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Home » ColumnsPuzzles and paradoxes of the Sri Lankan economy
Many aspects of the Sri Lankan economy are confusing even to economists. Unravelling these puzzles and paradoxes of economic statistics is more interesting than enlightening. Are there new paradigms to explain the inconsistencies and contradictions between the real world of everyday living and economic statistics? Inflation In no other area of the economy is it [...]
Acknowledging our ‘politically precarious’ plight
The ‘Focus on Rights’ column on the Uva provincial polls being more of a battlefield than an election (Sunday Times, August 31st 2014) has been responded to by former Inspector General of Police, Frank de Silva in a manner that raises several interesting issues. A central point in this response is the unequivocal acknowledgement that [...]
MR seeks talks with Modi, as TNA sets January 1 deadline
Both for the UPFA Government and some major Opposition parties, it appears to be transition time. What it portends with a presidential election round the corner remains a critical question. In the UPFA, some major issues relate to the foreign policy front. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sought a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when [...]
Unite the party into a powerful force
My Dear Sajith, I thought I must write to you to congratulate you because we were all told by the Green Man that you would be given “priority” when a decision is made regarding the next deputy leader of the Greens. It is a welcome announcement not only for you but also for all Greens! [...]
No privacy for Lankan holidaymakers: Big Brother to be informed
The news will no doubt shock unsuspecting Sri Lankans, particularly those who love being domestic tourists. The management of tourist resorts countrywide is now required to report to the Police Station in their area whenever bookings are made by local guests. Besides their names, the address, the date of arrival and departure are among the [...]
MPs go ‘MIA’ as millions in public funds revealed to suffer similar fate
With less than two weeks to go for the Uva Provincial Council elections, the two days of Parliamentary sittings this week saw poor attendance by most legislators, as many were away, busy campaigning for their respective parties, in an election where the stakes are high for all sides. Despite the poor attendance by MPs, Opposition Leader [...]
Marga/CHA to Sandra Beidas: ‘Remove war crime charges, revisit IHL’
An NGO submission to the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) presented in Geneva on Monday has demanded that war crimes charges relating to indiscriminate artillery fire, driving civilians into No Fire Zones and causing a large number of casualties tantamount to genocide be removed from the slate of allegations against the Sri Lanka Army [...]
Cry wolf and raise Uva polls alarm
As the countdown begins for the provincial polls to be held in Uva, doubts mount whether the alleged rising toll of violence will incline the election commissioner to make good his threat and order the postponement of the entire election or hold it in stages. This time next Sunday, whether the nation will be able [...]