By D.B.S.Jeyaraj President Ranil Wickremesinghe while addressing Parliament on 10 November 2022 invited all Tamil MPs for a discussion on issues facing the Tamil people and about development plans for the North and East. Jaffna district MP and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson , M. A.Sumanthiran responded positively by telling a morning newspaper that the …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Something extraordinary happened in Malaysia this week. After a bitterly fought general election with no clear winner, the King had the wisdom and the courage to appoint Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10thPrime Minister. To those observing from the outside, it was a remarkable sight. So, one can only imagine …
BY MARIEKE WALSH, MARSHA MCLEOD AND BILL CURRY Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the threats to Canada’s national security from last winter’s convoy protests were both economic and violent and before he invoked the Emergencies Act the premiers were unable to suggest any alternative to using the sweeping powers to end the protracted demonstrations. On …
SJB MP Mr Eran Wickramaratne speaking in Parliament on the vote of Ministries of Defence and Technology said that the government needs an institution to facilitate the e- government program to run one government to the whole country. He further said that the present ICT agency – ICTA was created when the President Ranil Wickremesinghe …
President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said any unlawful protest movements will not be allowed, warning to deploy military and use emergency powers if necessary. “If there are plans to initiate another Aragalaya to change the Government, I won’t give space for that. I will get the military and the forces and I will impose the State …
President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday affirmed that he will not dissolve the Parliament amidst an economic crisis, whilst extending an open invitation to all political parties to support the efforts to resolve the ethnic crisis. “I will not dissolve the Parliament. There is a huge economic crisis. Do it (dissolve the Parliament) after resolving the economic …
(Text of Speech made in Parliament by Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran PC on 22nd November 2022) Thank you Honourable member in the chair today. The Budget presented by the Minister of Finance who also happens to be the President, is ending today – the 2nd reading debate. I have consistently recorded my opposition …
(Excerpt of Speech made in Parliament by Jaffna District MP and TNA Spokesman M.A.Sumanthiran M.P on 23rd November 2022) Thank you Hon. Speaker for the time given to say a few words on the allocation to the Presidential secretariat, Supreme Court, Independent commissions and a long list of 25 institutions. Before I get to the …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah A heated argument occurred in the Parliament yesterday (23) between Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP Mano Ganesan and Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles over the collecting of personal details of Colombo residents, with Ganesan levelling allegations that the Police is collecting the personal details of Colombo South residents, targeting Tamils in …
BY Kiara Warnasuriya A proposal to replace the existing Police Ordinance, No. 16 of 1865, which has been amended 37 times in the past, especially paying attention to areas such as illicit drugs, social media, human rights, and child abuse, was presented by Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles at the Cabinet meeting held on …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera President Ranil Wickremesinghe charged that Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Leader Kumar Gunaratnam was behind the “aragalaya” – noting that the latter holds Australian citizenship and should thus be rejected by the public in a manner similar to the public backlash against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser and former Minister Basil …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during his two-day observation tour to the Northern Province, visited the Mannar District yesterday (20) and discussed with State officials to establish a mega hydrogen project, improved water management system, and reforestation projects to mitigate the effects of global warming; inspected the renovation work carried out to revive the …
By Buddhika Samaraweera Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Founder and National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa yesterday (20) returned to the island to a warm welcome by several SLPP MPs and members at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake. SLPP MPs, including Johnston Fernando, Gamini Lokuge, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Sanath Nishantha Perera, Piyal Nishantha de …
BY Kiara Warnasuriya State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage claimed in Parliament last Saturday (19) that she has proven her value to the country through her actions, warning Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa that she will continue to do so despite the Opposition’s efforts to remove her from Parliament. “I know that the Opposition undertook a …
BY Buwanajee Coralage Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) activist Duminda Nagamuwa, addressing the media yesterday (20), said that, as the workers’ struggle centre, the FSP “guarantees” to “invade the streets before the Budget is finalised” to express its “disappointment in the newly implemented economic principles”. “Before the Budget is approved on 8 December, we guarantee to …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Mano Ganesan told the visiting United Nations (UN) Department of Political and Peacebuilding Director Peter Due last Friday (18) to take up the political issues of the hill-country Tamils, particularly the inhumane conditions prevalent in the plantations, with the highest …
