusing situation in Parliament, with 3 separate groups assuming [...]
Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs: Neglecting the country’s highest export earner
Tea has been Sri Lanka’s highest export earner from the latter part of the nineteenth century and is still the country’s highest domestic value added export earner. Despite the paramount importance of tea for the economy, the seventy post independent years have been characterized by a neglect of the tea industry. Over the past seven [...]
On modern day witches and portents of anarchy
Chants of the Joint Opposition and its enthusiasts that anarchy has been let loose upon the land as a result of foibles of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Government bear an uncanny resemblance to the ancient cackling of ‘double, double toil and trouble, parties burn and nonsense bubble’ by Shakespeare’s three witches immortalized in Macbeth. The political nonsense [...]
Sirisena’s second coming — or so he hopes
Hail Sirisena! Hail the mighty slayer of King Mahinda. Like Dutugemunu of old who killed Elara in mortal combat, he could not have done it alone. The Ruhunu Raja had his faithful elephant Kandula. More than three years ago Sirisena had no personal elephant but he had the support of the party with the elephant [...]
President in tough position, rumblings continue in UNP
Shocks and disappointments came as an anti-climax in a week that promised hopeful expectations for Sri Lankans.The main shock was a decision at a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday night to substantially increase fuel prices. Hit by a rise in prices of cooking gas, milk powder and now fuel, living costs are expected to spike [...]
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