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Home » ColumnsPredictable predicament
My dear Vraie, I thought of writing to you after hearing that the first budget of the ‘maalimaawa’ chaps at the CMC was defeated by 3 votes. You spoke after that, close to tears, telling your fellow councillors that what was really defeated was not the ‘maalimaawa’ chaps’ budget, but the budget of their conscience. [...]
Rebuilding after cyclone Ditwah: The case for a nationally united effort under the disaster management act
The National People’s Power (NPP) Government assumed office under exceptionally difficult circumstances. It inherited an economy that had been driven to collapse by the policies and mismanagement of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) administration that assumed office in 2019. Stabilising public finances, restoring confidence, and rebuilding institutional credibility were already formidable challenges. Yet scarcely [...]
Tamil politicos warn Jaishankar over Pakistani and Chinese presence in north
When India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the country this week, his office allocated time from his busy engagement with Tamil political leaders from North and Upcountry. For some time now, this has been the ‘norm’ whenever a top-ranking official from the neighbouring country visits. During these discussions, northern political leaders regularly express concerns [...]
Bitter end to a year of economic stabilisation and growth
There could not have been a more cruel and devastating end to this year of financial stabilisation and economic growth than the devastation and destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah on November 29. The catastrophe tends to make one describe this year too as another annus horribilis (a horrible year). In fact, it was a year [...]
‘Terrorism’ versus civil liberties; the NPP’s clear betrayal of campaign promises
President Anura Kumara Dissaayake’s determination to ‘repeal and replace’ Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with a law that balances security concerns and civil liberties for ‘rights focused governance’ was explained in great detail when interviewed by Newsweek earlier this month. Legitimate alarm over the PSTA But that sunny presidential intent is grossly contradicted [...]
No balloons for Christmas this year
I was nicely snuggled up on my sofa watching another episode of my favourite comedy series for the year, when I heard a loud incessant banging on my door. I feared it would break down my door. ‘Okay, okay, I’m coming, I’m coming,’ I yelled over the TV din, ‘no need to break the door.’ [...]
Where do we go from here—left, right or who knows?
Surely not Left. Our NPP leader left it some time ago, and now it would seem he has ditched it altogether. Now I hear no Marxist ideology belting from some social media machine. Not now anyway, when the serving spoon is very much in his hand, as our charismatic one-time Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala [...]
Jaishankar’s Lanka visit on short notice as Modi’s special envoy underscores powerful geopolitical message
Govt. caught unawares; Herath rushes from Parliament to foreign office to answer phone call from Delhi Events during the visit show it is India in control, with an underprepared Sri Lankan side remaining largely silent Indian EAM’s trip preempts visit by a Chinese Communist Party delegation to Lanka Ruling NPP suffers setback in CMC budget vote; one-time [...]
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