(Text of News Release from the Office of Mano GANESAN Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka for Colombo District and Leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) on November 20, 2022 ) President Ranil Wickremesinghe has travelled to the north, opened up presidential secretariat sub office with expressions of positive notions and has assured to appoint …
By Kishali Pinto- Jayawardene Sri Lanka’s Department of the Police should stop piously quoting provisions of the Constitution and the law and instead, declare the truth without fear or shame, “we do not respect the law; we will break the law at every chance we get; who is there to stop us?” Systemic State repression …
By Marianne David The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will not support Budget 2023 as things stand and will vote in favour only if its proposed changes are accommodated, said SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne, in an interview with The Sunday Morning. The banker-turned-politician acknowledged that the Government’s goals in terms of revenue and economic …
By the “Sunday Morning” Political Editor The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed concerns over the Government’s possible deviation from the ongoing debt restructuring programme, following its move to explore a debt-for-nature swap earmarked at around $ 1 billion, The Sunday Morning learns. However, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed his officials to commence the process …
By Rajasinghe After the presentation of a budget by the finance minister, the attention of the House, and indeed the country, turns to the first speech made on behalf of the Opposition. In the good old United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) days, this task fell on Dr. N.M. Perera (NM), …
By Sandun Jayawardana Over the years, Sri Lankans have got used to expecting price reductions, salary increases, and more state-sector jobs in government budgets. This, however, was before the country was plunged into a crippling economic crisis. As such, Budget 2023 presented in Parliament on Monday, had to jettison proposals that went down “the popular …
By Chris Kamalendran A Presidential Secretariat Sub office of the Northern Province Development Special Unit was declared open yesterday by President Ranil Wickremesinghe with an assurance to resolve the outstanding land and other issues. The sub-office will coordinate with the Presidential Secretariat on development activities and reconciliation matters, Vavuniya District Secretary P.A. Sarathchandra told the …
By Charumini de Silva Despite many having pessimistic views about economic revival, President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday sounded confident the country would overcome the crisis aided by strong policy reforms and implementation underscored in 2023 Budget. Speaking in first in-person public forum on Budget since presenting the reforms and relief oriented 2023 Budget as Finance Minister …
By JAMILA HUSAIN Former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who resigned from his parliamentary seat during the recent political crisis will return to Sri Lanka on Saturday after leaving for the United States in September and will now initiate discussions to gain a 2/3rd majority for the budget, the Daily Mirror learns. Political sources said that …
By Narmada Thiranagama (The writer lives in London and does policy work on labour market justice and workers’ rights for a trade union.) “All the most powerful forces are invisible” observes Maali, the narrator of Shehan Karunatilaka’s Booker Prize-winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. “Love, electricity, wind. And the waves following a bomb blast.” …
By Meera Srinivasan Reaching out to Sri Lanka’s Tamil parties in Parliament on November 10, President Ranil Wickremesinghe invited them for a discussion this week, and pledged to resolve their pending issues before the island nation’s 75 th Independence Day falling on February 4, 2023. However Tamil politicians, who are yet to receive a date …
BY KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL The Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its order prematurely releasing six convicts serving life imprisonment for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The Union government contended that the court did not afford it adequate opportunity of hearing before ordering the immediate release …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray There is something about Malaysia, something special that you cannot describe unless you have lived there. The people in Malaysia are kind, friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand. There is more natural beauty in every nook and cranny of Malaysia than anyone will ever get to see in …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka (Excerpted from the “Lanka Guardian Colu,m” appearing in the “Daily FT” of 17 November 2022 under the heading “Ranil’s ‘Big Bang’ Budget bomb and the tempting of Tamil politicians) President Ranil Wickremesinghe has invited all Tamil MPs for discussions on resolving the problems of the Tamil people before the 75th Independence Day …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Siblings have common traits and but each is nevertheless unique. All my uncles were greatly loved, but loved differently for different reasons. It is the same with Egerton Cooray, my father’s younger brother. Unlike most of his siblings, Egerton Bappa never held powerful positions, was never ambitious and yet in my …
