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Home » ColumnsSajith-centric manoeuvres seen in Hashim, Haleem reappointments
Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, at the centre of many a controversy after the Easter Sunday incidents, rushed for a hurried meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday. This was soon after a meeting of former Muslim ministers, state ministers and deputies had ended inconclusively. He told the Premier he had information that two former [...]
Only love douses hate, not the hell fire of hate
Exactly two thousand three hundred and twenty two years ago when Indian Emperor Asoka’s son arrived in Lanka with the bowl of the Dhamma and presented his father’s priceless gift of the Buddha’s philosophy to King Devanampiyatissa atop Mihintale rock on a Poson Poya, the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha has been [...]
President of chaos: What a plot twist you were
My dear Old Fox, I thought I must write to you even though you are in the Land of Never Return, having left us more than 20 years ago. That is because I heard that one of your favourite tactics, the Referendum, or the ‘pot’ and ‘lamp’ business as it was then called – is [...]
Ethnic tensions and political gridlock more damaging to economy than bomb blasts
The current political gridlock, communal tensions and political environment are much more severe constraints to economic recovery and development than the Easter Sunday bomb blasts. With the restoration of security, the economy could recover from the setbacks it suffered following the bomb blasts. However, the subsequent ethnic violence, communal tensions and political chaos are likely [...]
Sri Lanka’s dark currents of ancient fears will destroy this land
This week, a small child died of malnutrition in Tissamaharama at the same time that Sri Lanka’s Parliament debated the passing of millions of public funds to purchase luxury vehicles for Ministers as well as former President and current Opposition Leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Laid out in her white coffin, dark and pitifully small, her mother [...]
Funny things happen here and there
This is not funny. I mean it is not funny ha ha! It is funny curious. Some days ago somebody – let’s leave the name out, but it certainly was not any of our news — conscious diplomatic Metternichs from Hyde Park Gardens emailed me to say that former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga would be [...]
President ponders options; focuses on one choice
With his manoeuvres failing, Sirisena may settle for an SLPP-SLFP alliance, where he is not the candidate, but gets a suitable place Drops plans for non-binding referendum amid opposition even from his own SLFP members; CBK keen that SLFP should not wither away Presidential election likely to be between two main candidates – Gotabaya and [...]
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