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Home » ColumnsClash at Jaffna counting centre; Row over votes for Sumanthiran and Sasikala
Around 1.30 am on Friday, the Jaffna Central College counting centre was chaotic as Special Task Force (STF) personnel on duty made a baton charge, when a group of people tried to enter the counting room. In the ensuing chaos, two people were injured, one of them being a local councillor. The group, consisting of [...]
On ‘stunning’ electoral victories and the value of impermanence
Any one of us indulging in melodramatic weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth on Wednesday’s election victory of the Rajapaksa-led ‘pohottuwa’ (Sri Lanka Podujana Party, SLPP) must heed the admonition that this has come five years too late down the line. The sum of failed political legacies Clearly, these lamentations should have been evidenced when [...]
Fiscal consolidation an economic prerequisite and priority for development
The massive parliamentary electoral victory of the Sri Lanka Podu Peramuna (SLPP) led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa would ensure political stability so vital for economic development. One of the foremost tasks of the new government would be the progressive reduction of the fiscal deficit (fiscal consolidation) that is a prerequisite for economic stabilisation and [...]
The painful green erosion
My dear Ranil, I thought of writing to you because you must be relaxing these days after weeks of gruelling campaigning for the election, an election in which you achieved what no leader in this country has been able to achieve in almost 75 years – the demise of the United National Party. A party [...]
General Elections 2020 and the case of Sunil Handunetti
The successful conclusion of the 2020 parliamentary elections has brought to the forefront the issue of how individual candidates are assessed by the voter prior to casting his preference. Political commentators will undoubtedly mull on the reasons for Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s margin of victory and the poor showing at the polls of the two [...]
People power makes lotus bud blossom at Diyawanna’s edge
The people have spoken. Loudly and clearly. In no uncertain terms, they have reposed their collective faith in the untried but trusted Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna out on its first excursion in the general election stakes; and handsomely allowed this Rajapaksa trained thoroughbred from the Rajapaksa stables, grand entry to the winning enclosure with its [...]
All this and hara kiri too
As deadlines approach and Wednesday’s fascinating election story is still to unfold fully, what has emerged from the battle for ballots needs to be told even briefly. Many results are still to come as I write this. But one need not be a psephologist to unravel some of the trends already emerging to say who [...]
Historic victory for the baby SLPP, but it must fulfil pledges
Basil Rajapaksa’s strategy works; President gets two-thirds majority to carry out his programme UNP suffers its worst-ever defeat, but Ranil indicates he will stay on as leader Premadasa’s SJB fares significantly well, but fails to secure Sinhala-Buddhist vote despite campaigning in that direction Sri Lanka’s voters have spoken, spoken so eloquently at Wednesday’s parliamentary elections [...]
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