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Home » Columns‘Dragon light’ demand for ENT doctor to guide her way through Viyathmaga
Weeks earlier, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarians demanded that the four police officers now assigned for their security be retained and not reduced to two. Their appeal came during a party leaders’ meeting chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Internal Security Minister Chamal Rajapaksa explained that increasing demands for police personnel on crime prevention and [...]
Far beyond the law
Me Lords, We do not usually write, but we thought we must because everyone is petitioning about this Amendment that Gota maama has proposed to the Constitution. The last time we wrote was some two years ago, when Cheerio Sirisena tried to stage that ill-conceived constitutional coup of his. At that time, he was rapped [...]
The 20A and its constitutional witches cauldron of trouble
In a chance conversation off a bylane in Polhena, Matara last Friday, a fresh faced resident with rosily chubby cheeks belying her probably 70-odd years had an astringent question for me; ‘if the President says there is no need for circulars and his word is enough for a public official (‘aanduwe niladhari’) to act on, [...]
Tea: Higher productivity would enhance exports and improve trade balance
The neglect of export crop agriculture has been one of the serious setbacks to the economy in recent decades. This is especially so of tea, the country’s main agricultural export. Higher productivity on tea plantations is vital to increase production and enhance the exportable surplus of tea to increase export earnings and reduce the country’s [...]
How times have changed
How strange that the August general elections brought back memories of Sri Lanka’s (or Ceylon’s to be more accurate) first ever parliamentary election 80 years ago. As little kids, one could not understand the significance of that first election, even before the country gained independence. But in the mind’s eye there seemed to be some [...]
India demands Tamils get their pound of flesh
A day after he was sworn in as Prime Minister on August 8, Mahinda Rajapaksa was asked by Indian weekly news magazine Frontline what the victory meant for the people of Lanka, particularly the Tamils. His reply was: “Our government will cater to the needs of all our citizens, irrespective of race or cultural background. [...]
Criticisms of 20A remain unanswered
It is axiomatic that Constitutional reform in any form is serious business. Since the Constitution is the fundamental law that sets out the governance structure of the country it goes without saying that adequate discussion and reflection among the different stakeholders must inform the process of such reform. Such a conversation must result in identification [...]
Govt. looks for more than two thirds vote to pass 20A in Parliament
The proposed amendment’s fate in the hands of SC, Errors in Committee stage amendments Opposition to intensify protest campaign from tomorrow; lacklustre support for Karu’s effort to revive NMSJ As the Supreme Court adjudicates on 20A, both overt and covert moves are afoot by the Sri Lanka Podujana Nidahas Sanvidanaya (SLNPS) government to ensure a [...]
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