by Sonal Sher Sri Lanka’s cuisine has two influential ingredients, fish and coconuts, because of their abundance in this tropical island. The staple food here is Rice and Curry, and Kottu Roti, all of which is sold by many street vendors across the country. But other than the curry plate, the country has a lot …
BY STANLEY SAMARASINGHE The Supreme Court yesterday ordered Nihal Ranasinghe, Controller of Immigration and Emigration, to refrain from deporting Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Leader, Premakumar Gunaratnam alias Noel Mudalige, until 13 February. A Bench comprising Chief Justice K. Sripavan and Justices Sarath de Abrew and Anil Gunaratne made this order after hearing the submissions of …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA DOMINANT PRIME MINISTER, SUBORDINATE PRESIDENT ANALYSING THE DRAFT PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM “Sovereign is he who decides on the exception”- Carl Schmitt The proposed changes to the Constitution entitled ‘Discussion Paper on Constitutional Reforms’ (https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/maithri-proposals-on-constitutional-reforms-full-text/) have both good and bad aspects, of which the bad clearly outweigh the good, since they …
(Text of Press release Issued on February 9th 2015 by Mahinda Rajapaksa Former President of Sri Lanka) False and misleading statements continue to be made about me by members of the present government. At a recent TV interview, it was said that over Rs. 100,000 million (Koti dahadahak) had been allocated to the Presidential Secretariat …
By Kevin Kariyawasam and Yohan Perera The Department of Immigration and Emigration has sought the assistance of state intelligence services to locate Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Central Committee Member Kumar Gunaratnam whose visa had expired ten days ago. Immigration sources said Gunaratnam arrived in Sri Lanka on January 1 on a 30-day tourist visa which …
By Latheef Farook In the east of the island the destiny of Tamils and Muslims remains intertwined and, inevitably, they share both adversity and prosperity. Thus it goes without saying that it is always in the interest of the two communities for their political parties to work together. Under such circumstance the Sri Lanka Muslim …
By Lahiru Pothmulla Four political allies of the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) today expressed sentiments in favour of fielding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming general elections. They said there was no other hope to defeat incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and added Mr. Rajapaksa had already secured …
By Chamitha Kuruppu Minister of Public Order and Disaster Management John Amaratunga is confident the no-faith motion against him will not be presented in Parliament. “To win it (no confidence motion), they must bring it before the Parliament. That might not happen at all. In three months’ time, there is dissolution in any case,” Amaratunga …
Media industry personality Krishantha Cooray is among four new Directors appointed to the Board of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). The company announced that Cooray has been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director. The other three are Mohamed Firdouse Farook (Independent Non-Executive Director), Nilanthi Sonia Anne Pieris (Independent Non-Executive Director) and G.C. Chandra Ekanayake of Treasury …
By N Sathiya Moorthy Former Telecom and Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, the younger of the two brothers, has said as much and more in defending himself and elder brother Kalanidhi — the founder-owner of the Sun TV Group, after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested three of the latter’s former aides in a case of …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that Parliament would be dissolved straightaway if the government failed to defeat the no-confidence motion against Public Order, Disaster Management and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga. He made this remark while addressing the Working Committee of the United National Party (UNP) held at the party headquarters, Sirikotha.
By Anura Balasuriya A group of prominent SLFP members has proposed that a leadership council comprising President Maithripala Sirisena, former presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa be appointed to steer the UPFA to victory at the next general election, according to party sources. The proposal had been forwarded to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga by Chief …
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) today urged all political parties representing the Eastern Provincial Council to come together in forming a joint administration as it is in the central government. SLMC Leader and Minister of Urban Development Rauff Hakeem told a media briefing that his party is ready to give ministerial portfolios in the …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The SLFP is heading for a major crisis with some UPFA constituents demanding that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be named their prime ministerial candidate immediately. A spokesperson for Western Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila’s Pivithuru Hela Urumaya yesterday said that UPFA constituents, namely MP Dinesh Gunawardena’s MEP, MP Wimal Weerawansa’s National Freedom Front …
Nelum Pokuna Mawatha, which runs from Horton Place Roundabout to Public Library Roundabout, is to be named Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha once again Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) sources said today. The road was renamed Nelum Pokuna Mawatha in 2011 with the opening of the Nelum Pokuna Perfoming Arts Stadium.
