Columns
Home » ColumnsWhy Jaliya was taken from airport to jail
Jaliya Mithran Wickremasuriya, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to United States, turned up at the Bandaranaike International Airport in the early hours of Thursday. He was bound for the United States of America, where he has lived for many years. Mr. Wickremasuriya was unaware that the previous day, Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) detectives had obtained [...]
The proof of the budget is in the implementation of it
By reducing the fiscal deficit to 4.7 percent of GDP the 2017 Budget has taken a significant step towards fiscal consolidation that is imperative for macroeconomic stability and sustained economic growth. This reduction in the fiscal deficit is a significant improvement from fiscal deficits of 7.4 percent in 2015 and an estimated 5.4 percent in [...]
Is this a matter of degree between the bad and the infinitely worse?
Whatever possessed an undoubtedly bewitched Government to deputize a senior intelligence official, alleged to have held command responsibility when detainees were severely and systematically tortured, to represent the State before the United Nations Committee against Torture (UNCAT)? One would be hard pressed to find a greater irony than this, per se. Unwise strategic decision The [...]
Let us plant trees and pay our debt to Mother Nature
As part of our duty to our country, we need to do some cultivation work or some other useful work. Whatever our religion or ethnicity maybe, planting some trees or herbs is important. Life is not possible on earth without water, sunlight and air. We are indebted to these gifts of nature. We need to [...]
Sirisena puts SLFP on war footing for local polls next year
Urgent move to counter campaign by new pro-Rajapaksa party; organisers told to work towards target of 5 million membership In the afterglow of the two-thirds majority for Budget, the UNP focuses on big economic projects; still leaning on China with the West giving little By Our Political Editor A major effort has been launched by [...]
Leading the new party
My dear GL, I thought of writing to you after some time when I heard that you are now the leader of a political party. Well, congratulations, who would have thought that you would be still in the news, forming new political parties a few months after your 70th birthday! They call you ‘chairman’ of [...]
Budget: Unity Govt. in show of strong united front, JO and JVP united in criticism
Despite severe criticism of the Government’s budget by both lawmakers of the Joint Opposition (JO) as well as the JVP, the Government breezed through the vote on the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill-2017 in Parliament on Friday, securing 162 votes in its favour and 55 voting against it. The Government drew support from the [...]
Cheena patas with shock from China
China breaks her great wall of silence to give Lanka an earful After berating Finance Minister for criticising Chinese largesse, envoy Xianliang tells President and PM what to do and what not to do It was more than a simple Chinese fortune cookie but a crusty message wrapped in a surly snub that was served [...]
Oh how our politicians sprout wings
So it came to pass – though it is still to be finally passed of course – that Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake presented what he called a budget for the people. He was only half right. It was a budget for some people – or so it is said. Former president Rajapaksa thought it was [...]