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Home » ColumnsPresident going ahead with January poll, questions over Pope’s visit
Vatican’s formal response likely when Presidential poll is announced, but preparations continue More details of Sajin Vass’ alleged attack on Nonis; MR dismisses it but British politicians shocked UNP still embroiled in power struggle; seniors worried about role of “outsider” with links to UPFA leaders UPFA parliamentarians caught a glimpse last Friday of how opinions [...]
A slap in the face of Mother Lanka
My Dear Chris, I thought I must write to you because, in the last few weeks, your name has been in the headlines virtually every day although very few people had heard of you before that. Ah, what fame a mere slap in the face can bring, even though it is in fact a slap [...]
Harnessing the diverse economic potential of the North
Although five years have passed since the end of the war, the full development potential of the North and East has not been harnessed. Most investments have been for rebuilding and reconstruction of infrastructure and housing – areas that were indeed priorities and prerequisites for economic development. Now that much has been achieved in developing [...]
Sri Lanka needs tightening, not relaxation, of the electoral scheme
Strenuous efforts are being made by the Government and its propagandists in the state/private media to justify planned attempts to amend Sri Lanka’s election laws, legalising what are currently classified as election violations. Sufficient justification for prohibitions But such prohibitions did not come about by a casual throw of the dice as these rude proponents [...]
Dirty linen from foreign affairs held up, for now
On two consecutive days this week in Parliament, JVP’s Parliamentary Group Leader MP Anura Dissanayake was prevented from raising a question in Parliament regarding the altercation between Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to London, Dr Chris Nonis and External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, late last month in New York. Deputy Speaker Chandima [...]
Time to return to old school norms
Even as India is stridently taking steps to further strengthen her democratic institutions and Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet are declaring their assets for all to see online on Modi’s website in a welcome display of transparency, Lanka finds herself still stuck in the rut of corruption and shows all the signs that she [...]
Trumpet call to save baby elephants
A growing tendency towards catching baby elephants and registering them through “various unscrupulous means as tamed elephants or tuskers” has come to light. That home truth comes from Wildlife Resources Conservation Minister Gamini Vijith Vijayamuni Zoysa. The reason for this, he says, is the failure to update registration procedures for the past 23 years. Hence, [...]