By Shamindra Ferdinando Police headquarters is seeking the advice of Attorney General Yuwanjana Wanasundera as regards its investigation into an alleged attempt by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the then Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to deploy the army to suspend the results of Jan. 8 presidential poll being released. Well informed sources told The Island …
By Meera Srinivasan More Indian trawlers have been allegedly fishing near the northern coastline of Sri Lanka over the past two weeks, Jaffna-based fisher leaders say. The fishermen from both sides got into a tussle at sea recently, after the nets of those from the northern region of the island nation were damaged. “There was …
By P.K.Balachandran M.A.Sumanthiran, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, is currently in Geneva lobbying at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for release of the UN’s investigative report on allegations of war crimes committed in the last phase of the 2006-2009 Eelam War IV in North Sri Lanka. The TNA is trying to counter the …
The lacuna of inner democracy in the present day Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) is being exploited by TNA Parliamentary Group Leader Mr R. Sampanthan and TNA’s nominated parliamentarian Mr M.A. Sumanthiran to deviate Tamils from their cause and struggle, accused Vice President and Senior leader of the ITAK, Professor S.K. Sitrampalam in an interview …
By Rasika Jayakody Before the recently held presidential election, none of the political parties in Sri Lanka had a more sophisticated propaganda mechanism than the United National Party. The UNP propaganda mechanism was more sophisticated than propaganda machinations of other parties as the UNP was in full control of its message. The ‘message’, more often …
By C.A.Chandraprema Each passing week sees a mockery made of the term yahapalanaya. The most surprising episode we have seen yet after the ouster of the Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, is the acceptance of the Chairmanship of the Board of Investment by Upul Jayasuriya the President of the Bar Association. Under Upul Jayasuriya the Bar …
By Rev. Reggie Ebenezer Amma is 104 not out today (Feb 6th)! Splendid performance, bat on till the Captain Himself calls you to retire! It is a great privilege for me to pen these words as a brief testimony of my understanding of your living faith. My prayer is that someone who reads will be …
By Udaya Gammanpila 28 January 2015 was the darkest day for the Judiciary of Sri Lanka. Mohan Peiris was the Chief Justice on that day. A group of pro-government lawyers had commenced a protest against the Chief Justice (CJ) in that morning. It was led by politico lawyers such as M.A. Sumanthiran MP and Sunil …
Continue reading ‘Chief Justice Mohan Peiris Being Chased Away was for Judiciary the Darkest Day’ »
By Prof. Gananath Obeyesekere The newspapers today are full of the welcome news of the possibility of success for the democratic process and the rule of law in Sri Lanka. Some of us might be tempted to forget another important event namely the visit of Pope Francis, a good man, and the hope he represents …
By Don Manu It is in his pathetic attempt to portray himself as the victim of injustice a man terribly wronged; it is in his audacious bid to raise himself to the heights of a former Chief Justice, the much respected Neville Samarakoon; and it is in his bare faced bizarre avowal that the maintenance …
By Malinda Seneviratne President Maithripala Sirisena’s days are numbered. That’s by his own admission, publicly announced in the speech he made immediately after being sworn in as the country’s president. He announced that he will not be sworn in a second time. As such he numbered his own days, one can argue. Given that he …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA SMART PATRIOTISM AND THE MARGINAL MAJORITY At 58, I have reached legitimate anecdotage. My parents read Grimm’s Fairy Tales out to me at bedtime, but my maternal grandmother from Moratuwa told me stories in Sinhala and was the only one to do so. She related Martin Wickremesinghe’s story “Rohini” to me. …
By Anusha Arumugam (Anusha Arumugam is a third year law student at the University of Liverpool. This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of the publication “The Malaysian Insider” from which this article is reproduced on this blog) “It is not the violence of the few that …
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Although the flavour of Elephant House ice cream, and the fuzz and taste of Elephant Brand soft drinks are still with us, the once popular restaurant and catering service of Elephant House wound up many years ago. There are many who still remember the service at Fountain Café, that stood out in …
By Malinda Seneviratne There was a day in the year 1948 when a country was washed afresh by a new breeze. It was called Independence. Freedom was on everyone’s lips. Every heart sang. There were dozens of ‘freedom songs’ composed. Most of them conflated ‘Sinhala’ or ‘Hela’ with what was then Ceylon or ‘Lanka’ in …
