5th Column
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My dear Mahinda maama, I thought I must write to you because the no-confidence motion you brought against the Green Man appears to have boomeranged on you- although most of your ‘pohottuwa’ chaps are still trying to keep a straight face and act as if you won the vote, despite having lost it by a [...]
Battle after battle in CMC
The local councils are meant to be the ‘miniature legislatures’ of the country and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is showing the way how true that is. Already, the CMC is imitating the national Parliament with a heated contest for the post of Leader of the Opposition. Again, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) with [...]
Time to re-sit Uni cut off marks test
AVURUDU WISHES The Sunday Punch wishes you all a very happy Sinhala and Hindu New Year. May the milk of prosperity boil to the brim and spill over the whole New Year through. Take a bow, Aneesha Gitanjali Fernando, the Colombo 7 Ladies College 16 year old girl who was declared an island ranker at [...]
An opportunity for effective governance or another missed opportunity?
The failure of the no confidence motion on the Prime Minister is a fresh opportunity to usher in political stability, strengthen the government’s capacity and efficacy and enhance economic development. Failure to achieve a policy consensus and common program for the next eighteen months would certainly be suicidal for the coalition partners and a severe [...]
Why this obeisance paid to politicians in South Asia?
Some weeks ago, a ruling party politician in the Gampaha District was captured on national television becoming incandescent with rage on being asked to produce his identity card by a police officer. Working himself up to a veritable frenzy, that worthy representative of the people blustered and protested. His fury boiled over as he spluttered [...]
President clinches deal with UNP to continue coalition
President Maithripala Sirisena, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) took the unprecedented step of urging ministers of his own party to boycott last Tuesday’s weekly Cabinet meeting – perhaps a first such move in a practising democracy. In doing so, he was cushioning a feared fallout from a widespread call by members of [...]
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