They were to be a “civic fiesta”, said Brenda Rocha, the boss of Nicaragua’s electoral council. Instead, Nicaragua’s municipal elections on November 6th were a farce. The ruling party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front, took control of all 153 municipalities, after capturing the remaining 12 that were run by other parties. Nicaragua is now, in …
(Towards a New Beginning:TFull Text of 2023 Budget Speech – 2023 made by Sri Lankan President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on 14 November 2022) Honorable Speaker, A glimmer of hope on emerging from the economic abyss is currently visible, as a result of the strenuous and difficult policies we have been compelled …
BY Isuru Panditha Two independent Opposition MPs who were among the five such MPs who are reported to have joined with the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya led by the main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), namely John Seneviratne and Piyankara Jayaratne, yesterday (15) denied claims of joining any such coalition. In a media …
By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham After the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was passed by Parliament last month and the Speaker signed and put into force, no one with dual citizenship can enter into the Parliament. It has also become impossible for them to contest any election and come to positions elected by the people. It is …
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday (15) that Sri Lanka was able to avoid the crash-landing of its economy, and turn it into a soft landing, but at a lower point. “If we had not taken those macroeconomic measures, the situation would have been much worse,” he stated. Commenting …
BY Dr. Jehan Perera (The writer is the Executive Director of the National Peace Council) The primacy being given to the defence budget at a time of cost-slashing in virtually every other area is a pointer to the Government’s reliance on the security forces to maintain and exhibit political stability, and tighten its grip on …
BY SANGEETHA DEVI DUNDOO,R. RAVIKANTH REDDY Krishna Ghattamaneni, fondly referred to as Superstar Krishna by legions of Telugu cinema viewers and hailed for his iconic portrayal of Alluri Seetharama Raju, breathed his last at 4:10 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov 15). He was being treated at Continental Hospitals in Hyderabad, reportedly following a cardiac arrest. He …
By N.Ram (N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu and Frontline , is currently a Director in The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited. He is the recipient of several journalism awards and of the Padma Bhushan (for journalism), 1990, and Sri Lanka Ratna, 2005). The military-style “search and seize” raid conducted on October 31, 2022 …
(TEXT OF EDITORIAL APPEARING IN “THE HINDU” OF 14 NOVEMBER 2022 UNDER THE HEADING “A SENSE OF AN ENDING”) The release of the six remaining convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case marks the end of a tragic episode that began with India’s disastrous involvement in Sri Lanka’s internal strife in the 1980s. The assassination …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka will adopt policies geared towards a “social market economy”, to achieve high growth, increased export revenue and Foreign Direct Investment, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday, presenting his first annual Budget since assuming charge in July. The Sri Lankan economy plunged into its worst ever crisis this year. As the …
By Amanda Taub A decade ago, Kate Cronin-Furman, then a Ph.D. student in political science at Columbia University, noticed something odd. The government of Sri Lanka, which the United Nations and international observers had accused of killing tens of thousands of civilians during the final phases of that country’s devastating civil war, had started creating …
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene When there is muttering in some quarters as to, ‘what has the Aragalaya achieved?’, an easy answer comes to mind. The gains of the “Aragalaya’ Notwithstanding the predictable corruption of that struggle by the political establishment which is a point that I will return to later, this spontaneous eruption of …
By Victor Ivan What is the root cause of the great collapse, failure and bankruptcy of Sri Lanka? The most popular belief has been that it was due to corruption of politicians and the bureaucracy. Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, one of Sri Lanka’sm foremost biodiversity experts in his recent speech at the convocation of the Sri …
By Rajasinghe It all started when Basil Rajapaksa (BR) decided to leave Sri Lanka in a hurry when the Aragalaya had toppled brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) and driven brother Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) to Trincomalee under the care of the Navy to hide in a secure camp to escape a lynching. BR’s attempt to leave Katunayake …
(Text of Editorial Appearing in “The Island” of 12th November 2022 under the Heading “Govt. can choose between trouble and double trouble”) Government politicians may pretend that they are not scared of anyone or anything, but all it takes to make them head for the hills is to say, “Election”. Such is these worthies’ fear …
by Ananthakrishnan G THE SUPREME COURT Friday set free all the six convicts serving life terms for the assassination in 1991 of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, extending to them the benefit of its order releasing co-convict A G Perarivalan nearly six months ago. Hearing pleas by the six convicts, …
