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Home » ColumnsNothing comes free, even if it’s dollars from US COVID-19 aid bill
The recently passed USD 900 billion COVID -19 aid bill at US Congress showed how geopolitics works when it comes to Sri Lanka, located strategically in the Indian ocean making it an unavoidable player in the Indo-Pacfic policy of the US government. There were no sugarcoating diplomatic words if Sri Lanka is to be eligible [...]
Lest you forget!
My dear Cheerio Sirisena, I am not sure whether writing to you is the best thing to do first in the New Year, but I am doing so not only to wish you a very happy 2021 but also because you had made some interesting comments a few days ago, saying you want to ‘go [...]
Three formidable challenges in 2021: Containing COVID, debt repayment and fiscal deficits
The containment of the COVID-19 virus, meeting the nation’s foreign debt obligations and moving towards fiscal consolidation are three foremost and formidable problems that have to be resolved this year. Each one of them is a formidable problem, resolving all three are daunting tasks. Reviving the economy and achieving even moderate economic growth is only [...]
On bargains struck with the devil and a New Year with little cheer
The sorry sight of a meekly genuflecting Minister of Health before a crowd of militant monks in front of the Presidential Secretariat who were insisting that, ‘they’ brought this Presidency and this Government into power and that, ‘no Muslims’ were involved in that exercise is just an inkling of potential hatreds and misery that 2021 [...]
Misreading the “69 lakshaya” mantra – no extra powers conferred
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained 69 lakhs of votes at the Presidential Elections in November 2019 to be elected as the Head of State and Head of Government. Since then the phrase “heta nama lakshaya” (sixty nine lakhs) has become a catch phrase and is often used on political platforms. The current usage of the phrase [...]
Tourists in a pandemic! Is it dicing with nation’s health?
Lanka left her door ajar this week to let a trickle of Ukrainians slip into the island to be given a right royal conducted tour that will cover 12 designated spots of tourist interest within a period spanning 10 to 14 days. After soaking the sun for seven days on the island’s southern beaches guarded [...]
Some fake news, some rake the muck
There I was writing this column, awaiting the dawn of the New Year with mixed feelings — feelings of hope and trepidation. For the first time as far as I can remember — and possibly the world too – a usually joyous day celebrated round the globe seemed to have lost its lustre. Even if [...]
Mixed bag of issues for ruling alliance: More difficult than 2020
Controversy continues over burial or cremation of Muslims who die of COVID-19; security concern over Mawanella incident Growing role for military; retired and serving officers being appointed to top administrative positions PC elections will be postponed, TNA proposes sweeping constitutional changes, seeking more powers to Regions A worrying reality that has escaped most Sri [...]
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