Columns
Home » ColumnsPresident approves Foreign Ministry’s list of 11 diplomats, without adding political appointees
Back to back successes seem to be what the Foreign Ministry is seeing these days. Just last week, in these columns we reported how it was witnessing election triumphs by getting Sri Lankans elected to United Nations multilateral agencies. Now comes a victory at home–it has got a 100 per cent strike rate in having [...]
Cheering them on
My dear Indian cricket fans, I want to write to you, firstly to express my commiserations after your country lost the World Cup final on Sunday to the unfancied Australians, but secondly also to perhaps explain why your tiny neighbour was mostly supporting Australia and rejoicing as if we had won the World Cup ourselves. [...]
Electoral reforms and the impact on national reconciliation and political culture
With President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s announcement that Presidential and Parliamentary Elections will be held next year, concerned citizens must necessarily focus on the trajectory that the country will take after such elections. This will in turn depend on what the political parties will place before the public by way of policies that they intend to implement [...]
Budget 2024’s formidable challenges: Implementing proposals and containing fiscal deficit
Regular features of the country’s public finances have been overruns in expenditure and shortfalls in revenue. Furthermore, the inability to implement a large number of projects and programmes in budget speeches has also been a regular feature. 2024 budget Will this be the fate of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 2024 budget? How many of his ambitious [...]
The President, the public trust and parliamentary Devilry
President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s highly inappropriate jocularity in Parliament this week when commenting about the ‘Public Trust’ Doctrine only reinforces the (unfortunately) pejorative stamp of his Presidency as undermining the Constitution. ‘Public Trust is everything’ Mind, this is not in the typically crude sledgehammer style of Medamulana rule but more subtle and hence far more dangerous. [...]
Samanthabadra assassinates Prince Siddhartha’s character
On October 31, Pitiduwe Siridhamma Thera stood before the Malwatte Mahanayake at the Sri Dalada Maligawa to beg forgiveness for assassinating Prince Siddhartha’s character on various social media platforms. This was not, of course, the first time that Pitiduwe Siridhamma Thera, better known as Samanthabadra—who claimed nine years ago he had become an Arahant Buddha, [...]
From grace to disgrace: How the mighty have fallen
So, what news would you like first? The good, the bad or the utterly deplorable? To put some smiles on the faces of the despondent millions preparing to meet even more economic hardships when the new VAT swats at the dawn of the new year, the good news is that Sri Lanka Cricket’s functioning president [...]
Political crisis brews over Constitutional Council’s legal position
President claims it comes under the executive branch but opposition say, it is part of the legislature Ranil wants question time limited to one hour in parliament to give more time for parliamentary business Disputes arise over CJ’s nominations to Supreme Court and appointment of Appeal Court president Sumanthiran says his party has right to [...]
Read More