Posts filed under 'Current affairs'
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
“It is not merely of some importance but is of fundamental importance, that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.” - Lord Chief Justice Hewart in Rex vs Sussex Justices Ex parte Macarthy
The above mentioned observation by British Lord Chief Justice Hewart has become famous over the years as an aphorism espousing and emphasising the importance of appearance in meting out justice.It is not only important to ensure justice but equally necessary to demonstrate clearly that Justice appears to have been done.
“A Salute to the Nation” posters of the Common Opposition Presidential Candidate General Sarath Fonseka are posted in Mannar Island, North Western Province of Sri Lanka -Pic: humanityAshore flickr
When I began writing this article on Thursday February 25th my intention was to argue that retired four star General and defeated Presidential elections candidate Sarath Fonseka should not be court-martialled by a military tribunal.
Continue Reading February 26th, 2010
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
A striking facet of Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s intriguing personality is the candour he displays in some media interviews. Instead of bluffing, sidestepping or trying to wriggle out of answering tricky questions the Defence secretary responds directly and fields them in a frank,forthright manner.
This characteristic was very much evident in the telephonic interview given by the Presidential sibling on Wednesday Feb 10th evening to Ravi Velloor of the Singapore-based “Straits Times” barely 48 hours after the controversial arrest and detention of ex-Army commander and defeated Presidential elections candidate General Sarath Fonseka.
General Sarath Fonseka’s rally at Panadura-Jan 2009
Continue Reading February 12th, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
Some very interesting questions were raised by the reader Nalaka at comment #147 made in response to my article “The magic behind the Mahinda Rajapakse victory”.
I forwarded them to two experts at Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in Colombo for their opinion. Both Asanga Welikala and Rohan Edirisinghe were kind enough to respond and I thank them for that. Incidently both were called upon to testify before courts on this issue of the President’s second term .
Continue Reading February 4th, 2010
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Presidential Stakes 2010 came to an official end when Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake announced the winner in Sri Lanka’s sixth Presidential election.
Incumbent Executive President Mahinda Rajapakse registered a stunning victory by polling 6,015,934 votes(57.88%).Former Army commander retired General Sarath Fonseka, his chief challenger got 4,173,185 or 40.15% of the votes.
Continue Reading January 29th, 2010
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj
The electoral verdict, stunning and conclusive on the whole, has some cracks in parts. As the President of the whole country, Mahinda Rajapaksa must take the initiative and reach out to those sections of the people who have been alienated in terms of ethnicity, class, and the urban-rural divide.
Continue Reading January 28th, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Last year when speculation was rife about former Army commander Sarath Fonseka announcing his candidacy for the Presidential elections this columnist was among those who warned of adverse consequences befalling the Country as a result of this unprecedented move.
Chief among these was the very strong possibility of an escalation in the continuous process of the military being politicised and society being militarised in the Country.
Posters for Sarath Fonseka in Jaffna-pic. indi.ca
I perceived the Fonseka phenomenon as the logical outcome this long process.
Continue Reading January 23rd, 2010
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Three days from today (23rd) the nation will be going to the polls to elect the most powerful person in the Country
Twenty-Three potential candidates handed in their nominations on December 17th 2009but with the Commissioner of Elections rejecting one there were only twenty-two in the fray.
Of these two dropped out from the race with one-a Buddhist priest-transferring his support to Mahinda Rajapakse and the other-a Muslim parliamentarian-extending his solidarity to Sarath Fonseka.
Of the twenty contestants for the Presidential stakes, Sixteen are contesting from big, huge, medium, small, tiny and miniscule parties. Four are Independents
Continue Reading January 22nd, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s father Thiruvengadam Veluppillai breathed his last on Wednesday January 6th night. The 86 year old retired government servant’s birthday was on January 10th.
Thiruvengadam Veluppillai Parvathiamma Veluppillai, Prabhakaran, Mathivathani and son Charles Anthony-Reuters pic
The octogenarian hailing from the northern coastal town of Valvettithurai (VVT)and his wife Parvathiamma were staying in a chalet within the precincts of the Army cantonment at Panagoda.
Continue Reading January 8th, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Hello Friends
Today January 6th is the first anniversary of a “terror” attack on the MTV-MBC Radio/TV station in suburban Colombo. None of the culprits responsible for the attack have been apprehended let alone prosecuted despite a whole year passing by.
What I want to do here is to refresh memories of readers about this vicious attack on media freedom and the freedom of expression by reproducing excerpts from a few news stories I wrote last year about the incident for the Transcurrents website:
Continue Reading January 5th, 2010
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
“Who Killed Cock Robin”?
Not I, said the Sparrow
With my Bow and Arrow”
The above lines from an old nursery rhyme recur constantly in my mind when looking at the controversy surrounding the deaths of some senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) in the early hours of May 18th 2009.
Balasingham Mahendran alias Nadesan
The LTTE’s political commissar Balasingham Mahendran alias Nadesan and head of tiger peace secretariat Seevaratham Prabhakaran alias Pulidevan and some other tiger leaders and members had allegedly been executed in cold blood after surrendering with white flags.
Seevaratham Prabhakaran alias Pulidevan
In the current climate both Government and opposition ranks are in a state of denial about the alleged incident. The focus now is not whether the alleged incident occurred or not but on whether any reference should have been made about it at all.
In such a situation the important question of “Who killed Cock Robin” or in this instance who killed Nadesan and Pulidevan and how they were killed is being sidetracked, overlooked or ignored.
Continue Reading December 28th, 2009
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