The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

Columns

Political Column

Polls are over: Everything that counts cannot be counted

As the outcome unfolds today, they will weigh in the ramifications for political parties as well as the government. For both, the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP), victories would be significant though the reasons would differ. For the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the other opposition party in the fray, the prospects appeared grim. It has now become one political party with two clearly defined sides.

5th Column

Elections galore

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "have all the elections ended now?"
"Why, Bindu?" Bindu's father Percy inquired. "Why are you worried about that?"
"I thought yesterday's elections would be the last," Bindu said.

The Economic Analysis

State of the economy: Answer is in current account

The Central Bank has assured the country that the external finances are healthy. This assurance is based on the fact that despite a huge trade deficit of US$ 5.1 billion in the first seven months of this year, there has been an overall balance of payments surplus of US$ 1 billion. This is likely to be the balance of payments scenario for the full year too.

Lobby

Govt. lapdogs are Opposition whipping dogs

The sole business of Parliament last week was to enact a progressive piece of legislation that would help raise the professional standards of the Sri Lanka Police. But given the present climate, where those entrusted with enforcing the law are constantly on a collision course with the public, the debate was expected to raise tempers.

Focus on Rights

Turning Sri Lanka into one gigantic military camp

Sri Lanka remains a classic study in farcical contrasts between the reality and the image. Nothing illustrates this assertion better than what passes for law enforcement today. During previous weeks, discussion of a National Police Academy was ironically juxtaposed with yet another of the now periodically violent outbreaks of public anger against the police, this time in Dompe where a young man died in police custody, leaving his wife and one year old child destitute.

Talk at the Cafe Spectator

Tamara now and her previous avatar

Nearly a quarter of a century is a long time in the life of anyone, leave alone a new diplomat. Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative at the United Nations in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam, flayed the UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navaneethan Pillay in her speech at the Human Rights Council.

From the Sidelines

Syria: Western powers up against wall of Bricks

The recent double veto by Russia and China of the Security Council resolution against Syria revealed sharp divisions in the UN that had been simmering since the NATO-led military intervention in Libya got off the ground.