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Home » ColumnsCOPE loses hope; reports end up as gallery talk or in Parliament library
When the news of Parliament being prorogued was announced on Thursday, some members of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) were surprised by its timing. The reason–they were planning to hold daily sittings for the next two weeks on Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and the role of those who played important decision-making roles during [...]
Generational wisdom to the fore?
My dear Dinesh, I have to write to you to congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister, although it was in less-than-ideal circumstances. In fact, your appointment was sudden and quite unexpected: Your government was so unpopular that its leader was chased away, but still, you get to become the PM! That is not [...]
Govt. plays terrorism card; opposition slams state terror
By Sandun Jayawardana The need to protect the country from “terrorism” was repeatedly cited as the Government argued on behalf of the proclamation of the State of Emergency (SoE) issued by then Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The proclamation, issued under the Public Security Ordinance, was passed by Parliament on Wednesday (27) by a majority of [...]
Continued political uncertainty and social unrest could set back economic recovery
The billion-dollar question is whether the new government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe would contain social unrest, obtain foreign assistance, resolve the scarcities of essentials that people are facing, bring about political stability, overcome the severe economic crisis and bring about an economic recovery. Beginning President Ranil Wickremesinghe has begun on the wrong foot. The first [...]
A ‘new’ president but ‘old’ games of state abuse
The sullen growling of the Sri Lankan populace looking resentfully on as the nation’s political establishment consolidates itself once more, in the wake of an unparalleled surge of people power leading to the fleeing of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amidst the tactical retreat of the Rajapaksa family, must not be mistaken for weakness. Farcical exercises [...]
Tribal flower blooms from mire to carry the flame of India’s fire
India showed the world last week how she has transcended her entrenched social barriers and let a tribal flower from the mire bloom in a new Indian sun. Last Sunday afternoon, 64 year old Draupadi Murmu took her oaths as the 15th President of India and became the First Citizen of 1.4 billion people and [...]
‘Mr Clean’ needs to clean up the Augean stables
Many years ago I remember Ranil Wickremesinghe used to be called Mr Clean. I don’t know whether that sobriquet is still being used or he has earned another appellation. But if Sri Lanka is to shed its badly tarnished image that some people and organisations are intent on parading before the world particularly as a [...]
President hopes to form a broader all-party Govt.
Ranil writes personal letters to MPs, seeks support to restore normalcy and build consensus SLFP, Wimal-Gammanpila-Vasu group and some SJB dissidents likely to be in new Cabinet; SJB leader and JHU opt out Concern that prorogation will nullify vital COPE inquiries on who or what caused the economic crisis By Our Political Editor Amidst the [...]
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