5th Column
Home » ColumnsBetrayal — why Maithri, why?
My dear Maithri, I thought I must write to you because there are so many different questions to ask you and, judging by what happened last week, I think you owe us an answer, if only to protect your reputation as honourable man — which, by the way, helped you to win that all important [...]
People’s Rainbow Revolution under a dark cloud
Sirisena wilts under pressure, Rajapaksa loyalists dancing in the rain as the clock is turned back UNP exposes itself to corruption charges over bond issue UNP, civic action groups and international community shaken by President’s about-turn Six months after being voted out of the presidency, Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa has bounced back to become a candidate for [...]
Mahinda catches the UPFA bus: but will Maithri get runover?
As things stand at this volatile hour on the shifting sands of Lankan politics, reports indicate that Mahinda Rajapaksa will soon be boarding the UPFA bus having obtained his season ticket to travel courtesy of President Sirisena. And no doubt, his loyal cheering squad of political groupies will be accompanying this senior and once foremost [...]
Blair-faced folly led to London’s terror attacks
On Tuesday, two days from now, Britain will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on London’s transport services that left 52 persons dead and several hundred maimed, wounded or psychologically torn apart. This was Britain’s 9/11 on a much smaller scale. There were no hijacked aircraft in the skies heading for New York’s twin [...]
MS avoids Chandrika- PM after political shock
Six months ago they were political arch enemies. Like the saying goes, politics makes strange bedfellows. So it was. Last Friday, President Maithripala Sirisena agreed to allow his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the August 17 parliamentary elections. Now, they appear to be not only chummy, but concerned of each other. After the official announcement [...]
Budgets and ballots: Electoral politics widens fiscal deficit, weakens stability and growth
Electoral politics will dominate national life till a government is elected on August 17. Not only would economic concerns be put on the back burner for about six weeks, the election would also evoke many promises that would increase the fiscal deficit that threatens economic stability and long-term growth. Sri Lanka has a history of [...]
Deciding as to which roguery is less harmful to Sri Lanka
That pithy village idiom, long beloved of those who view politics and politicians with a bitterly jaundiced eye, ‘unuthekai, munuthekai’, is greatly apt for Sri Lanka’s current political environment. Thistranslates roughly into saying that one set of political rogues is only equaled by the other set of political rogues. Smaller political parties who have used [...]