Continue reading ‘We Must Write New Songs of Freedom With a Heart That is Truly Ours.’ »
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday clarified that no decision had been taken yet on proceeding with the China-funded port city project coming up in Colombo. He was responding to a question from Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the Leftist-nationalist Janathā Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Mr. Dissanayake raised the issue in …
By N. Sathiya Moorthy It may still be very disagreeable to some in Sri Lanka to refer to India in the context of giving successful functional shape to the pre-poll administrative and constitutional reforms promised by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Yet, there is no escape for all those celebrating this year’s …
by Malinda Seneviratne What is the defining feature of the Sinhalese? This is not an easy question to answer. One could even frame it in other ways, replacing ‘Sinhalese’ with ‘Helas’ or even the ‘Yakshas’. There could be many answers to the question but this would be one of them: ‘inclusion’. The history of this …
Continue reading ‘“Namo Namo Thaayae”:Singing the National Anthem in it’s Beautiful Tamil Version’ »
By Taylor Dibbert Freedom House recently released their annual report on the state of world freedom. This is a must-read not only for human rights and democracy promotion specialists, but also for anyone interested in world affairs or international politics. The report is well-written, only 28 pages long and includes a lot of helpful charts …
By N Sathiya Moorthy The euphoria of the new leadership in Sri Lanka towards the northern Indian neighbour may have set the right tone and tenor for further betterment of bilateral relations as in regional and international contexts. The relationship had slackened, and strained up to a point, particularly in the last year of President …
by Karthik Subramanian There is a certain familiarity to Gautham Vasudev Menon’s films. You already know the characters, even if their names have changed, you know how they behave and, most of all, you begin to anticipate what would happen next. Yennai Arindhaal, which the director has said is the concluding part of his ‘cop …
By Sudhir Srinivasan Genre: Drama Thriller Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon Cast: Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan, Anushka Shetty, Arun Vijay Storyline: A cop, while fighting an old rival, learns about himself. The kernel of a Gautham V. Menon (GVM) film is its love story. That’s his tour de force. While his romances —Minnale, Neethaane En Ponvasantham, …
A three-day conference on Tamil language computing and Tamil internet will be held in Singapore by the end of May and international experts have started work on their papers to be presented at the event. More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the 14th International Conference on Tamil Computing and Tamil Internet (Tamil Internet …
By Meera Srinivasan Backtracking from its pre-election announcement on scrapping the Chinese-funded port city in Colombo, the Sri Lankan Government on Thursday said it would go ahead with the $1.34-billion project. According to Cabinet spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, a report on the environmental impact of reclaiming land near Colombo’s beachfront said “it [the …
By Charu Sudan Kasturi New Delhi, Feb. 5: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will visit India this month on his first foreign trip in office but his attempts at also assuaging Chinese concerns have sparked worries in New Delhi of a fresh tug-of-war underscored by two greetings Colombo received 45 minutes apart yesterday. Sirisena is …
By Bishop Duleep de Chickera Independence Day reminds us that we are one country called to become one reconciled people.Experience teaches that when addressed, dominant national realities become paths to reconciliation. 1. Economic dignity The real enemy is not next door but at the economic extremes. Poverty is humiliating; excessive wealth intoxicates. Since there is …
A serious disagreement has been created within the Tamil National Alliance over the decision to attend the Independence Day celebrations, BBC Sandeshaya reported. Yesterday’s national celebration saw the TNA leader R. Sampanthan and Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran in attendance. This was the first time the TNA (or the old TULF or ITAK) had attended the Independence …
By Dharisha Bastians Colombo’s streets are dressed up to mark this great day. For the island’s 6.5 million population it’s a public holiday. Behind the underlying festivity are the crowd’s somber faces; expectant but not overly excited. Ceylon is taking independence quietly – BBC, Ceylon Gains Independence, 4 February 1948 A few mornings a week, …
