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A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by R. Sampanthan was at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday evening for a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss ways of resolving the current political crisis. The meeting started late due to another engagement of the President and went on for more than one hour with the [...]
A tragedy of two prime ministers but whose coke is the real thing?
It is the best of times for the Rajapaksa fraternity to make hay while the torrid sun shines. It is the worst of times for the Wickremesinghe clan whilst it ponders over its present plight in the drab, dark moonless night. It is the epoch of Rajapaksa belief that they can rule without public murmur [...]
The gavel strikes, as the nation is on pins
Your Lordships, We don’t usually write to you but then, I thought I must write to you now because these are unusual times. In some seventy years of independence in Paradise, democracy has been tested in many ways with the postponement of elections, terrorism and insurgencies but matters have never been like this. It has [...]
Political crisis retards economic recovery and development
The political stalemate of over one month is a severe blow to the economy. This year’s economic recovery would be retarded and next year’s economic performance would be adversely affected. Long-run economic development is being undermined by weakening macroeconomic conditions. There are serious apprehensions on what may befall the economy. The political impasse will retard [...]
Sri Lanka’s civil resistance awakens, like the phoenix from the ashes
Despite the undeniable shock caused to Sri Lanka’s democratic system on October 26th 2018 as a result of President Maithripala Sirisena’s swearing in of a new Prime Minister lacking a majority in the House, several unmistakable positive factors have emerged since then. Those ‘legal experts’ who led the President up the garden path in persuading [...]
An olive branch from Wijeyadasa and a House poised for a resolution sooner than later
Four of the six political parties represented in Parliament this week once again demonstrated in no uncertain terms that they together command the majority in Parliament, with President Maithripala Sirisena’s Prime Ministerial appointee MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA remaining short of a simple majority of 113 MPs which they need to give legitimacy to [...]
President’s book-fact, fiction or spin
In these days of gloom and doom in Sri Lanka and Britain where a tiny ray of sunshine is so welcome and the sound of laughter enlivens life, a message I received from Colombo a few days ago was sweet music to the ears. It said that President Sirisena announced he is writing a book [...]
Sirisena works out ceasefire; Rajapaksa faces the axe
Backchannel moves portend signs of end to political turmoil: Sirisena wants a new UNF Premier MR says he won’t quit, but President can sack him; key motion on Wednesday with TNA support Dispute over numbers game ends as TNA extends support to the UNP; Draft motions change hands from one side to another Six weeks [...]
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