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Home » ColumnsSri Lanka’s vision of achieving very high human development by 2025-2035
Having achieved high human development Sri Lanka has the capability to achieve very high human development by 2025-2035. For this the economy should grow at an annual average of 6.5 percent, ensure more equitable distribution of income and pursue policies to increase public investment in key areas of education and health. Dr. Godfrey Gunatilleka presented [...]
Holding the Government’s feet to the ‘yahapalanaya’ fire
As we evaluate the performance of the Sirisena Presidency and the Wickremesinghe Government during its much vaunted 100-day period, it is only fair to assess this against the realities of what Sri Lanka faced at the close of the last year. The measure of what was lost For this was no ordinary transfer of political [...]
Sirisena wavers amid raging waters of SLFP split
A nation waits in suspense as the ‘on-off’ guessing game continues over dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for general elections. The menu on this week’s political agenda is for a different course. “I can assure that a new Government will be installed by September,” declared President Maithripala Sirisena during a breakfast meeting with heads [...]
‘P’ word from old politico: Clear the gallery of kids
My Dear Vasu sahodaraya, I thought I must write to you because, after about forty five years in politics, you seem to have attracted national attention, making the headlines of newspapers and television news bulletins as you have never done before. Surely, it must be a special occasion! That it happened because you used foul [...]
Angry Sirisena blasts officials: Clean up cities, suburbs within a week or go
Pollution in the Greater Colombo area and the non-maintenance of newly created facilities have angered President Maithripala Sirisena. He summoned all those who are responsible — Mayors of Colombo, Kolonnawa, Moratuwa, Dehiwala, officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), the Low Lying Areas Reclamation Board, and the Environment Police among others — to a conference. The [...]
Govt. shows it’s no different than its predecessor in only 100 days
When JVP MP Anura Dissanayake told Parliament this week, the new Government which rode to power with pledges to rid the country of bribery and corruption, is travelling down the same road the previous regime had taken, he was airing the growing frustration among Opposition members, brought on by the Government’s refusal to allow a [...]
SLFP gets its wages of sin
Suddenly it seems the SLFP’s Rajapaksa rebels have awoken to their own crass stupidity and realised to their dismay that they have been scoring scores of own goals, much to the jollity and cheer of their arch foe the UNP. No international conspiracy can be held responsible for their internecine war. The tragedy that has [...]
The day Prabhakaran was killed: Victory or Remembrance?
Is it ‘War Heroes’ Day?’ Is it ‘Remembrance Day?’ Is it ‘Armed Forces Day?’ Is it ‘Victory Day?’The variety of terms used in the media to describe commemorative events held on May 18th – 19th six years after the end of the 30-years war, is a reflection of some confusion as to how this watershed [...]
The game of politics and other gimmicks
So, four SLFPers who accepted ministerial appointments in the yahapalanaya Government in March quit their posts on Thursday just two months into their new ministerial tenure. Whatever the justification or otherwise of the stated reasons that precipitated this departure it was a quick turnaround, indeed. This does raise an important question: Is this pullout ( [...]