(Text of Speech made by TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran in Parliament on 10th November 2022) Thank you Hon. Deputy Speaker for the time given to speak on this very important amendments that have been presented today, I wish to flag just two issues, one is with regard to the amendment to Poisons, Opium …
By Tisaranee Gunasekara “Masons, when they start upon a building,Are careful to test out the scaffolding…” – Seamus Heaney (Scaffolding) During the Trump presidency, asked whether his extremely popular wife will be the next Democratic nominee, Barack Obama would say that there were only three certitudes in life, death, taxes, and Michelle not contesting the …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Addressing Parliament yesterday (10), President Ranil Wickremesinghe invited all Tamil MPs for a discussion scheduled next week in regard to issues faced by the Tamil people and to resolve them amicably without any outside interference prior to the 75th Independence celebrations. President Wickremesinghe said: “We are discussing issues of the Tamil people …
BY Kiara Warnasuriya President Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing Parliament yesterday (10), assured that Sri Lanka would receive assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), claiming that he was promised the same by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Relatives of missing persons noted on Monday (7) that they themselves are “joint witnesses” of their loved ones surrendering to security forces at the end of the war, and queried how the Army, therefore, could deny the evidence of those who surrendered. Speaking to The Morning, Association for the Relatives of Enforced …
BY Safrah Fazal Peacocks, monkeys, toque macaques (“rilava”), grizzled giant squirrels (“dadu lena”), porcupines, and wild boars have been removed from the list of protected animals, and measures to control the population of these wild animals are being examined, considering the massive crop damage they are causing. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (10), an official …
BY Buwanajee Coralage Amidst speculation that the MPs of several political parties are in discussions to join the United National Party (UNP) and support the new Government in the upcoming Budget, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed that none of the SJB MPs will succumb to the privileges offered to them …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera While acknowledging that there is an issue with regard to the representation of certain groups such as the indigenous community (Veddas), women, youth, and the differently-abled in Parliament, the Election Commission (EC) stated that it is Parliament that should study the matter further and take steps to resolve the issue. Speaking to …
By Meera Srinivasan The construction of the Adani Group-led terminal project at the strategically located Colombo Port officially commenced on Wednesday, a year after the Indian company sealed the deal with Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and conglomerate John Keells Holdings. Said to be the largest foreign investment — nearly $700 million — in the …
BY Meera Srinivasan On September 30, 2021, the Gujarat-headquartered Adani Group signed a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) agreement with Sri Lanka’s largest listed company John Keells Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to jointly develop the Colombo West International Container Terminal (CWICT) at the strategically advantaged Colombo Port, located amidst one of the …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Mano Ganesan yesterday (8) said in Parliament that Office on Missing Persons (OMP) Chairman Attorney Mahesh Katulanda should be replaced, and queried as to the reason for the existence of the OMP if its chairman claims that there are no missing …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Ganier Banister Francis, an employee of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka submitted written objections before the Colombo High Court yesterday (8) claiming that the case against her with regard to the alleged provision of false information to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), thereby embarrassing the Government, cannot be maintained. When the …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (8) refused to grant leave to proceed for two separate Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by a number of Muslim women challenging the Gazette dated 7 October 2022, which called for applications only from Muslim males to be considered for appointment as Quazis and as Members of …
By Meera Srinivasan Pointing to the “lack of” capacity as the “biggest obstacle” to the implementation of climate action plans, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday proposed setting up an International Climate Change University in Sri Lanka, with an ancillary institution in the Maldives. As island nations, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are particularly …
BY Kiara Warnasuriya Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and National People’s Power (NPP) Leader and Opposition MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the reason why the JVP did not join the protest-march-cum-rally led by the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and the Frontline Socialist Party on 2 November was because it lacked discipline, …
By Krishantha Prasad Cooray The world is currently experiencing a moment of transition. This comes after the certainties and stability of the ‘end of history’ — the period spanning the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Global Financial Crisis. We are witnessing many changes. We have seen the rise of China and to a …
