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Home » ColumnsWigneswaran seeks police powers to fight sword gangs in North
As the Police struggle to maintain law and order in the North amidst increasing incidents of sword gangs terrorising the region, Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran has proposed that if the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is given police powers, he can bring the situation under control within two months. Responding to media queries on the [...]
Many horses in the race
My dear Mahinda maama, I thought of writing to you when I heard that you will be choosing the candidate from the ‘pohottuwa’ party for the next big election that will be held in two years. It seems as if you have decided to keep us all in suspense, still not informing us who that [...]
Impulsive, irrational, unscientific decision-making retards economic development
A serious defect of the Government has been its impulsive, irrational and unscientific decision-making. Impulsive and irrational decision-making affects the economy adversely. Ill-considered and unscientific decision-making has been a serious flaw impacting the economy adversely. It is an obstacle to economic development. The most recent instance is the sudden decision to re-impose the death sentence [...]
A cruel fate for a law that promised great things
If this scarcely believable nugget of information, buried deep in paragraph 41 of the recently released Sri Lanka report of United Nations Special Rapportuer on Countering Terrorism, Ben Emmerson, that only three indictments have been filed against torture perpetrators under the Convention Against Torture Act (CAT Act, 1994) since 2010, is actually true, we should [...]
Banning mania can be hazardous to the nation’s economic health
THE MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD OF LANKA’S BAN, BAN, BAN GOVT The Government has announced it plans to ban tobacco cultivation in the land by 2020 in accordance with the President’s determination to make Lanka a smoke free nation and the nation’s budget not be dependent henceforth on the massive revenue it brings to fill [...]
People in search of justice
When the UNP joined hands with some other parties and civil society organisations to propel Maithripala Sirisena as the “common candidate” to eject the incumbent president from his powerful perch, it was at a price. Sirisena had to make a promise — though he seems to be rather forgetful of promises made — to appoint [...]
Govt.’s conduct comes in for self-criticism
Samaraweera says no money to cope with periodic strike threats for salary hikes; refuses to endorse ‘unsolicited proposals’ Ruling parties preparing for presidential election; Maithripala and Ranil launch campaigns; Rajitha Senaratne also making moves Dispute over PC polls, top officials resign from Speaker’s committee; JO says Govt. trying to delay elections Meka kondey pana nethi [...]
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