When the civil war concluded in 2009 there were makers of short films who captured footage of celebrations on the street.

While political leaders are promising heaven on earth in their intensified campaign for the Presidential Election on September 21,

Sri Lanka is a country where we see the occasional individual rise from poverty and then lift the rest of the clan out of misery.

As a voter and a stakeholder in the country’s governance and electoral system /process, the writer was enlivened by a clarion call in the press by a group of lawyers, academics and civil rights activists to abolish the Executive Presidency.

A rhetorical question: What difference would it have made if Sajith Premadasa delivered the speech Thalatha Athukorala did last week?

Our country is heading to the polls. On 21 September all of us eligible voters will be making a choice for one of the thirty-eight candidates whose name and symbol adorn the ballot papers. Some of these candidates will canvass only in particular dist

This document has been compiled by members of religious and civil society and the academic community from all parts of the country after extensive discussion and consultations conducted over a period of several months. It is to be presented to the pr

Myanmar’s military junta, facing powerful armed insurgencies in the North Eastern part of the country, has decided to use Buddhist symbolism to defeat the enemy.

The only lifeline for Sri Lanka for the recovery from the current economic crisis and achieving long-term economic development seems to be the programme sponsored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) initiated by former President Gotabaya Rajapak

‘I Am Ready for the Challenges; … We always believed in nationalism, and we need to protect that. We believed the policies that suit our country were not addressed by the government.’ – Namal

It has been three years since the unexpected passing of my friend Mangala.

On 22 August this month, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled the President in his capacity as Finance Minister had infringed the rights of the people by postponing the 2023 Local Government (LG) elections.

The process leading up to the presidential election has commenced. With the death of one contestant on Thursday and the withdrawal of another thirty-eight out of forty candidates who placed their deposits will be contesting the elections.The ballot p

The Election Commission on August 16 announced the maximum amount of money that could be spent by candidates who contest the September 21 Presidential election for their campaigns, by an extraordinary gazette.

Sri Lanka decides. Nor really. Geopolitics also decides for Sri Lanka. Elections are not entirely won and lost based on the people’s verdict. Yes, outsiders are interested in Sri Lanka’s election and work to ensure the party or candidate they fav

There is much uncertainty in the air as to who’ll be the winner as Sri Lanka gets ready for the 9th presidential elections.

Sri Lanka needs rapid economic growth to overcome the current crisis. At the Public Finance Lounge hosted by Verité Research on July 5, 2024, I highlighted that such growth is difficult to envision given the limited balance sheet capacity in the ba

As we prepare for the Presidential Election on September 21, we also need to reflect on other key issues including the violence that people undergo based on religion or belief.

Which one of these is worse? First, a Sri Lankan diplomat was ordered to pay her former domestic aide over AUD half a million in unpaid wages and interest, pending further charges for violating Fair Wage laws in the Down Under.

In Europe Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 24, 2022. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 35,160 civilian casualties as of 31 July 2024. Of them, 23,640 people were reported

Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s escape to India seeking sanctuary from angry Bangladeshis earlier this month, and the destruction of the relics of her father and founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, exemplify the fate of dictators ac

Revolutions are events which re-shape existing political orders. There are very few revolutions in human history – French, Russian – while coups and uprisings are countless.

To all intents and purposes, it looks as though the presidential elections will definitely be held on 21 September this year. Forty candidates paid their deposits. One was rejected.

Although Buddhist teachings strongly oppose violence, some Buddhist sectors believe that these pacifist ideals have not prevented Buddhist nations from engaging in warfare.

On Friday 16 August, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry summoned the Canadian Ambassador and protested the laying of the foundation stone for a so-called ‘Tamil Genocide Monument’ at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton Canada.

The candidates for the September 21 Presidential election, especially the main candidates have given prominence to creating a media hype rather than explaining their policies and programmes to resolve the socioeconomic issues faced by the people.

By Resolution 46/1 on “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka”, the UNHRC tasked the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evid

Critics often deride the UN as a talk shop. The description is not far from the truth.

The worst feeling one can get, if not trained for it, is to wait for something that’s in the pipeline to happen. We’re all awaiting September 21 for the presidential elections.

The Election Commission will be the centre of attention today as 40 candidates will be handing in their nominations for the Presidential Election of September 21. This is in the midst of crossovers, confusion and contradictions over who is really sup