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President-Premier in a seeming truce

President Maithripala Sirisena who exploded last week with a scathing attack on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has seemingly reached a truce. It came during a two-and-half hour meeting last Tuesday night at his official residence at Mahagama Sekera Mawatha, the former Paget Road. The talks centred on the irritants and recurring issues that stood in [...]

Swinging times

My dear Dayasiri, I thought I must write to you because somehow you seem to find a way to be in the news. When you resigned from the Cabinet recently, giving up looking after sports and became just another MP in the opposition, we thought we wouldn’t hear from you for some time but you [...]

That powerful reconciliation strategy which Sri Lanka missed

That powerful reconciliation strategy which Sri Lanka missed

In retrospect, one of the greatest missed opportunities of the now doomed Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Unity Government was its failure to grab Sri Lanka’s legal system by its ears (metaphorically speaking), cleanse the Bench of corrupt and politically compromised judges against whom files were stacked up aplenty and demonstrate the power of criminal justice reforms for human [...]

Economy shows signs of recovery but chaotic political environment a spoiler

Indications are that the economy would recover to achieve about a 5 percent growth this year. However, the present political uncertainty will impact on longer-term economic growth and development even more owing to the government’s inability to undertake reforms so essential for sustained economic development. Despite the inhospitable political climate, the economy may achieve a [...]

Questions over SLAF’s aircraft purchase deals running into a staggering Rs. 64.8 billion

Questions over SLAF’s aircraft purchase deals running into a staggering Rs. 64.8 billion

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has ambitious plans to purchase helicopters of different makes and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at a staggering cost of more than Rs 64.8 billion, according to documents seen by the Sunday Times. The Defence Ministry is expected to appoint a Technical Evaluation Committee for this purpose. An earlier committee [...]

‘Yahapalanaya’ turned on its head with scams as its mainstay

‘Yahapalanaya’ turned on its head with scams as its mainstay

The ‘Yahapalanaya’ Government that came to power with the promise to put a stop to corruption, is now engulfed in the mother of all scandals of political corruption, by way of the Treasury Bond (TB) scam. The hornets’ nest opened by way of the Commission of Inquiry (PCI) appointed to look into the TB scam, [...]

Sujeewa’s hangover after gulping 3m tots from Arjun’s arrack cask

Sujeewa’s hangover after gulping 3m tots from Arjun’s arrack cask

If SLFP MP and former Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera found himself in the public dock three weeks ago for accepting a million bucks from Bond Scam Godfather Arjun Aloysius, it was the UNP State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe’s turn this Thursday to make his less than grand entrance to the same public dock [...]

Then who will judge the judges

It is a troubling issue. Each time the issue of judges withdrawing from hearing a particular case and the case is postponed sometimes for several months as has recently happened, the story inevitably makes media news. Then we as laymen begin to ask ourselves what will happen next. Will such a case be heard at [...]

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