By P.K.Balachandran COLOMBO: Keeping in view the delicate political situation in Sri Lanka, the United States may ask the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to postpone the taking up of a resolution against that country at its March session, informed sources in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told Express here on Wednesday. US Assistant Secretary …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA “MLECHCHA YUDDAHAYA” OR “SHRESHTA YUDDAYA”? BARBARIC WAR OR GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR?- DECONSTRUCTING INDEPENDENCE DAY DISCOURSE 2015 Independence Day 2015 had several key texts and speeches, all of which constitute a single discourse. There was President Sirisena’s written message and that of the PM. The President’s message was fine but the PM’s …
By Sam Samarasinghe and Chandrasiri Seneviratne In the first three weeks of its tenure the Sirisena/Wickremasinghe administration has generally adhered to the principles of good governance in their effort to implement the One-Hundred Day Programme. President Sirisena’s interview on Rupavahini TV last weekend further buttressed his good governance credentials. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime …
Harim Peiris has been appointed Chairman of the Resettlement Authority, by D. M. Swaminathan, Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs. Harim Peiris is a graduate in finance and has an MBA from the University of Texas, USA. He has a wide and varied professional background in both the private and the state sectors, …
By Norman Palihawadane Public Order, Disaster Management and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga yesterday said that he was ready to face the no-confidence motion against him proposed by the opposition. Commenting on the recent statement made by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva that a no confidence motion would be moved against him, the minister …
(Full Text of President Maithripala Sirisena’s address to the nation on the occasion of Sri Lanka’s 67th Independence day Celebrations on feb 4th 2015) biggest challenge we face today, is that of bringing together the minds of the people of the North and South, and through a process of reconciliation bring about co-existence and national …
By Taylor Dibbert Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war ended in May 2009, but there are still many concerns regarding accountability for alleged wartime atrocities and persistent tension between the country’s various ethnic groups. Increased authoritarianism from recently ousted President Mahinda Rajapaksa and institutionalized impunity have meant that the country’s wounds of war remain unhealed and …
By Dr.Kalana Senaratne In the early weeks of November 2014, it seemed somewhat clear that Mahinda Rajapaksa was set to rule the country for at least another six years. But on January 8, 2015 when he finally went to cast his vote with the media surrounding him, even Mahinda appeared to have realized what the …
By Vishwamithra 1984 There Ravi Karunanayake sat, flanked by the lieutenants of his new fief, gamely fielding combative questions thrown at him by members of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Many of them, including the Chamber’s President Suresh Shah, addressed him simply as ‘Ravi’—no Honourable Minister he. The atmosphere of the occasion was almost surreal: …
By Upul Joseph Fernando The first official statement issued by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, after his defeat, appeared in the print media last week. The statement looked to be a sad note from the former President. He regretted that the present government was harassing him and his family members and had added China too, into …
By Risidra Mendis Kandyan dancers, drummers, acrobats, flame dancers, whip dancers, and colourfully dressed elephants are just a few of the attractions that draw people in the thousands to Kandy, to witness the historic and religious Dalada Maligawa perahera. The Dalada Maligawa Perahera is held in August every year with its main attraction being the …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Sri Lanka in March, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the island nation in over 25 years. During the visit, Mr. Modi is likely to travel to Jaffna in the Tamil-majority Northern Province, official sources in New Delhi told The Hindu. The visit has …
By DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA “Sirisena was supported by a broad coalition including leading Tamil and Muslim parties and the United National Party…Rajapaksa still earned more support from the Sinhalese community than Sirisena, the ethnic group that comprises about three-quarters of the country’s population… the Rajapaksa brand isn’t toxic — not yet anyway. He lost a …
By Taylor Dibbert Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office in early January. This came as a surprise to many. First elected in 2005, Rajapaksa was widely credited with winning Sri Lanka’s civil war against the separatist Tamil Tigers in 2009. Maithripala Sirisena, a cabinet member in Rajapaksa’s administration who was also …