By Safnee Ahamed The Leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and Vanni District Parliamentarian, Rishad Bathiudeen, is no stranger to controversy in Sri Lankan politics. However, lately it has appeared that much of the controversies involving him are fabricated tales to destroy his repute and standing among the public. Weeks after he was acquitted …
By Gamini Weerakoon (The writer is a former editor of The Sunday Island, The Island and consultant editor of the Sunday Leader.) The focus of the nation in recent times has been shifting from the ‘Glorious Uncertainties of cricket’ to inglorious uncertainties of politics and for the search of a square meal a day by …
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene The Sri Lanka Government may be preening itself on taking the sting away from a combined political protest against state repression this Wednesday in Colombo. But let it be warned that its rejoicing comes too soon. ‘Stability’ vis a vis protests Bristling lines of heavily helmeted and gas-mask wearing police …
By Marianne David The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has to rethink its strategies if it is to launch struggles against the Government, says SJB MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, who however warns against playing politics at a time when the country has hit rock bottom. “First you have to feed the people,” he asserted, in an …
HE HAD JUST waved to the crowd from atop his caravan when gunshots broke through the strains of “Allah Hoo”, a famous devotional song, that had been blaring on the speakers alongside. Imran Khan and his associates ducked, but not before he took a bullet in the leg. Others near him were hit, too. A …
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The elder statesman, the Nelson Mandela of the global South’s Left, Lula returns to the world scene – also through BRICS – when humanity is in crisis and the world order in tumultuous transition. He will infuse a measure of hope and reason. A positive planetary impact is his strongly environmentalist stance …
By Col R Hariharan During the month of October , the Sri Lankan government’s preliminary talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on structuring its economic recovery continued. However, debt restructuring continues to be delayed with China due to its preoccupation with the 20th NPC meetings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Even negotiations with …
By Razeen Sally I have not written in these pages for a few years, not since I was an adviser to Ranil Wickremesinghe’s spectacularly misnamed Yahapalanaya Government until 2018. I was absent from Sri Lanka for over two years due to the pandemic, and watched the beginnings of the present catastrophe from Singapore, where I …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The much-hyped protest organised by several political parties, including the main Parliamentary Opposition – the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) – alongside civil organisations and trade unions, fizzled out to an anti-climax amidst protestors arguing with each other about the level of aggression and perseverance that should be employed, as well as the …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera and Buwanajee Coralage Former Minister, incumbent Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP and All-Ceylon Makkal Congress Leader Rishad Bathiudeen, who was accused of supporting those who carried out the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019, claimed that he was wrongly accused for political reasons, following his aquittal of all charges by …
BY Buddhika Samaraweera On the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation is currently focused on setting up a 1,000-acre safari sanctuary in the Northern Province. Speaking to The Morning, an official of the ministry said that the President has instructed Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife, and Forest Resources Conservation …
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several members from the SJB were today seen leaving the anti government protest site after they failed to move past the human barricade set up by the police. Much to the displeasure of the protestors who were seen urging Premadasa and the SJB members to move past the human barricade, …
By Meera Srinivasan The Sri Lanka Police on Wednesday blocked an anti-government protest march organised by Opposition parties, civic activists and trade unions who demanded that the Ranil Wickremesinghe government “stop repression” and address the persisting economic crisis. Members of Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB or United People’s Force), along with …
(Text of Editorial appearing in “The Island” of 2nd November 2022 under the heading Reds on high horse) Cantankerous, holier-than-thou politicians are a dime a dozen in this country, which is badly in need of some honest, capable leaders. So, there is no dearth of braggadocio, and streams of invective on the political front. Many …
By Himal Kotelawala With the likelihood of an electoral collapse of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) still reasonably high, the country’s main opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the leftist National People’s Power (NPP) appear to be engaged in a low-intensity turf war over the coveted “system change” mandate. Though an election …
