Lanka’s foreign debt and Chinese puzzle - EDITORIAL

In March this year, President Wickremesinghe in an interview said Lanka was committed to repaying its debt within the period 2027-2042. The president said he expected the ongoing....

Anti-privatization statements will depress bid prices: Will JVP be held accountable?

Sunil Handunetti, a senior and respected leader of the JVP, has urged the government not to sell (and potential buyers not to buy) state-owned enterprises such as the SriLankan Airlines, SLT.....

How LTTE’s ‘Good Friday’ attack crushed Karuna’s Eastern revolt

The course of war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan armed forces was drastically altered by the 2004 Eastern revolt headed by former tiger commander of the Batticaloa and Amparai districts Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan alias “Col” Karuna. The LTTE was split vertically and horizontally as a result and gradually weakened. By 2007 the LTTE ceased having territorial control in the Eastern province. This article

Electoral reforms while elections are on doorstep

The Cabinet on March 18 approved a proposal to reform the electoral system that will see a hybrid system for parliamentary representation where 160 members would be appointed by the First Past-The-Post system while 65 members would be elected under the Proportional Representation (PR) system. A statement issued by the Government Information Department said that the proposal made by the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Refor

Hypocrisy, double standards and Lanka’s burgeoning spa industry

Yesterday, Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa informed the media that in the police divisions of Negombo, Kochchikade and Seeduwa, police raided 53 spas. According to the spokesperson, 145 suspects including 137 women and eight men were taken into custody. If this statement is correct, it would appear that many men do not frequent these establishments of alleged ill-fame. Only eight men were found in the 53 spas which were raided. It also makes the

Getting back to that peaceful Easter Sunday - EDITORIAL

Easter Sunday is an important day in the Sri Lankan calendar as this day has become the talking point as never before due to the 2019 ‘Easter Sunday bombings’. Christians would....

Gaza genocide, ISIS and the tailpiece of Moscow terror

The Moscow terror attack, conveniently claimed by the so-called Islamic State, a.k.a. ISIS, and the diplomatic circus at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday in passing a Gaza.....

Education reforms: A distant goal for Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka’s education system has been yearning for reforms following the millennium if one had closely observed the ever-transforming education sectors in developed countries. The discourse to bring about education reforms has continued for decades. As a result, the government has drafted a National Education Policy Framework (NEPF) for a 10-year period from 2023-2033. But, academics observe that this is a loosely drafted document that hasn’t add

Aswesuma: Enhancing results by reducing indicators

Aswesuma is the most recent welfare benefits programme introduced by the government of Sri Lanka. It replaces the Samurdhi scheme and is the result of a necessary condition to be fulfilled by the government of Sri Lanka in the loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Aswesuma provides targeted assistance to vulnerable groups by reducing poverty; its goal is to enhance social welfare and support household resilience at a time

Why are foreign envoys making a beeline to the JVP?

These days, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)/National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and top-level party stalwarts are busy receiving a beeline of foreign diplomats....

Hot air over elections and Commissioner of Elections - EDITORIAL

The Commissioner of Elections made it clear to all Lankans that the presidential elections would be held in a timely manner in keeping with Constitutional requirements. To him we owe a vote....

Where has that much-touted economic recovery road map gone?

If Sri Lanka continues to rely on borrowing to address the imbalance between imports and exports, the nation will inevitably confront another economic crisis within a decade, says President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He made these remarks during the inauguration ceremony of Bodhigara and Golden Fence, constructed near the historic Mangedara Tempita Viharaya in Kegalle on March 20. In the same week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on the advice

Impact of parallel and underground economies on Govt. corruption and economic failure

This article explores the intricate relationship between political and government corruption and its detrimental impact on a country’s economic health. It delves into the complexities of fiscal deficit, parallel economy, and underground economy, collectively contributing to economic failure. By shedding light on how corruption infiltrates various sectors, affecting everything from external debt interest to the common man’s basic needs, it also e

Gift of life: Transformative steps in Renal Transplants on World kidney day in Sri Lanka

As the world marks World Kidney Day, Sri Lanka takes center stage in the global effort to address kidney health and organ....

