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President Sirisena intensifies moves for alliance with SLPP

President Sirisena intensifies moves for alliance with SLPP

But chances have faded for his desire to get nomination for presidential election, as opposition grows at grassroots level Fragile relationship between President and UNF; Ranil’s silence or submission raises questions President pushes for early PC polls, but UNF unlikely to move fast; prefers Presidential election first   President Maithripala Sirisena, once again this week, [...]

What promises?

What promises?

My dear Green Man, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you were planning to set up another ‘national’ government with the help of a few others who wish to prop up the Greens. Considering what happened to the last national government you had with the Blues, I must say I [...]

Probe on Trump’s inauguration bash: Lanka as footnote

Probe on Trump’s inauguration bash: Lanka as footnote

Sri Lanka has figured as a political footnote in a major investigation of big-dollar donors who helped finance US President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony when he took office in January 2017. The focus of the investigation includes Imaad Zuberi, a California venture capitalist, who reportedly donated more than $1.1 million dollars to committees associated with [...]

UNP backs out of National Govt bid; President slams CC and Human Rights Council

UNP backs out of National Govt bid; President slams CC and Human Rights Council

Simmering tensions between President Maithripala Sirisena and the Constitutional Council (CC) chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya came to the fore this week, in Parliament, while the United National Front (UNF) abruptly put-off its controversial motion to establish a ‘National Government’ with the sole MP representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). Ending his more than [...]

How ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ found re-berth at Capital’s Port of Call

How ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ found re-berth at  Capital’s Port of Call

After having survived a near-death experience before being resuscitated with the Supreme Court’s kiss of life not even two months ago, the UNP needlessly imperilled whatever sympathy and goodwill it earned during those traumatic days of the abortive constitutional coup, by taking a reckless course of action two weeks ago that would have courted for [...]

Then they told the President

Then they told the President

As a schoolboy many, many moons ago, I remember reading a collection of essays by that superb American satirist and columnist Art Buchwald. It was titled “Then I told the President”. Having listened to President Sirisena’s Independence Day speech, one wonders whether there is any purpose in telling Sri Lanka’s current President anything, anything at [...]

When the president unjustly and unsupportably lambasts

When the president unjustly and unsupportably lambasts

It is no matter for jest when the President of a country publicly singles out national oversight institutions for ferocious censure. And without a doubt, it is even worse when that institution happens to be a national human rights institution. By the very nature of the work that it does and the statutory mandate on [...]

Economic development in a confused political environment

Economic development in a confused political environment

The President’s speech at the independence commemoration ceremony last Monday clearly demonstrated the divisive nature of our political leadership and the incapacity to forge a united effort to achieve economic stability and development. Rajapaksa’s minister Apart from the inappropriateness of such criticism in an Independence Day Speech to the nation, it is incongruous as Mr. [...]

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