Editorial
Home » EditorialAffronts to the electoral process
In most born-again democracies — countries which have escaped from the grip of long totalitarian rule –in Eastern Europe a few decades ago, some in Africa and more recently in West Asia, voters at their first elections would display their index finger to show the indelible ink painted on it as a proud symbol of [...]
President down but not out
President Maithripala Sirisena created a record this week. He is the first political party president in this country to have taken his own party to court. There have been numerous instances in which party deputies have gone to court against the leadership – J.R. Jayewardene (UNP), Maithripala Senanayake (SLFP) a few decades ago and some [...]
Leaders passing the buck to the voters
There is this old joke of how a man wanted to serve his country and thought one way would be to get elected to the country’s Parliament. So, he got himself nomination from a political party, and was duly elected. He went to Parliament and returned home after 30 days. “Martha,” he said to his [...]
President waves white flag and capitulates
And so, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa threw his hat into the ring for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections with some pressure politics this week, the culmination of a long drawn-out, well-orchestrated campaign that saw his successor, President Maithripala Sirisena, eventually capitulate. The timing of Mr. Rajapaksa’s announcement from his hometown of Tangalla on Adhi Esala full [...]