Korean investor did not come back for the 45th time

Disposal of the city garbage has now reached national crisis proportions.

Race for Prime Ministerial hat has begun

On perceiving a serious crack in the yahapalanaya looming on the horizon, several Diyawanna stalwarts have already entered the race for the Prime Ministerial hat.

Political appointee says he is apolitical

There is a Ministry Secretary who refuses to attend official conferences held with the Prime Minister in the chair, they say.

An example for apathy of some officials

An interesting story about how a certain high official who wanted six months to provide piping for a water supply scheme for a drought-battered village, produced the material within 24 hours is reported from Pelmadulla.

Pining for female company

A senior Minister well past his sixties, representing a constituency North of Colombo has openly confessed his unhappiness over the unavailability of two female members on either side of his seat in Parliament. 

His ploy to head off looming misfortune

A prominent minister holding a key portfolio has of late become a regular visitor to the official residence of a very high political authority, they say. 

Funds available, but not the official approval

An old boy has come forward to fund the renovation of a swimming pool of a national school in Puttalam district now in a state of disrepair. 

They are to hit back with documentary evidence

The JO leaders who have vowed to expose the corrupt deals of 10 top team members in yahapalanaya are in the process of collecting incriminating documentary evidence against them.

Poor general knowledge or coached to say it?

The fair governor of the Central province was the chief guest at a ceremony held at a leading girls’ college in Kandy to mark World Children’s Day. 

He counts on the loyalty of peace maker

Two JO members from the Gem-city are out to lock horns with John the Silent from the same district. 

They cry foul

Employees at the Colombo port are said to be up in arms against a move by the authorities to recruit trainees for a certain staff category on the results of an exam held by an unauthorized institution.

A new face to succeed Muza

A new face to politics is due to succeed Muza as the Green party candidate for the main chair of the city council.

Is he poised for his next somersault?

A certain politico who is said to have called at Temple Trees carrying all his personal effects tuck in a ‘sili-sili’ bag at the time the former strongman was busy forming a government, has become a multi-billionaire today.

People voted for them

Some sixty monitoring Diyawanna members were granted a monthly travelling allowance of Rs.200,000 subject to the condition they were not already using an official vehicle provided by a Ministry.

He is now their champion

A former navy chief the other day received a message from the ‘palace’ asking him to call on the Big Boss without delay. 

He says he too is in their boat

An opposition Diyawanna member had recently made representations to a top white-collar one at the august assembly on behalf of a group of employees who over the years had been deprived of salary increments and promotions. 

“Once elected to serve us, they serve themselves”

There is a general impression among the ordinary people in the country that it is a great fortune to be elected an MP given the numerous perks and privileges they are entitled to. So a Sinhala saying that has gained wide currency in recent times says: ‘Manthrivarayeku weema hathmuthu paramparawa godayana chance ekak’ (Becoming an MP is a chance that ensures a safe fording for seven generations to come)

“Fragrance attracts; arrogance repels”

An uncommonly sweet perfume that a certain fair member of the top team in yahapalanaya wears attracts Diyawanna members to her like bees to nectar, they say.

The guest of honour became an unwitting impediment

An unusual incident where the guest of honour had to walk out to enable starting a stalled session of a workshop held exclusively for a select group of women participants, has been reported from a gem-rich area in the country. 

Forbidden fruit tastes sweeter

This politico is a top team member in yahapalanaya. He is said to have become a regular visitor to the residence of a comely lady who is no longer in active politics due to her defeat at the polls.

He gave the broth a miss to escape the peasant’s wrath

A purohita from the South recently set out on a visit to Rajarata on official business well ahead of the crack of dawn. 

A secret missive from the palace sparks off speculation

A rumour doing the rounds in political circles says that a senior member of the yahapalanaya top team had visited a temple in Narahenpita for the specific purpose of delivering a secret missive from the ‘palace’.

His wings to be clipped for allowing others to fly

The chief purohita who arranged for a group of councilors to enjoy a holiday in Russia at public expense after pulling the wool over the eyes of the Big Boss and the governing one got a dressing-down from the ‘palace’ recently. 

More the merrier for yahapalanaya

Lady Luck is about to smile on four Diyawanna members currently occupying the backbenches in the opposition, they say.

Green party is set to weed out ‘double dealers’

The Green party has identified several members of its Diyawanna group as ‘double dealers’ and the party’s whip is about to come down on them, they say.

Lady hogged the publicity

Posters advertising the much-talked about JO’s October 8 rally in Ratnapura had come up all over the district by the latter part of the last week.

A women hater?

The head of a certain state-run establishment who happens to be the brother-in-law of a leading member of the top team in yahapalanaya, has become a ‘veritable terror’ to the female employees of the establishment.

Queen is company; her retinue a crowd

This lady holding a very high office in a provincial body exercising decentralized power is often invited to numerous ceremonies, official functions as well as social events held in high-end hotels. And she has made it a practice to attend such events with a large retinue, they say.

He had put the cart before the horse!

Some structural parts of a section of this building complex housing a Ministry related to sea activity were demolished some time ago to make way for building a set of new cubicles under a restructuring plan.

He spurns sympathy

When the JO firebrand from Nawalapitiya was arrested for the first time, a group of top team members had called on his family on a comforting mission, on a request from the ‘palace’.