(TEXT IN FULL OF SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER MANGALA SAMARAWEERA ON THE REMOVAL OF MOHAN PIERIS FROM THE OFFICE OF CHIEF JUSTICE) Honorable Speaker, in a statement issued yesterday by Mohan Pieris in The Island, he said “maintaining the dignity and decorum associated with the office of the Chief Justice and ensuring …
By Somapala Gunadheera As a life member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), I am personally interested in the affairs of that outfit. I admire the relentless effort the BASL has made to stand by Justice Shirani Bandaranayke (JSB), through the vicissitudes imposed on her by a contrived process of law. I am …
By Saman Indrajith Parliament sittings were suspended for 10 minutes yesterday as opposition MPs staged a protest during the debate on an adjournment motion moved by them against the removal of Mohan Peiris from the office Chief Justice. An uproar from the Opposition drowned government voices when Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa told the …
By Shamindra Ferdinando The SLMC is expected to secure the post of Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council soon in accordance with its agreement with the SLFP-led UPFA. An SLMC nominee will succeed UPFA appointed Chief Minister M. N. Abdul Majeed, a member of the SLFP. SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem told The …
By Norman Palihawadana Dasun Edirisinghe Former General Secretary of the United National party and Health Minister of the ex-UPFA government Tissa Attanayake was taken into custody by the CID around noon yesterday over charges of producing an allegedly false document against then Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Later he was …
By Rossana Favero-Karunaratna Dual citizenship is the simultaneous possession of two citizenships. Due to the tension implied within this definition not all nations recognize that their citizens are entitled to possess that privilege or right. The 2015 Budget reintroduces the system which involves through a process of evaluation along with a payment of Rs. 500,000.00, …
Continue reading ‘The Concept of Dual Citizenship and the Sri Lankan 2015 Budget Provisions’ »
By Deepal Warnakulasuriya A major crisis was averted when former Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne and the previous United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government maintained silence and vacated the offices gracefully after the presidential election, former Chief Justice Sarath. N. Silva said in an exclusive interview with The Nation. Silva said that the way in …
By Ranga Jayasuriya Changes that have taken place in the country during the past three weeks are simply unbelievable. Many democratic reforms currently underway were not possible even in the wildest dreams, two months ago. Justice Sripavan, the senior most Supreme Court Judge would not have ever expected to be appointed the Chief Justice purely …
By C.A.Chandraprema Nobody will have any objection to Justice K.Sripavan being elevated to the position of Chief Justice. He has been as non-controversial a member of the judiciary as one could wish for. It is our hope that his lordship will be able to bring some calm and quiet to an office that has known …
By Namal Rajapaksa Those who know me and my two brothers know well how deeply we love the sport of rugby. Having begun playing around the age of six, we played during school, during college, captained university teams and finally represented Sri Lanka internationally. In addition to enjoying the game, in recent years, we also …
By Shamindra Ferdinado President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday (Jan. 31) declared that though he was the leader of the SLFP, he wouldn’t undermine the UNP in the run-up to the forthcoming parliamentary election. Similarly, the SLFP, too, wouldn’t be let down, President Sirisena emphasised while explaining the difficulties experienced in tackling what he called an …
by S Venkat Narayan Animal lovers in the Czech Republic are rejoicing these days: Janita, a Sri Lankan elephant cow, is expecting her first baby in the Prague Zoo! It will be the second time that an elephant calf will be born in the world’s seventh best zoo since it came into existence in 1933. …
Former Attorney-General Mohan Peiris, whose appointment as Chief Justice was declared null and void by the government of President Maithripala Sirisena, yesterday insisted that he had not vacated his position as Chief Justice but has been ‘displaced from office by an unconstitutional process’. In a statement issued to the media, Peiris stated, “I have not …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene To affirm that the independence of the judiciary is secured by individuals is just plain ludicrous. The integrity of an institution depends on processes and procedures that are hallowed by convention as well as by law. They are held sacred to the extent that an individual, even at the highest level …
