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C’wealth tree-planting at Mattala Airport Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, Monitoring MP for the Ministry of External Affairs and master of ceremonies for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), hosted a conducted tour of representatives of countries attending the summit in Colombo. These were persons who would be associated with security arrangements for their respective [...]
Govt. caught in Hurricane Pillay as she ends whirlwind tour
Mervyn’s remarks draw angry retort from UN Human Rights chief; President livid over EAM’s mishandling of crucial visit UNP presents tough report; wants 19A to nullify 18A; focus now on what happens in Geneva this month It was Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, the UPFA Government’s point man for many issues who hosted the cocktail [...]
Fair Pillay?
My Dear Navi, I thought I too must write to you now that you are finally here after years of speculation and everybody who is somebody wants to meet you or write to you and tell you what they think you should do-or shouldn’t do-for our little country. I’m told, Navi, that despite all the [...]
The vicious cycle of public debt and debt servicing cost
In as much as fiscal deficits over many years have contributed towards the large public debt, the debt servicing costs of the large accumulated debt is an important underlying reason for incurring recurring fiscal deficits. To break this vicious cycle the fiscal deficit must be reduced significantly to below 5 per cent of GDP to [...]
Pillay’s visit: Setting the R2P machinery in motion?
In the past week the Government of Sri Lanka laid out the red carpet for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, with the customary hospitality accorded to visiting foreign dignitaries. She could go wherever she wanted and meet whoever she wished, according to the President’s Human Rights Envoy, Minister Mahinda Samarasingha, who said [...]
The government’s parading of new law is a mockery
It is undoubtedly a great irony that at the lowest point of the Sri Lankan Government’s adherence to the Rule of Law, we hear its carefully choreographed announcement during the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that enforced disappearances will be criminalised. Law reform means little Is there any value to [...]