Americans advised to bury their gold, while ours is in pawnshops

As a turbulent world races into year 2024, the only remaining superpower is a troubled giant (China is a great power, but its military (especially naval) and nuclear forces are still no match for America’s, and it would be economically disastrous for China to start an arms race with the US now with its economy in trouble). The American economy is in trouble, too, with the US dollar losing its value and dire predictions of another Great Depress

What Leadership Qualities does Imitiaz lack that Other Party Leaders possess?

A political leader is a public servant dedicated to enhancing society, elected through votes from the community. More than just....

COMMONWEALTH DAY: Commonwealth family: A strong and respected voice in the world

On 11 March, some 2.5 billion of us will come together to celebrate the Commonwealth family. Seventy five years after the London Declaration....

UNHRC Robust on Lanka, Hypocrisy in Gaza - EDITORIAL

Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) once again took up the issue of its resolution...

Ambitious Presidential candidates and a powerful constitution

This article has been prepared based on a discussion with K. B. Gunaratne, Former Director of Agriculture, who worked directly with three presidents of this country. The Executive Presidency was introduced to Sri Lanka by Junius Richard Jayewardene (JRJ) under the 1978 Constitution. JRJ became the Prime Minister for the first time in 1977 after obtaining a 5/6 th majority at the General Election held on July 21, 1977 and created a sustainable gov

Can protesting undergrads think of a ‘new’ colour?

Parents of university students are a worried lot at present. This is because there is speculation that their children in university may be featuring in a number of protests throughout March, according media reports. There are the pluses and minuses of such protests. Protests of this nature will certainly be of news value to the media. Protesting undergrads have often won their rights and also the hearts of the down-trodden masses. But from the p

The executive prevails ultimately

Despite the executive colliding head on sometimes with the Parliament and some other times with judiciary, the Constitutional Council and “independent Commissions in the recent past, the former has emerged victorious always, sometimes at the expense of the rules of the duel. For instance, in spite of the battle between the executive on behalf of the two ruling parties and the Election Commission backed by the Opposition parties over the local g

Harin Fernando is right Sri Lanka is part of civilizational India and should aspire to be part of economic India

Eighteen months back, when the people languished long hours in lengthy queues to buy that elusive gas cylinder and regular blackouts punctured the day and night amidst economic hardship, there was an unusual unity. Hundreds of thousands people who gathered at the Galle Face Green protest site and took part in many demonstrations across the country came from all walks of life. Petty ethnic politics that pitted people against each other was relegat

Investment in women as a pathway to societal progress

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and girls around the world and applaud all they have achieved in the fight for equality. However, despite progress, girls and women continue to face systemic barriers that undermine their rights, limit their opportunities, and diminish their well-being. When global crises such as climate disasters, poverty, and hunger occur, women and girls are affected the most. This is also the case

International Women’s Day and Women in Lanka - EDITORIAL

The world celebrates International Women’s Day, today. March 8 is a day set apart to recognise the cultural, political, social and economic achievements made by women. It also serves as an opportunity...

Famine looms in Gaza as Biden, Trump play politics

With a dangerous Donald Trump just one hurdle away from breasting the 2024 presidential tape after his sweeping victory at the Super Tuesday poll to pick the Republican Party candidate....

Women belong in All Places where Major Decisions are being made

Traditionally, in democracy, there are four major Pillars; The Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Free Media. However, the common people are sovereign, and they exercise that power mainly at elections. In Sri Lanka today there is confusion and controversy on whether, when and what elections will be held with the President and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) expressing one view while the opposition parties including th

“One of the Tests of Leadership is the Ability to Recognize a Problem before it becomes an Emergency” A Fight for Survival fuelled by ‘Inferior’ Thinking

At the next Presidential Election, the National People’s Power and even current President Ranil Wickremesinghe are key factors that will decide whether Sri Lanka will recover from its economic disaster or plunge into a darker abyss. Sri Lankans as a whole haven’t read enough about politics or believe too much about its abilities that it’s the cure for all ills; otherwise, Sri Lankans would not have been cheated by their lawmakers for 76 long year

Honouring the Unsung Heroes of Sri Lanka on International Women’s Day

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it prompts us to wonder, what does it truly mean to be a woman? In a world marked....

Could Party Politics Resolve Ongoing National Crisis in Sri Lanka?

