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Home » ColumnsPresident strongly defends IMF deal, scoffs at calls by SJB and JVP to review it
President Ranil Wickremesinghe met this week with a group of journalists and editors at the Presidential Secretariat and discussed several issues pertaining to the country’s economic recovery efforts. In his remarks during the discussion, Mr. Wickremesinghe scoffed at claims made by opposition parties such as the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the National People’s Power that [...]
Muddled memories
My dear Mahinda maama, I am writing to you after hearing that you suddenly issued a statement about selling State institutions. It was then that I realised that you were still around. Otherwise, we were hearing only from Basil and Namal baby who also made an appearance on a talk show recently, making some interesting [...]
War on Gaza sees rare unity in the House but govt’s move to send workers to Israel draws fire
By Sandun Jayawardana Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle condemned the continuing bloodshed in Gaza and called for a permanent ceasefire as the House debated the Palestine issue on Tuesday (14). Moving the adjournment motion, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauff Hakeem called on the government to consider severing diplomatic relations with Israel [...]
Making May 19 the day of national reflection will help promote national reconciliation
May 19th is, for some, the day of commemoration of the “Mullivaikal Massacre.” For others, it is Victory Day. Fifteen years ago, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was defeated, signalling the end of the armed conflict, but the wounds created by the war remain. The country remains divided, with the different communities having [...]
Foreign debt restructuring: Risks and uncertainties in our external finances
The prospect of foreign debt restructuring by the end of next month is indeed good news. However, there are many uncertainties and risks in our external finances arising from a deterioration in the trade balance, external shocks that could reduce foreign remittances, and both external and internal disruptions that could upset tourism and reduce tourist [...]
At what point does the partaking of ‘porridge’ become a national security threat to the state?
If the Sri Lankan State tried with all its might and main to look ridiculous in the eyes of the world, it could not do better than the preposterous performance of law enforcement agencies in the North and East during the formal remembrance of those who died during the ending of Sri Lanka’s decades-old ethnic [...]
Shame on MPs in last-ditch naked bid to grab free 20 million buck permits
Never mind that we’re all on a burning rope bridge desperately struggling to cross, with fire in our bellies and burning anguish in our hearts, the yawning gulf between bankruptcy and recovery, behind us come a stream of duty-free luxury vehicles, tooting their horns at us to get out of the way for them to [...]
Guns turned on Govt. as ministers scramble to win voters
Is the honeymoon over, or is this the sign of a coming estrangement? Who can really tell in this whirligig of Sri Lankan politics, especially when our own Ides of March is only a few months away? That is, of course, if the presidential election is held as the Constitution stipulates and Ranil Wickremesinghe has [...]
Presidential poll: Political alliances after Ranil’s announcement of candidature
SLPP likely to back him, though Mahinda makes statement highly critical of Govt.’s privatisation policy Namal phones Ranil to declare his candidacy, President wishes him well UNP sources claim about 18 SJB MPs are ready to cross over Dhammika Perera now emerging as “standby” either as presidential or prime ministerial nominee By Our Political Editor [...]
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