Split at the periphery

A ceremony to mark the opening of a new administrative bloc was held in the main city in the upcountry on a grand scale recently.

Caught with his pants down

He is a uniformed one decorated with stars exercising his sway in an area in the central hills. There is hush-hush in official circles that a video tape showing him stepping out of a bawdy house had found its way into the hands of higher authorities.

Three to hang on to boost her ego

A powerful fair private secretary of a white collar high-up at Diyawanna has got three women recruited as her personal assistants. 

If there’s a will, there’s a way

With the local government polls round the corner, most prominent politicos have stopped gallivanting here and abroad and are back at the grass-roots to gear up their party machinery.  

He sulks over disowned glory

A certain prominent politico is said to be in a terrible sulk these days over ‘undeserving persons’ getting the limelight and the credit for erecting the world’s tallest Christmas Tree.

Didn’t they go by the book?

The second in command in yahapalanaya recently ordered the reversal of a transaction carried out by the country’s oldest state-owned bank.

Onetime meat is now their poison

Web media which carried out a major role in bringing the yahapalanaya into power has become the whipping boy of several sections of the society.

Helicopter hire soared as their fun soared!

A grand ceremony followed by a tournament was held in the cool climes of the central hills on the eve of the holiday season. 

Is it only a ceasefire?

There were recent reports that a major crisis was threatening to uproot the Tree party. Even the party’s supreme body failed in its attempts to resolve the crisis triggered by accusations levelled against party leadership itself.

Politics of the Christmas Tree

The world’s tallest Christmas Tree built on the Galle Face Green came under flak from various quarters from the very outset.

He suggests the solution to the spiraling rice prices

The former strongman the other day attended a wedding held at a hotel located close to Diyawanna and there he met three colleagues -two top team members – one looking after the country’s purse and the other our ports and the political chief for the Western Province.

Another victim of the game that knows no rules

A move made to appoint an ambassador to head our diplomatic mission in Berlin has run into a tangle, they say.

Battle moving to the Fourth Estate

Some billionaires with vested interests in the country are seeking to launch media institutions mainly to achieve their political objectives. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that; this is a free country, one would say.

Fair weather friend turns his back on his former mentor!

This provincial political chief is said to be clever at quickly adjusting his sails for an easy ride with the wind.

A racket in refuse tea in central hills!

It is illegal for anyone to store, transport or export refuse tea. However, complaints being received from foreign trade sources that some of our tea shipments have been found adulterated with refuse tea are galore.

For some jobs come like manna from the heaven?

Many middle aged women in the Matale area have received hospital labourer appointments despite not having applied for such a post, they say.

A picnic that went a begging!

This department in an august assembly is responsible for bringing out in print every audible word uttered during the sessions of the assembly. 

JO members in a dilemma

The Pohottuwa political party founded by the clever sibling and nominally headed by the stranded professor, has placed some JO members on the horns of a dilemma, they say.

Blues blast the proposed Bill

The Blue party’s Diyawanna group informally met at the office of a party high-up the other day.

His obstinacy cost him his portfolio

A Southern Provincial Minister forfeited his portfolio when his Ministry’s expenditure vote under the 2017 Budget was defeated recently. 

Was he too behind the chaos?

There was widespread speculation in the recent past that a purohita in yahapalanaya too was behind the chaos that hit the harbour in Ruhuna.

“A major political change is in the offing!”

A certain fast spreading piece of news is rocking country’s political circles, they say. 

They had planned to boycott vote-taking on Third reading

A threat held out by the Betel-leaf politicos on board yahapalanaya not to say ‘aye’ for the 2017 Budget had reportedly stuck to their guns until the issue was resolved minutes before taking the vote on the third and the final reading, they say.

Planning a head count change for a regime change?

It was the former strongman who said the other day that a regime change could be brought about by a change in the head count in the Diyawanna council. 

Two attack three at wrong forum

Two powerful purohitas had taken up cudgels against three of their colleagues at a very important meeting held recently which was attended by the Top Two of yahapalanaya.

He celebrates court-case wins!

A leading politician who has won 28 court cases these days is throwing grand parties one after another at his posh residence to entertain his special friends, they say.

A wreath sent with a wrong condolence tag on it

An occupant of an important chair in the Diyawanna council had sent an expensive wreath to a funeral parlour in Borella to convey his condolences on the death of a lady who had been very close to him. 

He was given the cold shoulder!

A very high political authority was the chief guest at a very important public function held in Borella area recently. 

Squandering public funds

A one-year training course for a staff category described as ‘Assistant Managers’ is about to be kicked off by a state body linked to aviation at the Mattala airport premises at a cost Rs.5 million.

Tug o’ war stalls appointment

The administrative head of a statutory body in the telecommunications sector got his walking papers recently due to falling foul of the political heavyweights.