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.

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

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

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.

Gaza genocide one year on: Middle East on brink of major war

October 7 will mark the first anniversary of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. About 42,000 have been killed, and if one were to go by the British medical journal Lancet’s formula, the death toll easily exceeds 200,000.

Are Sri Lankan voters irresponsible? - EDITORIAL

People of this country- who can also be referred to as voters-must think like customers shopping in a super market store.

The new president’s opportunity to reshape social protection

On 16 August 2024, Sri Lanka launched a National Social Protection Policy (NSPP). This was a first in the country, which had previously not had a policy but only a host of different programmes (such as free universal health coverage, free education at primary and secondary levels, Samurdhi, and more recently, Aswesuma).

Non-violence: the mightiest weapon of social justice

The United Nations yesterday (2) observed the International Day of Non-Violence. October 2 was especially designated as the Day of Non-Violence as it is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who was the leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

Sri Lanka’s People Need a New Debt Deal

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s President, recently lost his re-election bid after voters overwhelmingly rejected the debt-restructuring deals he negotiated with the International Monetary Fund and other creditors. Instead, Sri Lankans elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the left-wing National People’s Power (NPP) alliance and a vocal critic of IMF-imposed austerity measures, who has vowed to renegotiate the country’s agreement with the

The upcoming General Elections and pitfalls ahead

T he presidential election which had us all agog, is now over. President Dissanayake -the young leader of the NPP, who campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and against waste, has been voted into power. The people who for the past five years have suffered all manner of deprivation look forward to a new era where their burdens will be eased.

National list political parties for General Elections

The people have spoken, is a common phrase used to announce and often accept the results of an election.

Are we on the brink of World War III?

As I wrote in this column months ago, there has been talk of World War III almost from the day World War II ended.

Understanding the message given by Northerners - EDITORIAL

During their first media conference following the Presidential election, the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) which has proven again that they are the largest Tamil political party in the North and the East had announced that they were considering to field their candidates