by Vrinda Gopinath 1. Let’s face it, Narendra Modi’s exuberant bear hugs, vigorous handshakes, lingering hand-clutching and uncontrollable waving with US President Barack Obama as a desi version of “Gimme Five” was ludicrously over the top. The bear hug and hand shaking on the tarmac at Delhi airport where Modi broke protocol to personally receive …
Continue reading ‘How Narendra Modi Tried to “Match Up” to Barack Obama and Failed Miserably.’ »
By Dharisha Bastians Kanagasabapathy Sripavan, the country’s most senior Judge was sworn in as the 44th legitimate Chief Justice of the Republic yesterday, marking the end of a two year drama in the Supreme Court. Justice Sripavan, 62, took oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena last evening, the Presidential Media Unit said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe …
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday directed the Minister of State for Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, to conduct a full investigation into the operation of a veritable private army run by the state-backed Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited (RALL) and Avant Garde Maritime Security Services Limited (AGMSL) after disclosures made in the Sunday Times (Political Commentary) last …
By Rasika Jayakody Ranil’s Budget The interim budget statement, presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake on Thursday, was election, oriented in more ways than one. At the same time, it is different from the election, oriented budget presented by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in October, last year, just days before he announced the …
Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees about 100,000 in India, as other refugees in the world, are living with a hope of ending their refugee status. Change in government in Sri Lanka has brought in refreshing changes, important among them doing away of war-centric approach. The refugees have broadly welcomed this. They are now, awaiting a durable …
For the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees accommodated in the government run refugee camps across Tamil Nadu, refugee return remains the strongest hope of finding an end to their protracted refugee situation. During the consultation process across the camps, it soon became clear that refugees recognized their right to return home as the durable …
Introduction The Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have lived in the camps of Tamil Nadu since 1983. Depending on the situation in Sri Lanka they have moved back and forth. Since 1991 refugees have lived in the camps of Tamil Nadu with the assistance of the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Tamil Nadu …
By Sanjayan Rajasingham Being a New Sri Lanka – Part 2 (This is Part 2 of a series of articles Titled “Being a New Sri Lanka”. It was sent by the writer to be posted on this blog) 3. Stay aware I’ve often heard the refrain “I’m not interested in politics”. If “politics” here means …
By Saman Indrajith Mohan Peiris courted favour from President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a bid to retain his position as the Chief Justice after the new government came to power, Parliament was told yesterday. Those included unscheduled visit by Peiris accompanied by his wife to President Sirisena …
by N. A. de S. Amaratunga As there seems to be an unending stream of baseless accusations thrown at the Rajapaksas who ruled this country for the last ten years it is nothing but fair that their performance is assessed objectively. This scurrilous well orchestrated derogation no doubt is undertaken in view of the upcoming …
Continue reading ‘Nothing but Fair to Objectively Assess Performance of Rajapaksa Regime’ »
New Delhi, Jan. 30: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will tomorrow confront his first big diplomatic test as foreign secretary – mollifying an upset Beijing after the clearest signal by any Indian government that New Delhi’s vision for China’s neighbourhood converges with that of Washington. Jaishankar will tomorrow fly to Beijing with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj for a …
by Saman Indrajith * Public sector receives Rs. 10,000 salary increase * Rs. 2,500 salary hike to pvt sector suggested * Prices of several essential items, domestic gas down * Higher interest rate (15%) for senior citizens * Relief for farmers t, fertilizer subsidy stays * Kerosene price further down to help estate workers * …
By Upul Jayasuriya My lady the Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court, President Court of Appeal and other Judges of the Court of Appeal, learned High Court Judges and other Judicial officers, it is with overwhelming pleasure I rise today on behalf of the unofficial Bar to convey our deepest gratitude to …
By Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake Today marks 746 days since I left office on the basis of an unlawful and illegal impeachment. I am glad that I am able to see before me today those who stood with me since then, in the struggle to achieve an independent Judiciary in our country. It is not in my …
(New York, January 29, 2015) – The Sri Lankan government stepped up pressure in 2014 on human rights activists and journalists, particularly those urging justice for past war crimes, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2015 released today. A new government, elected in January 2015, should order investigations into arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, …
By Pani Wijesiriwardena Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared last week that his government would implement the 13th amendment to the country’s constitution. After nearly three decades, the amendment, which provided for the limited devolution of powers to the Tamil elite on a provincial level in the island’s north and east, has never been …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan government promises “devolution pact” to woo Tamil elite’ »
By Don Manu If oil is refined, alcohol is distilled and grain winnowed to separate the wheat from the chaff, then what folly will it be to add the crude discarded back to the resultant product, cleansed of its impurities. As the new Government embarks upon cleaning up the system and paving the way to …
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene The fact that the now deposed Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency set the standard so deplorably low for good governance and democracy should not deter the Sri Lankan public from demanding that the incumbent Government fulfill election pledges to the highest extent demonstrable. We should not lapse into a mindset of settling for …
The British Government must be willing to hold the Sri Lankan authorities to account if they reject the findings and recommendations of the forthcoming United Nations report into alleged war crimes and human rights violations on the island, according to Siobhain McDonagh MP. Speaking during a debate on Sri Lanka in the UK Parliament on …
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s sons Yoshitha and Rohitha are to be removed from the captaincy of the Rugby teams of the Navy and Army respectively, on the instructions of a highly placed official, informed sources said yesterday. Instructions had been issued to the relevant officials in this regard.
Senior Supreme Court Judge Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan will be appointed as the next Chief Justice, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told the Cabinet briefing this morning. President Maithripala Sirisena was sworn-in by Justice Sripavan bypassing Chief Justice Mohan Peiris.
Participating in her ceremonial sitting today (29), Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake said that justice was restored to her after two years. “I fought for two years not only for myself but for the independent legal system of the country and against corruption”, she said.
By Dharisha Bastians Eventually, it all ended the way it began. The high domed, iconic red roofs of the Superior Court Complex shimmering in the scorching sun. A gathering of black coats outside the gates at noon. Activists and demonstrators, their protest ended, chatting in small groups. Journalists, cameras poised, standing by the gates endlessly …
By Prof. Carlo Fonseka In The Island of 19 January 2015, N. Amarasekera of Colombo writes: “It was the late Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru who pooh-poohed astrological predictions as inspired guesses, but as there is a saying that a sucker is born every minute one may have to give in to the majority’s wishes!” If I …
Continue reading ‘From SWRD to Mahinda: Influence of Astrology on Sri Lankan Political Leaders’ »
By K. Ratnayake Fresh evidence has emerged pointing to a concerted international effort behind the defeat of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in the country’s presidential election on January 8. Reuters reported on Sunday that the Colombo station chief for India’s external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was recalled to New Delhi …
Continue reading ‘Evidence of India’s involvement in regime change in Sri Lanka’ »
By Wasantha Rupasinghe The new Sri Lankan government of President Maithripala Sirisena held a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) last Thursday to discuss a “100 day-work program,” which is supposedly about establishing “democracy” and providing “relief for the masses.” Sirisena and the opposition parties that backed him, including the right-wing United National Party …
Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan government discusses phony “100-day work program”’ »
