Poverty, the parent of revolution

Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and it is significant that Sri Lanka has, for the first time, elected a president and government which – to paraphrase the legendary former United States President Abraham Lincoln – is a government of the poor, for the poor and by the poor.

Sajith Premadasa’s wrecking ball has demolished the opposition

Even those who did not vote for Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the presidential race would find it refreshing to see that the old rot that had infested Sri Lankan politics is being cleared out.

Fresh breeze blowing o’er Lanka

One can hardly believe that our country is scarcely a month away from the date set apart for the general elections. Believe it or not, not a single cutout or bigger-than life-size picture of our really ugly, thieving politicians is smiling down on us from every nook and cranny in the city. Again, ‘we the public’ will happily miss the faces of many of our aging politicians who earlier never seemed ready to retire.

Harsha’s Options -Join NPP or Take Over Leadership of SJB Who wants Dr. Harsha de Silva out?

Targeting Dr. Harsha de Silva by senior SJB members began a couple of years ago when he started gaining recognition as a potential future leader.

The New government and foreign debt - EDITORIAL

The new government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake seems to be under pressure to implement the promises given to the people by his party, National People’s Power (NPP) before the September 21 Presidential election.

The misuse of the National List in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections

The National List in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary system was originally designed to enhance inclusivity and ensure that marginalized voices are represented in governance.

The US could be the biggest loser in the Israel-vs-Arabs war

One year after Hamas attacked Israel, this is no longer an Israel-vs-Hamas war.

The monsoon creating chaos and mayhem - EDITORIAL

Year in and year out, this column, even before the monsoon hits us, has been raising the issue of urban flooding.

When “Comrade”Anura Became the Fifth JVP Leader in 2014

The year was 1969. A 31-year-old mother sought the services of a prominent astrologer to draw up the horoscope of her six-month-old son.

Can NPP really change the system?

The nomination period for the Parliamentary election scheduled for November 14 ended yesterday with many well-known figures of political parties deciding to opt out from the race.

AKD’s sincerity in balance -little room to manoeuvre - EDITORIAL

The presidential election of 21 September is barely over. In less than a month the new president has been forced to hit the ground running so-to-say.

Why implement the 13th Amendment?

The 13th Amendment passed in July 1987 still remains as part of the Constitution, without being implemented fully in letter and spirit. Presently the Provincial Councils set up under this Act are themselves in abeyance as elections to these councils have not been held for the last 6 years.

Political Rupture in Sri Lanka - what lies ahead?

September 21 was a day of many firsts in Sri Lanka. Millions of people went to the polls to vote in the first presidential elections since mass protests forced the country’s last elected president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from office in 2022.

Gaza War: Journalism is not a crime; suppressing it is

Who can be a bigger warrior than the journalist revealing the truth? And if a journalist is reporting from a war theatre where the aggressor respects no international law provisions to protect journalists, then he or she is humanity’s superhero.

Now, India loves our railway line!

India knows the beauty of Sri Lanka. This is why we see so many tourists from our closest neighbour arriving here annually to get a glimpse of the island’s most picturesque places. Right now an Indian film company has ‘high jacked’ one of our railway tracks for a film project. The filming is taking place on the rail track near the Nine Arch Bridge between Ella and Demodara.

The man who inspired AKD administration

With the Anura Kumara Dissanayake administration entering its third week of service to the people, the focus is much on the General Elections to be held on November 14. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna backed National People’s Power is hoping to get a working majority in Parliament where it earlier had only three seats. President Dissanayake and other party leaders are confident that the people will give them the mandate to go ahead with their missi

Why Sri Lanka must ‘borrow’ from China’s golden harvest

There is hope in the horizon after the 2024 Presidential Elections that the new regime would do all it could to ensure that people could, again, afford nutritional food in their diets. There was a time (2022) when at least 50% of the households were forced to cut the children’s food intake due to the country’s crumbling economy. Sri Lanka has recovered somewhat from that shaky past, but there are concerns still; concerns fuelled by the thought t

Suicide and adverse effects of social media

Yesterday the Daily Mirror highlighted the death of a probable suicide by a teenage school girl. The girl had apparently jumped off the 29th floor of a building in the city of Colombo. Suicide is when someone voluntarily takes their own life. Often, this is a way to end an overwhelming hopelessness, frustration or to solve a problem for which they can’t find another solution.

Creative Destruction of Sri Lankan politics is currently underway

In the 1940s, Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter popularized an idea now a free market economist’s mainstay. The concept, ‘creative destruction’ is a process in which disruptive technologies, products, new methods of production and means of distribution dismantle and replace the established ones, making way for innovation as the driving force of capitalism.

Yunus enjoys global goodwill but faces domestic challenges

The post-Sheikh Hasina interim government in Bangladesh headed by Nobel Laureate Dr.Muhammad Yunus (84), came into being in the midst of utter chaos.

Honorary Advisors?: A Risky Gamble in Political Strategy

President Dissanayake was careful not to rock the boat when appointing new Ministry Secretaries, notably retaining the Finance Secretary—a positive sign of his balanced and pragmatic approach.

Choosing Leaders Wisely: The Importance of Transparency in Political Candidate Selection

As a concerned and patriotic citizen of Sri Lanka, I am writing to share my thoughts regarding the upcoming election and the critical importance of selecting the best possible candidates for our nation’s future.

Kingsley Amis, cookery and pets but where are our writers?

This is the 25th anniversary of the Colombo International Book Fair. That fact escaped me completely until I heard an announcement at the venue.

Elect a Parliament that would not ruin your future - EDITORIAL

The nomination week for the Parliamentary election that commenced last Friday (October 4) is to end next Friday.

The Use and Exploitation of Senior Citizens in Election Campaigns

As I went through countless election campaign videos and scrolled through dozens of photos of canvassing something stood out.

Crooked Bond Deals and the IMF Trap

The Sri Lankan people have voted again for great change. They have elected a president from outside the political mainstream and rejected the political elite who have ruled the country since independence.

Government caught between election promises and reality - EDITORIAL

During the post presidential period of electioneering, all credible presidential parties and groupings save the faction led by ex-President Wickremesinghe, made promises of renegotiating the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement.

Anura Kumara’s Ascendancy Within the JVP and Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s newly elected ninth Executive President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) continues to be the focus of this column. In the first part of this article published last week, the early years of Anura’s eventful life were delved into in some detail. In this week’s second part, AKD’s steady rise as a political leader within the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will be related to some extent.

Seeing the General Election through Presidential Election

The UNP leaders alleged that what they called the unfair conditions laid down by the SJB resulted in the breakdown of the talks between the two parties. According to media reports, the SJB has demanded that Ranil Wickremesinghe resigns as the leader of the UNP, the general secretary post of the proposed alliance be awarded to the SJB, the coalition contest under SJB’s symbol, the telephone and those politicians of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna

Lanka’s economy, the Middle East and the IMF agreement

Our country is struggling to get out of a situation of bankruptcy. President Dissanayake is even today in discussion with a high-level delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to media reports Dissanayake has doubled down on his acceptance of the agreement. He has however informed the delegation of the need to help the poorer sections of the community by lowering particular taxes.