Columns
Home » ColumnsInvitation, de-invitation, pension and Polonnaruwa monkeys: Stories that spiced up presidential banquet
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hosted his predecessor Maithripala Sirisena to lunch at the Presidential Secretariat banquet room on Friday. It was to mark the successful conclusion of talks between the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to contest under the former’s name and symbol. Both are vegetarians. There was a [...]
One small gesture, a beacon of hope for the people
My dear Devanee, I thought of writing to you because so many people are talking about you and praising you these days- even though no one had heard of you only a few weeks ago. All this was because you took the bold step of telling a local politician that no matter what people wanted [...]
Guarded optimism of economic recovery in 2020
Although economic growth in 2019 was one of the lowest in recent years the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a revival in 2020. However, this recovery is dependent on an improvement in tourism and the manufacturing sectors both of which are interdependent on international developments. The cautious optimism of the IMF is also dependent on [...]
On the President, Judges and encounters of a curious kind
When Sri Lanka’s President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly articulates that, ‘unnecessary judicial interventions are harmful to democracy’ (The Island, February 21st, 2020), one is intrigued. A praxis of bizarre happenings Pray, what would a Presidential definition of ‘unnecessary’ be, it might be ‘necessary’ to ask? That question becomes pertinent in the context of strange developments in [...]
Will the Ranjangate tapes get the full monty or be expurgated?
At the onset of a new year when the existence of a CD collection containing private phone conversations between film actor turned politician turned one man one shot rogue buster Ranjan Ramanayake and his coterie of unsuspecting phone pals secretly recorded and stored by the actor himself, came to light following a court authorised police [...]
So who’s afraid of Donald Trump?
What the hell is all this bloody nonsense, if you’ll pardon the lingo? Some chap called Marikkar who it is said is a UNP MP, has proposed a plan that should have US President Trump running for cover. After all what else could he do when such masterly ripostes are hurled at him by some [...]
SLPP ‘neutralises’ Sirisena; brings SLFP under its control
Dissolution on March 2, Parliamentary elections on April 25; SLFP set to go into oblivion after nominations UNP faces uphill task as election approaches; Premadasa-led alliance members make contradictory statements over symbol Two of the country’s oldest political parties — the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) — [...]
Read More