Referendum to extend President’s term: Is it ploy to avoid election defeat?

It is undoubtedly election phobia of the United National Party (UNP) headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe that prompted Palitha Range Bandara, the General Secretary of the Party to suggest on Tuesday to hold a referendum to extend the term of the President and Parliament for two more years. “This is the best option at this moment to save the nation. The Government has reached agreements with the IMF, World Bank and other donors on economic r

Lies used in the name of transforming a nation

When we think of elections in Sri Lanka we are forced to think of marriages as well. This is largely because the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to contest the upcoming presidential elections as an independent candidate with the support of a strong alliance. These are days when we see many promises being made on the political scene by ambitious individuals. People on this ‘sun-kissed island’ are used to this bluff, but sadly

The US, Zionism and moral depravity

As Israel’s genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip enters its eighth month, more and more people around the world realise that Zionism is an evil ideology. If Zionism is not denounced and eradicated, similar to how the world dealt with Nazism after World War II, nations may soon find themselves dependent on this destructive ideology for their survival. The day Zionism is defeated is the victory day for humanism and humanity. Already, the United Sta

Unlocking economic growth and Strategic Advantages: Potential benefits for Sri Lanka from BRICS

BRICS is an acronym representing a coalition of the world’s prominent Emerging market economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the “Bric” group. Subsequently South Africa joined in making it “Brics”. The inaugural summit of the BRICS was held on 16 June 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. This summit with its expanded membership signaled a renewed commitment to the principles of the c

World No Tobacco Day Calls to strengthen measures to protect children from tobacco industry

Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’ is the theme for World No Tobacco Day this year. No tobacco day falls on May 31. Thus the World No Tobacco Day for 2024 will give a platform to young people across the world who are urging governments to shield them from predatory tobacco marketing tactics. The world made a mistake by allowing tobacco companies to make and sell cigarettes. Thus the tobacco industry targets youth for a life

The generation that can make peace with the land

During the past few weeks, most parts of Sri Lanka have been experiencing torrential rains and floods partly due to the South-West monsoon which was aggravated by climate change issues such as the cutting down of trees. On Tuesday (28), the UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara caused a stir when he said there were plans to postpone both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. However, other sources denied any such move and said that

Why are boys falling behind in education and what can we do about it?

An increasing trend in higher education enrolment and school level performance in Sri Lanka is girls outperforming boys. For example, females comprised 64% of all state university enrolments for medicine, dentistry, law, science, IT, education, management and arts. These disciplines attracted 80% of the 2022 cohort. Female participation was also higher in other tertiary institutions with the female to male ratio being 61:39. This divergence is cl

Tea and lack of empathy

For years, even before our country received independence, it was the income from the tea industry which formed the backbone of our country’s economy. Even after independence, it was the income from tea that provided the main export earning

From three-wheeler drivers to beach boys: Sri Lanka’s workforce transformation

For a country that takes pride in its free education system, Sri Lanka has done a miserable job in putting its human capital to productive work.

Israel reportedly agrees to resume talks

Under international pressure Israel has reportedly agreed to resume talks on a solution to the Gaza crisis. Widespread...

Leaders of North and South should think afresh - EDITORIAL

Like a ritual, the United Nations Human Rights Council has been issuing reports annually on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka....

“Operation Sajaba”; Blueprint for Re-unification of the Green Party

Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) suffered a humiliating electoral defeat in the 2020 Parliamentary elections. Electoral debacles were nothing new to the UNP which is referred to by some....

China and Russia together: A new world order?

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China is more than a show of friendship and unity in adversity. It shows ambition on both sides to create a new multi-polar world order challenging....

Presidential pardons -for whose benefit? - EDITORIAL

The large-scale pardoning of prisoners by Lankan Presidents for the commission of minor crimes has become customary during particular festivals, for example the day marking the country’s....

