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Home » ColumnsShoora Council dinner deserted by SLPP Muslim MPs
Sri Lanka’s Shoora Council had decided to felicitate all Muslim parliamentarians who were elected at the August 5 parliamentary election. Shoora is the Arabic word for consult and its role is like a counsel. Of course, in Sri Lanka, the council’s key members also play an active role in many other Muslim bodies. The council [...]
A strong opposition for Presidential plans to move forward
My dear Sajith, I thought I must write to you to congratulate you on your appointment as the Leader of the Opposition and for leading the party which secured the largest number of seats from the opposition at the recent election, even if the ‘pohottuwa’ chaps stole your thunder and emerged easy winners at the [...]
Who ordered this ecological homicide?
Scientists, environmentalists and others concerned with the indiscriminate destruction over decades of Sri Lanka’s forests and its vital ecosystems should surely be thankful to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for putting a stop to the savage decimation of areas of the renowned Sinharaja Forest. If all that is said of Gotabaya Rajapaksa that he is a person [...]
Total eclipse of the UNP marks 2020, party’s annus horribilis
The total eclipse of the United National Party sun in Lanka’s political firmament was made dramatically visible on Thursday morn when it was conspicuously absent from Parliament, where it had dominated the august chamber with its stately presence as a national institution since the grant of independence 72 years ago. The extent to which the [...]
Revival of exports a sign of economic recovery
Exports surpassing US$ 1 billion in July is an indication of the economy’s revival. Maintaining and accelerating this export momentum would ease the country’s balance of payments that has been adversely affected by the shortfall in workers’ remittances and negligible tourist earnings. This revival in exports after six months is also important as it is [...]
Monkeying around with the Constitution
Inexplicably and not without heavy irony, former President Maithripala Sirisena chose to dwell on crop devastation caused by monkeys in Sri Lanka when contributing to the opening debate on the Government’s Policy Statement as Parliament met this week, fresh after a sparkling polls victory by the Rajapaksa headed Sri Lanka Podujana Party (‘pohottuwa’) alliance. The [...]
Personal attacks mar 9th parliament’s first day of business
A day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered the Government’s policy statement, Friday’s first debate of the ninth Parliament failed to make a mark, with MPs veering off topics and at times, launching personal attacks against each other. There was, however, much back and forth over the President’s statement during his speech the day before that [...]
One country, one law – better sense should prevail
In his policy statement presented to Parliament on August 20 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa outlined his Government’s plans for the forthcoming year. Among the measures he proposed was the one relating to the removal of the 19th Amendment as a prelude to enacting a new Constitution. The President in his satement to Parliament expressed his intention [...]
Priority to amend 19A; Basil to return to top post in Cabinet
Though sceptical, people wait in awe to see whether new Government will implement its main pledges Great interest in what will happen to outcome on probe on terror attacks on Easter Sunday and Central Bank bond scam Blackout gives early black marks to Government Crisis over Sumanthiran aggravates in TNA; delegation meets India’s envoy and [...]
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