The Sunday Times Columns | Sunday June 08, 2008

	Political Column
	Pillars of democracy face danger
	By Our Political Editor
	The main opposition United National Party's (UNP) sound and light protest on the city streets last Tuesday may not have generated the same public enthusiasm like last year's Jana Bala Sena. Then, Opposition cum UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and one time Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, who had formed the SLFP-M chose to work under the umbrella of a National Congress.
	5th Column
	A vociferous Opposition gives spice to life! ....
	By Rypvanwinkle
	Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about a bullock cart race?”
	Situation Report
	Situation Report will not appear this week.
	By Iqbal Athas

	Thoughts from London
	Realising the importance of Asia Pacific region
	By Neville de Silva
	Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama’s address to the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore the other day raised some important issues, belated though they may be. This annual dialogue arranged by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies is more an occasion for those specifically involved in or concerned with security issues to discuss matters of regional and international security.
	The Economic Analysis
	Rising inflation threatening economic stability and growth
	By the Economist
	The fuel price increases and increases in transport costs have already demonstrated the truth of our last week’s statement that there is no light at the end of the tunnel where price increases are concerned. We may in fact be at the threshold of further increases in prices. The hike in oil prices has come to such a level that the government is at last jolted to think of measures to curb, if not control, fuel consumption.
	Lobby
	Back to parliament with a bang!
	By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent
	A month long recess is not going to change the behaviour or attitude of our lawmakers. Hence when Parliament began its new session last Thursday, it was business as usual with more bickering and even worse dissension than when the House last met before its prorogation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 6.
	Focus on Rights
	Impunity and the rule of law
	By Kishali Pinto Jayawardena
	Impunity is a contested term and may mean many things to many people. Basically however, the term 'impunity' means simply a fundamental failure of the legal system to address right violations consistently and systematically. It is obvious that such a situation leads to the failure of implementation of basic standards relating to the Rule of Law.
	Inside the glass house
	Obama’s Israeli connection
	By Thalif Deen at the united nations
	It's an axiom in American politics that if you publicly criticize Israel or openly support the Palestinians, you are politically doomed either way. And this is more so in a presidential election year, where all candidates aspire to be more pro-Israeli than all of the inhabitants of Israel put together. Every US politician running for office has only one agenda cast in boulders: the survival of the state of Israel, irrespective of whether ...

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