It has been observed that divisive politics is one of the inborn deficiencies in party politics although political parties are considered...

The ‘Gentlemen’s Game’ in need of Gentlemen - EDITORIAL

Hooray and congratulations! Our national cricket team won a full series of matches. It was against Afghanistan, but no matter....

Public sector lethargy and employee rights

In January 2016, in a rare show of accountability, the General Secretary of the Government and Provincial Council Public Service Trade Union Federation, Ajith. K. Thilakarathne had taken up an issue of time squandered by public sector employees with the then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. No trade union leader had dared before to complain against his own members. In a letter addressed to both the leaders,

Gaza war, Red Sea crisis and sea of issues for merchants

The Red Sea crisis, which is having a great impact on international trade, is unlikely to end anytime soon despite the US-led naval and air forces’ hitting Houthi targets in Yemen. Since the Houthis insist that they will not cease attacking ships in the Red Sea unless a ceasefire is enforced in Gaza, the Red Sea crisis will end only if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. And that appears to be a far cry. Neither the Israelis nor Hamas is willing to gi

2024; World Election Year and the Misconception of 50%

In 2024, democratic rule faces a significant test with an estimated 4 billion people in over 60 nations heading to the polling booths....

The Courts and the Fight against Impunity and Corruption - EDITORIAL

Corruption and Crime in our country have hit a new high. According to Transparency International, “Sri Lanka is the 115th least....

Ronnie De Mel the socialist who created a capitalist economy

The ascension of Junius Richard Jayewardene to the premier seat of political power in 1977 paved the way for a drastic transformation of Sri Lanka’s politico-economic landscape and environment. J.R. Jayewardene known popularly as “JR” ushered in political, economic, and electoral changes that utterly changed Sri Lanka. In the words of William Butler Yeats “All changed, changed utterly.” The advent of JR as Prime Minister in 1977 and as the firs

Has Insensitivity Become The Norm?

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Media spokesman, Noel Priyantha resigned from his position after criticisms over his insensitive remarks during an interview with a private TV channel, towards the hapless electricity consumers who are struggling to pay their electricity bills. When he was told at the interview that a father who had attempted to get electricity from a nearby house to support his child’s studies had died by electrocution, and was as

Water for Peace and Harmony

Most of us take water for granted. However, clean drinking water is essential for human life, and in these days of high temperature reaching 94°F, many people experience dehydration, and we need to drink about six litres of water a day. Next month, the United Nations marks World Water Day, and the theme is ‘water for peace’. In a statement, the UN says, water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people ha

Sri Lanka Passes New Legislation - THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW - To End Corporal Punishment Against Children

On 1st January 2024, The President of Sri Lanka and the Cabinet Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment have implemented the Children and Young Persons....

Unhealthy Competition in Tourism Must Be Stopped - EDITORIAL

There was a recent report in the Daily Mirror stating the inconveniences caused to locals due to businesses conducted by Israeli, Russian and Ukrainian nationals in the southern part of...

Palestinian question: The context highlights the illegality of Israel

The October 7, 2023, attacks the Palestinian resistance group Hama launched on Israel did not happen in a vacuum. In October last year, weeks after the Hamas attack, the United Nations Secretary-General....

Energy Crisis was Not Created by the People

Following a long spell of about five months of rainfall in most parts of the country, especially in the wet zone which devastated the agriculture in those areas, the country has begun to experience seemingly a similar long spell of drought which seems to be carrying devastating effects on the same farming community. It might have a huge effect on hydro power generation as well, making in turn a negative bearing on the electricity consumers who h

Economic Policies in an Election Year: Some Inconvenient Arithmetic - Part I

With the prospect of elections this year, political parties are gearing up their rhetoric and policy promises to an electorate worn out by two years of economic crisis on top of the hardship imposed by two years of a global pandemic. Reckless policies in 2020-21 forced Sri Lanka to declare a debt default, drove inflation to a peak of over 70 percent in September 2022, and contracted the GDP by over a cumulative 11 percent in 2022-23. The CBSL has

Marx, Ants and Hyde Park Rally - EDITORIAL

Karl Marx was right, Socialism works, it is just that he had the wrong species– Edward Osborne Wilson The argument ...

‘White Only’ Party and the Warped Mind of the Immigration Controller

The order by the Controller of Immigration and Emigration revealed the ‘FROG IN THE WELL’ mindset of the bureaucrats....