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The Presidential Secretariat has issued instructions to its entire staff telling them not to solicit or take personal photographs or selfies with any visiting head of state, VIPs or dignitaries in the future. The staff have further been instructed that any information on such visits should be confined to the respective official media statements. The [...]
Song, sung blue
My dear Mother Lanka (or Sri Lanka Maatha), I thought of writing to you this week because everyone is talking about you (or how to address you) for the past week ever since a singer sang the National Anthem and made you sound like ‘Mr Sri Lanka’. What has happened since then tells us much [...]
Loud silence of religious leaders on Penal Code amendments is baffling
Attorney-at-Law and Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) Parliamentarian Premnath Dolawaththa’s Private Members Bill that seeks to amend the Penal Code provisions that criminalise consensual same-sex relations between adults will very soon be taken up for discussion in Parliament. Soon after the Bill was presented to Parliament, several Petitioners challenged the Constitutionality of the Bill in [...]
Towards stability in the country’s external finances
The conditions in the external financial restructuring would be vitally important for the stabilisation of the country’s external finances. The restructuring of external finances by September 30 will hopefully have terms and conditions for foreign debt repayment favourable to the country. The extent to which foreign debt is reduced and the relief in interest rates [...]
Sri Lanka’s ‘Contempt Bill’ – will ‘the cure be worse than the disease’?
While not projected into headline making news as much as other draft laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill, the Government’s proposed Contempt of Court Bill is undeniably of major public interest Public impact of the Bill Generally, Sri Lanka’s academics and lawyers alike, let alone laypersons think not once but perchance, [...]
Political slap to the face wins public praise
Does anyone know Mulaparthi Ramaraju? No? Well, nor do I. That is until a few days ago, when, quite by chance, I turned on a video clip while searching for some background information. What intrigued me was the headline that accompanied the video. “Ideal politician”? said the first two words. That should have been enough [...]
Further splits in SLPP while UNP strengthens itself
Basil irked by Lanza group’s moves, urges President to restrain his one-time ally UNP plans 76th annual convention on September 10, with a view to revamping party for upcoming elections President to address Parliament on Wednesday to seek consensus on 13A, but Tamil parties insist on devolution within federal setup Government’s reconciliation proposals range from [...]
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