By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s painful economic crisis may have let up a little, mainly for those who can afford higher living costs, but shortages continue to affect its noted health care system, according to officials and medical practitioners. Despite international lending agencies and bilateral partners, especially India, pumping in emergency credit, the health sector …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda yesterday (1) met parties connected to the Kurunthoor Malai temple in Mullaitivu and the Vedukkunari Malai temple in Vavuniya, both in the Northern Province, and assured that a positive and amicable settlement will be reached regarding longstanding temple-related issues. Speaking to The Morning, Devananda yesterday said that …
BY Kiara Warnasuriya Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya (Our Power of People Party) MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera stated yesterday (1) that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not the answer to Sri Lanka’s present crisis, claiming that it has not succeeded in saving a single country over the past few years, and that it will …
President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday described his accession to power in crisis-hit Sri Lanka as “taking over the titanic after it hit the iceberg”. His witty remark was made at the 32nd Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association at the Water’s Edge Hotel as a response to what Wickremesinghe described …
By The Outsider The trend these days has been to bash Ranil left, right and centre. In fact it has now become fashionable to do so; so much so that those with a different point of view have almost become afraid to voice their opinions publicly. It is in this context that I thought of …
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he is hopeful of resolving the problems faced by ethnic Tamils in the country, as he announced the appointment of a committee to find ways to integrate the Indian-origin workers in the plantation sector into the society. Mr. Wickremesinghe’s remarks came on Sunday during an event in Colombo …
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana yesterday (31 October) endorsed the certificate on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill, which was passed by a special majority in Parliament recently. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill was presented to Parliament on 10 August 2022 by Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Refor ms and President’s …
By Dr. Harini Amarasuriya (Academic, rights activist, and Member of Parliament Dr. Harini Amarasuriya delivered the keynote address at the Regional Conference on Equality and Equity in Recognising Unpaid Care Work and Women’s Labour in South Asia on 20-21 October, organised by the Women and Media Collective and Social Scientists’ Association.) Following is the address: …
By Mark Salter (The writer is the author of ‘To End A Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement in Sri Lanka’ [Hurst, London, 2015]) Erik Solheim’s recent visit to Sri Lanka – his first in 16 years – elicited its fair share of media attention, with ‘what’s he doing back here again?’ the obvious starting point …
By Rajasinghe Like Mary and her little lamb, Norwegians tend to follow Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) wherever he goes. This was true during the north-east war, when, at Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s (CBK’s) request, the Norwegian Government began to intervene as a supposedly ‘honest broker’ in attempting to solve our ethnic conflict. What CBK did not know …
By Siddarth Muralidharan At the very outset, it was a typical, conservative Tamil movie plot: three brothers coming home to attend their dear sister’s wedding. But, as it turned out, Parasakthi (The Supreme Power), a 1952 Tamil film directed by Krishnan-Panju and written by the then 28-year-old Muthuvel Karunanidhi, triggered a wave of radicalism in …
By Dr.Indrajit Coomaraswamy (Former Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, during a recent session with The Indian Express, analysed Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and the debt restructuring needed for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release the $2.9 billion package that the nation is seeking. The session was moderated by the …
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene “We put our untouchables into jail’, a senior Malaysian advocate told me proudly in Kuala Lumpur last week. Our crime of ‘accidental citizenship’ His reference was to jail sentences of respectively twelve and ten years, handed down by Malaysian courts on former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife. Long considered …
By Marianne David The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is not split despite members taking different decisions, especially when faced with the 22nd Amendment Bill vote, asserted General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam. “Constitutional change is a critical thing which has serious impacts, so we decided that the party would not tell anyone how to vote and …
. By Marianne David The 22nd Amendment Bill is former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s amendment and not that of Ranil Wickremesinghe and having formed a government after Gotabaya Rajapaksa left, the Government had to support the Government, asserted Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, explaining his reasons for supporting the 22nd Amendment Bill. “If …
By Wilson Thomas and S. Vijay Kumar K. Valliammal, 73, of Kottai Eswaran Kovil Street in Coimbatore, went to bed late on the night of October 22. The next morning, she woke up with a jolt, not to the usual chants from the Sangameswarar temple in the neighbourhood, but to a deafening explosion. “I heard …
