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Home » ColumnsWorking elephants and parading elephants in UNP
UNP back benchers are comparing themselves to elephants which are used for dragging heavy logs (kotan adina ali) and those who received cabinet portfolios are elephants which only parade in grand festivities known as pereheras (pereherey yana ali). Hector Appuhamy, a back bencher MP representing the Puttalam district, said that though working elephants were dragging [...]
“Though opposition is a hopeless task, acquiescence would be worse”
My dear Sampanthan seeya, I thought I must write to you because we have been suddenly told that you have lost your job as Leader of the Opposition. Karu has decided that the job should go to Mahinda maama, who too lost his job as Prime Minister and was even ‘interdicted’ for a few weeks [...]
2018: Year the hopper crumbled for Mahinda
If the year 2018 began with a bang for Mahinda Rajapaksa when his ghost-led Pohottuwa party swept the local polls in February, the year ended for him with a whimper stuck in the sinking sands of his fluctuating political fortunes. Whatever his royal astrologer may have predicted of the rosy things to come for Mahinda [...]
2018 in retrospect: An ‘annus horribilis’ for Lankan economy?
The year that is coming to a close was one of political uncertainty and economic instability. The economy, which was showing some signs of recovery with exports growing at a rapid pace, tourism booming and prospects of increased foreign investment, was transformed into an unstable one. Political crisis The political and constitutional crisis compounded the [...]
Chanting ‘open sesame’ to communal and racist hatreds
As a foreboding New Year by way of the Gregorian calendar dawns for Sri Lankans, the choices before us (at least, politically) are not felicitous by any stretch of the imagination. Atavistic demons conjured up by opportunists A cynic may question, ‘when were the choices ever felicitous during the past five decades or more?’ That [...]
An annus that was very horribilis
At last! The year about to end is best forgotten. But it cannot be brushed away just like that. Politicians can easily forget, especially promises they have made and have not been fulfilled. But those the people have voted in as lawmakers and from whom they expect principled conduct cannot simply close their eyes and [...]
Casualties emerge from 2018 political turmoil
As year ends, President faces rebellion by senior party members who lost portfolios after national govt. collapsed President pushes for tie-up with SLPP; but Rajapaksa insists on clear-cut arrangements for electoral alliance No clear position on who will be the presidential candidates from all major parties Atumultuous year, which created a political crisis unprecedented [...]
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