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My dear ‘pohottuwa’ supporters, I thought of writing to you this week as you must have returned to your hometowns after attending your ‘convention’ in Colombo on Friday. To look on the bright side, it wasn’t a total disaster. You could at least fill up the Sugathadasa Stadium, even if you had to hire busloads [...]
VAT hike antagonises Opposition parties and most of the people
The Government’s move to hike the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 18% and to impose the 18% VAT on a host of items that had previously been exempted from the tax has generated anger among Opposition MPs and most of the people. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), being the dominant government party, [...]
Budget vote underscores SLPP majority; some opposition MPs supporting Govt.
Budget 2024, which may well turn out to be one of the most pivotal in modern Sri Lankan history, was passed by Parliament on Wednesday (13) by a majority of 41 votes after nearly a month of intense debate. There were no surprises in the outcome after a division for the Third Reading of the [...]
The dilemma facing the UNP and SLPP in run up to the elections
Two events of great political significance took place last week. The first was the passing of the Bill to increase the number of items on which Value Added Tax (VAT) was imposed and to increase the percentage on which VAT was already effective from 15 percent to 18 percent. Many Government Parliamentarians did express their [...]
‘Who guards the guards?’ – Sri Lanka’s acting IGP in the crosshairs of the Court
In another dubious record for Sri Lanka’s paralyzed criminal justice system, the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) who had assumed his post recently trailing clouds of controversy regarding his professional conduct, has been held directly responsible by the Supreme Court for violation of Article 11 of the Constitution (freedom from torture and cruel, inhumane [...]
The prospects of adequate foreign reserves for repayment of debt
Will we have adequate foreign reserves to meet our foreign debt obligations next year? This is a critical issue facing the country next year. Although the amounts and conditions of repayment of the restructured debt are still not known, even a repayment of US$ 3 to 4 billion next year could be a severe strain [...]
SLPP celebrations an affront to Supreme Court judgment
If the accursed SLPP partymen bore any remorse that the three leading lights of the party— Mahinda, Gotabaya and Basil—had been found by the Supreme Court last month as the architects of Lanka’s economic collapse, they showed no sign of it as they wound their way to the Sugathadasa Stadium to attend the annual convention [...]
Bending to please foreigners while locals drown in sea of corruption
Ever heard of the abbreviation MML and what it means? I hadn’t. So I thought it was one of those verbal concoctions pulled out of the mixed bag of verbiage of that self-elevated superpower of world sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC), to describe its antipathy towards our grinding mill of Socratic wisdom, also known [...]
SLPP breakaway group breaks up
Some members of Allahapperuma faction want to join SJB, but others want to stick to the conditions Sajith says anyone who wants to join can do so as member of the party Mahinda Rajapaksa re-elected as SLPP leader, confident of winning elections when they are held next year By Our Political Editor The [...]
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