Human rights in Lanka and oil deposits in Palestine - EDITORIAL

On September 6, 2023, the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights castigated Sri Lanka saying....

Trump: A ‘chaos agent’ in a country at war with itself

In a recent column, I discussed the worsening American economy and dire forecasts of a looming recession. I said too, that there....

Fratricidal conflict between LTTE and Karuna Eastern Tigers

In the first article published last week (“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger revolt against LTTE 20 years ago) the background and reasons for the Eastern Tiger revolt were discussed in detail. In this second article, the course of events leading to the eruption of the intra-tiger fratricidal conflict in the aftermath of “Col”Karuna’s rebellion will be recounted, relying on some of my earlier writings. All hell was expected to break loose after “Col”K

Weather, economy and fate of cricket team

It’s growing hotter by the day. Last Saturday the temperature in Colombo rose to around 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasters have predicted that there will be no let-up in the spell of hot weather. Rather they are warning that temperatures will rise further by April when the sun will be directly over Lanka. Doctors also warn the public to avoid strenuous labour, to wear white clothing that absorbs solar energy and drink more water. A difficulty her

Isn’t there a better COPE chief in SLPP?

One of the three watchdog committees of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE), has been hit by a wave of resignations since Monday (18), following the appointment of Rohitha Abeygunawardena as its chairman. By yesterday noon, 11 members – almost all from the Opposition and dissidents of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) – had tendered their resignation. Eran Wickramaratne, S.M.Marikkar and Hesha Withan

Interesting tales from a country of mixed fortunes - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka is a country of mixed fortunes to a total outsider. There is news of doctors leaving the shores in numbers and also tourists arriving in droves to enjoy the scenic beauty of the....

Rachel Corrie and USS Liberty: The Hannibal Doctrine in US diplomacy

On Saturday, Palestinians and peace activists campaigning for a free Palestine commemorated the 21st anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie, an American citizen. She was crushed to death....

Govt. approval rating dips to 7% in February

The approval rating of the government fell from 9% in October 2023 to 7% in February 2024, according to the latest round of the Gallup style ‘Mood of the Nation’ poll of Verité....

Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come

While President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna government are focusing on elections amidst controversy and confusion over whether the General Election will be held before the Presidential Election or the Executive Presidential system should be scrapped as the then-Presidential candidate Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga promised to do so but never did, the government and the people need to focus more on vital issues suc

May be ‘Akon’ can teach politicians lessons on being irresponsible

Two appointments for top state positions have been challenged; one in a court of law and the other in Parliament. One is the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as Inspector General of Police (IGP), which is challenged in Supreme Court by the Anti-corruption Unit of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The other is the appointment of politician Rohitha Abegunawardhana as the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman against which Parliamentarian Lak

Amid election fever a dark horse rises - EDITORIAL

Polls fever in the country is heating up. Yet, ‘we the people’ are not certain whether the poll would be for a general election, presidential....

Wales elects first Black First Minister in Europe

Vaughan Gething, who was elected as First Minister (Chief Minister) of Wales last week, is the first Black to head a government...

Don’t cry for me Sri Lanka, if wrong people are elected - EDITORIAL

Elections have been the main focus among frontline political parties these days with the Presidential election scheduled....

African debt crisis and lessons for Lanka

Crisis and despair push us to learn rapidly and that is true of debt crisis as well. But whom do we learn from and whom....

Gota’s book: “Conspiracy Theory” or Unintended Confession?

Bill Clinton wrote a book titled, “Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy” presenting page after page of intelligent suggestions on how the US can reduce its crippling debt, create new jobs, and reinvigorate its position in the global economy, emphasizing a return to forward-thinking initiatives. Barack Obama’s book, ‘A Promised Land,’ manages to avoid being ponderous, as might be expected, and is always pleasurable to re

Gota’s book and conspiracy theories

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s book ‘The Conspiracy to oust me from Presidency” which was launched recently did not evoke much interest or create any stir among the people as its name suggests to do. Nor did it reveal any hidden facts or details about any incident that would have contributed to his ouster. However, the book is said to have been sold like hot cake due to the curiosity about what it could have contained. Hence, unlike the c