(Compiled From News Reports in the “Asian Mirror” Website) President Maithripala Sirisena has accepted Shirani Bandaranayake as the legal Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. “Mr. President accepts Shirani Bandaranayake as the legal Chief Justice,” President Sirisena tweeted from his official Twitter account, a short while ago. In his election manifesto, President Sirisena said that CJ …
by P.Krishnaswamy Tamil National Alliance (TNA) frontliner M.A.Sumanthiran MP in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer spelt out the TNA’s needs – their stance with regard to a lasting solution to the Tamil problem, the immediate measures that they have insisted over the livelihood and rehabilitation of the conflict-affected Tamils, the current controversy over …
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA PRE-INDEPENDENCE DAY THOUGHTS 2015: THE FUTURE STATE OF THE NATION In the run-up to Independence Day 2015, we must thank God for Mr. Sumanthiran. He is indubitably a moderate and an intellectual. Let us give thanks also for the Sunday Observer, which is a state-run newspaper not given to running stories …
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday alleged that a concerted effort was being made to tarnish his image and that of his family as well as the previous UPFA government. The former SLFP leader emphasized that a spate of baseless allegations including an alleged attempt to launch a military coup had been made since the conclusion …
By Col R Hariharan THE recently concluded Sri Lankan presidential elections belied President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s confidence as he was beaten by Maithripala Sirisena, former health minister and a long- term colleague of his. People seem to have preferred “unknown angel” Sirisena to “known devil” Rajapaksa, as he described himself in an election rally. Rajapaksa was …
By Dharisha Bastians After an eight-year hiatus, Mangala Samaraweera is back at his old office in the historic Republic Building, which once housed prime ministers. In this third stint as Sri Lanka’s top diplomat, he appears to take to the role with increasing comfort, confidence and a strong compulsion to reform the system of professional …
By Mirudhula Thambiah Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Culture, D.M. Swaminathan said he was working with all Tamil political parties to resettle the people of Valikamam –North during the 100 day programme.Commenting on the Sri Lankan refugees in India, he said “There are more than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees in India. Earlier, when these …
By Sumanasiri Liyanage As I mentioned in a previous note, it is imperative to reread and revise 100 days program of President Maithripala Sirisena reflecting the aspirations and hopes as they were expressed by the people at the election. Of course, different peoples have had different expectations and hopes. At least their priorities may be …
By Upul Joseph Fernando No doubt Presidential Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala is now in Geneva to met UNHRC High Commissioner, Zeid Hussein to discuss the issue of the war crimes probe against Sri Lanka. The UNHRC is expected to present a report in March which may contain the necessity to initiate such a …
by Harim Peiris The new government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been proceeding without a major hiccup and the issue making the most news daily has been the ongoing revelations of corruption against the former Rajapaksa regime and extending up to its highest levels. The most newsworthy post election development …
Continue reading ‘The delusion of a Rajapaksa come back and the general election stakes’ »
by Rohana R. Wasala These days, the phrase ‘good governance’ reverberates across the media reporting on Sri Lanka. It refers to a vague concept that is being used by the West and their opportunistic allies as a very effective weapon against our country to keep it destabilized for their own purposes, while trying to alienate …
BY UDENI SAMAN KUMARA AND BANDARA MUDIYANSE after 835 years that a national leader came to power from Rajarata. I am no Dutu Gemunu, Devanampiyatissa or Parakramabahu; “If I lost the presidential election, my dearly beloved people of Polonnaurwa would most probably have missed seeing me from the very next day as I would have …
By Ifham Nizam and Minidu Ekanayake The 67th Independence Day celebrations will include all government bigwigs, officials, diplomatic corps accredited to Sri Lanka and others, but not former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Fielding questions, Home Affairs and Fisheries Minister Joseph Michael Perera said usually it was not the norm to invite a former President. He said …
By Chitra Weerarathne The Court of Appeal yesterday issued notice on the Attorney General, returnable on February 5, 2015 in respect of the Writ Application filed by JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath, who has requested the Court to order the IGP and the Attorney General to arrest Kumaran Pathmanathan and to charge him under the Prevention …