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My dear Anura sahodaraya, I thought of writing to you while you rub shoulders with the high and mighty in Germany. Reading newspaper headlines one day this week, I was amused. “Anura meets German President”, one said. “Ranil at CID”, said another headline. A few months ago, it could have been the other way around! [...]
Six months later, Ranwala says his PhD certificate may take more time to come
Friday (13) marked six months since Gampaha district parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala was forced to step down as Speaker of Parliament less than a month into his tenure amid questions over his educational qualifications, particularly his claim of having obtained a PhD from a Japanese university. When he resigned from the exalted seat on December 13 [...]
Expeditious actions can enhance export capacity and improve trade balance
The current uncertainties in global trade and tariffs are an opportunity to make much-needed structural changes to strengthen our weak export capacity and unstable export structure. Persistent deficits Trade deficits have been persistent features of our external finances since independence. There have been only three or four years of a trade surplus since 1950, and [...]
A roller-coaster ride to local government insanity
In Sri Lanka’s far from glorious post-independence electoral history, have we ever seen such a verita-ble song and dance over a local government election or various groups of council aspirants quarrelling over their seats so nonsensically? Actual focus of local councils lost in the din Breathless excitement grips the nation’s newsreaders as the time that [...]
The presidential pardon scandal reflects the systemic failures and institutional decay in governance structures
The recent revelations surrounding the misuse of the presidential pardon have sent shockwaves across Sri Lanka, laying bare the deep institutional rot festering within the Prisons Department. A tradition intended to offer mercy and redemption has instead turned into a symbol of systemic abuse, corruption, and alarming dysfunction. What transpired this Vesak day was not [...]
Mystery of the missing 323 red flagged containers continues to rock the nation
The existence of God can never be proved either true or false. It is only faith that makes us believe that God exists, that there’s life after death, and that there’s a heaven and a hell beyond this earthly realm. As Shakespeare said, ‘The undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller returns.’ Or to put [...]
When Tony sends his little Blairs to sell his wares
Now that came as a real ‘shokku’, as the Japanese might say. With the recently elected local government mafiosos at each other’s throats trying to grab some dying garments to wrap around another’s neck, who would have time to spend on some visiting nonentities trying to sell second-hand ideas that even Trump will knock his [...]
Opposition secures control of local councils through alliance of convenience
The ruling NPP also gains control of several Sabhas, but all eyes on tomorrow’s CMC mayoral contest Controversy persists over presidential pardon and the release of red-flagged containers President concludes Germany visit, but no appointment to meet the Chancellor When a group of opposition parties first started talks last month on reaching an agreement [...]
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