The Police yesterday (27) shed light on a massive financial fraud committed through a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had initiated probes after receiving a complaint about the scam, according to Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa. According to him, one Sri Lankan named Keerthi Bandara was arrested …
(Text of Announcement made by the Jaffna College Alumni Association, Vaddukkoddai on 25th October 2022) The Jaffna College Alumni Association wishes to announce to the alumni across the world that the Board of Directors of Jaffna College have appointed Mrs. Rushira Kulasingham as the Principal of Jaffna College with effect from the 1st of January …
By Victor Ivan Due to a sudden illness, I had to refrain myself from writing for two consecutive weeks. I must admit that the comment made by Shehan Karunathilaka, the Booker Prize winner 2022 about my book titled ‘Paradise in Tears’, which was published in September 2008, generated an innocent pride in me while I …
One constant throughout the original nine seasons of “The X-Files”, a globally syndicated American television show about a pair of fbi special agents assigned to weird cases, is a poster in the background. Mounted on a wall in the agents’ dingy basement office, it shows a grainy picture of a flying saucer and is emblazoned …
by Jehan Perera The passage of the 22nd Amendment to the constitution came as a surprise. It was originally scheduled to be debated in parliament a fortnight earlier. When the decision to postpone was taken it seemed as if the 22nd Amendment would not be taken up again in the near future or even if …
By Uditha Devapriya US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu visited Sri Lanka last Wednesday, October 19. He is reported to have arrived early morning. Having briefed US Embassy staff, he then presided over a civil society roundtable, after which he paid a visit to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry. Given …
BY Tisaranee Gunasekara “You are in the end – what you are.” Goethe (Faust) Twenty two is not perfect. Far from it, perhaps light years far. Yet, in a season of defeats and setbacks, it is a win for Sri Lankan democracy, and for those Sri Lankans who would be free citizens rather than obedient …
Rishi sunak entered Downing Street clutching an invisible dustpan and broom. “Mistakes were made,” declared the new prime minister on October 25th, all but rolling up his sleeves. “I have been elected as leader of my party…to fix them.” The voice was passive but the identity of the culprit was clear—Liz Truss, Mr Sunak’s hapless …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda and Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms President’s Counsel (PC) Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will visit Kurunthur Malai in Mullaitivu and Vedukkunari Malai in Vavuniya in the North on 1 November to resolve longstanding temple-related issues in the area. During the initial meeting of the Cabinet …
By Mirudhula Thambiah In an effort to curb increasing heroin addiction among youth in Jaffna, the city’s Mayor Attorney Visvalingam Manivannan has said he will soon initiate a dialogue with other stakeholders of the city with the goal of establishing a drug rehabilitation centre within municipality limits. Speaking to The Morning, Manivannan on 23 October …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe will hold its first meeting today (25). Speaking to The Morning, Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda said yesterday (24) that at the first meeting, he would mainly discuss land-related issues, the activities of the Department of Archaeology, foreign and natural reserves, the …
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Mano Ganesan will meet Government representatives this week to discuss the plight of plantation workers and the impact of the current economic crisis on them. Speaking to The Morning, Ganesan said: “During my speech last week in Parliament, I spoke …
By Kishali Pinto – Jayawardene This ecstatic rolling about in the Diyawanna mud to celebrate the passing of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution defeats logic if not common sense. No cheers, vigilance needed Constitutional yo-yo games of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and now 22nd Amendments demonstrate how stupendously unfit the members of Sri …
By Karu Jayasuriya (The 28th death anniversary of Gamini Dissanayake is on @4 October 2022) The name of Gamini Dissanayake is an indelible mark in Sri Lanka’s politics. This statement was issued to mark the 28TH death anniversary of the late politician who marked a turning point in national politics. Gamini Dissanayake was born on …
By Saman Indrajith The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in Parliament yesterday with a two thirds majority. The final vote on the bill received 174 votes in favour and none against.At the second reading stage vote, the Bill received 179 votes in favour and one vote against. Colombo District SLPP MP Rear Admiral …
( Full Text of Speech made in Parliament by TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran during the debate on the 22nd Constitutinal Amendment bill on 20th October 2022” ) Thank you, Honourable Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on this very important constitutional amendment that has been presented to this house. I say ‘important’ not …
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced yesterday in Parliament that the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has determined that the Bureau of Rehabilitation Bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 112(1)nof the Constitution He said therefore, the Supreme Court has said the Bill may be enacted only by the special majority required by Article 84 …