Tragedy and farce on a day of mourning

As the monsoonal rains are set to wreak havoc and a climate emergency is in the making, the government had other pressing priorities. It declared a day of national mourning over the death of Iranian President and Islamic hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, whose VIP chopper crashed during a trip from Azerbaijan. Nicknamed ‘Butcher of Tehran’ for his role in the death commission in 1988, which executed thousands of political dissidents, Raisi is no angel. Hi

Sajith-Anura Debate, that never happened

Both leaders should be held responsible for sabotaging the debate. They repeated their 2022 strategy of evading responsibility by refusing to address the task of revitalizing the bankrupt economy. However, they deserve commendation for declining the offer, as they had the wisdom to recognize the enormity of the challenge, and acknowledging it as beyond their capabilities. A single pivotal moment or a well-made point can indeed have a significant

Commemoration of war victims-celebrations and harassment

Each year in April, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) marks its first armed insurrection against the government in 1971, as ‘April Heroes’ Commemoration Day. The second JVP insurrection is memorialised by way of the ‘November Heroes’ commemoration marking the death of JVP founder and leader Rohana Wijeweera in 1989. Wijeweera led two rebellions, one in 1971 and a second in 1989. Thousands of young Sinhalese men and women died in the two insurg

God won’t change your destiny until you change yourself

Following the Election Commission’s announcement on May 9 that the Presidential election would be held between September 17 and October 16, President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the Cabinet on Wednesday that only the said election would be held this year putting an end to speculations that Parliament might be dissolved before the Presidential election. However, the race for the top most post started months ago with the Jathika Jana Balawegaya

The Marga Dialogue: Nationalism and centre-left

While moderating an event earlier this month at the Marga Institute, I was struck by the emergence of that age-old tension between nationalism and liberalism during a spirited question and answer session. The subject of that evening was the launch of Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka’s collection of essays, titled: “Interventions: Selected Political Writings”. While Dr. Jayatilleka himself insisted that the event and especially the panel discussion and Q&A b

ICC arrest warrants on Israeli leaders: US protests and threats outrageous

Israel has no intention to slow down its genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip, even after a series of blows it suffered this week in the form of the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for its leaders and the recognition of Palestine as an independent state by three European countries: Ireland, Norway, and Spain.

On a ‘divided’ road and heading for trouble - EDITORIAL

The Sri Lanka Police has caused a stir in the motoring scene by making great efforts to strictly follow an old law that relates to the ownership of vehicles. What stirred a hornet’s nest in social media was when a female police officer checked a vehicle recently and demanded to know details of vehicle ownership.

Travelling on politics’ rough sea needs grooming

Sri Lanka is a country which believed in electing to Parliament individuals with unproven track records and later repented their actions. This is because this nation doesn’t have a system in present day politics where the senior lawmakers hand over the baton to the next generation of budding lawmakers.

Vesak: AlpachCHathawaya and moment-to-moment living - EDITORIAL

Millions of Sri Lankans and Buddhists across the world will celebrate their most hallowed festival of Vesak today while participating in various religious ceremonies with pandals, eight-fold lanterns and other decorations.

Social media comes to the fore in Indian elections

The 2024 Indian parliamentary elections will be remembered for many reasons. They are the longest to date, stretching....

Elections must be decided only by law - EDITORIAL

The elections in Sri Lanka are said to be conducted in a free and fair manner and according to the law. However, some laws....

Protests and crackdown: Rappers vs. the regime in Iran

In a country where rap is illegal, Toomaj chose rap to challenge Iran’s hardline regime which doesn’t tolerate dissent. Now he’s facing the death penalty for refusing....

Govt. should learn from Civil Society Organisations in commemorating dear departed

The joint commemoration event titled “Turning Point” held on May 17 at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo was in memory of the loss of life that took place 15 years ago....

The OHCHR strictures on Lanka -spitting in the wind - EDITORIAL

The Office of United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday the17th issued a strident call to the Sri Lanka Government (SLG) to urgently establish an independent....

IMF programme: The lender is the winner

The world is collapsing for our working people, with the tremendous rise in the cost of living, mass disruption of livelihoods, skipping meals due to broader food insecurity, and rising malnutrition....

Will Ranil regain support of Tamil and Muslim voters?

The three numerical minorities namely the Sri Lankan Tamils, Muslims and Indian Tamils together are 25.5% of the population. These three ethnic groups form the majority in some Sri Lankan districts. In other districts they are a substantive segment of the population. Since the people of all districts vote together in the Presidential elections, the entire island is transformed into a “single” constituency with a 74.9% Sinhala majority and 25.5 %