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Home » ColumnsThe importance of Maco’s Raahu
My dear new ‘Maco’ Rathnayake, I am sorry to write to you at this time when you must be very busy, what with an upcoming election and an announcement about its date expected at any time. I hope you don’t mind me calling you the new ‘Maco’ though you are really the chairman of your [...]
Politics to the fore: National Sports Games downplayed
President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tourism, Lands, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Harin Fernando were set to attend the 48th National Sports Games at the Sugathadasa Outdoor Stadium on Wednesday. Instead, in an ironic plot twist, President Wickremesinghe chose to distribute title deeds to 50,000 low-income families living in Colombo flats at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. [...]
Election fever hits new high as D-Day countdown begins
How tension-gripped UNP and SLPP scramble in haste at the eleventh hour to make final ‘candidate’ decision Election fever hit a new high on Wednesday as sole electoral jurisdiction passed on to the Election Commission to conduct a fair and free presidential election before the scheduled date. Simultaneously the President was constitutionally charged with the [...]
Ranil hits back: Price drops and other goodies as elections near
It was just last month that firecrackers were bursting here and there. Sky rockets were aiming for the stars as though India and China were competing to grab the dark side of the moon. Hours before that, Colombo city and elsewhere were plastered with posters that sang out that good news was only hours away, [...]
Vicious cycle: Price increases trigger wage demands, fuelling further price hikes
The past few weeks have been characterised by a spate of strikes in public services that brought the country to almost a halt. Fortunately, these have been called off. Now that the presidential election is expected shortly, there is a prospect of a period of trade union quiet to facilitate the election of a regime [...]
Is the president intent on subversion of the constitution?
Consternation reign in Sri Lanka following President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s directive to gazette an inconsequential 22nd Amendment to the Constitution feared to be, in truth, a political ruse to delay the forthcoming highly anticipated Presidential elections in respect of which a date is ‘soon’ to be declared by a jittery Elections Commission. ‘Spurious’ Presidential apologies This [...]
State health sector must remain high on priority list, notwithstanding economic crisis
Among the social indicators that Sri Lanka is rightly proud of are achievements in education and health. In both these spheres, the provision by the State to provide free education and free health has greatly benefited the poorer sections of society. Free education has been a critical factor in helping the upward mobility of the [...]
Presidential election likely on September 21; EC to make announcement on July 24 or 26: Nominations on August 14 or 15
Wickremesinghe to contest as independent candidate; SLPP awaits formal letter on policy matters before declaring support Rishad’s ACMC to back Wickremesinghe; as President gradually increases campaign momentum In SLPP circles, speculation rife over conduct of parliamentary elections soon: Polls Chief says ready for any situation By Our Political Editor As leaders of the [...]
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