“And should fate decree the rise of an efficient tyrant, so energetic and so proficient in warfare that he enlarges his dominions, no advantage will accrue to the commonwealth, but only to himself….” — Machiavelli (The Discourses) By Tisaranee Gunasekara Mahinda Rajapaksa is arguably the most successful leader in post-1948 Sri Lanka, just as Velupillai [...]
Devils and the deep blue sea By R. Wijewardene Over the past few weeks The Sunday Leader has taken issue with the national lists and manifestos issued by the country’s principal political parties. But as election day draws ever closer, it becomes more and more obvious that these are only side issues. Trivialities compared to [...]
By Michael Hardy Ranil Wickremesinghe After the UNP’s disastrous decision to support Retired General Sarath Fonseka in the presidential election, Wickremesinghe seems to have decided that a new round of elections calls for a new hair colour. But whereas President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s dye job is subtle and projects confidence, Wickremesinghe’s is so sloppy that the [...]
Images of UPFA Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Members Chathura Dhanushka, Sarathchandra Dias and Hasitha Madawla captured by CCTV cameras in the forefront of the attack on the MTV/MBC Network offices on Monday (22).
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya vehemently denied having reprimanded the DIG for Colombo H. M. B. Herath and the Slave Island OIC K. M. Perera for taking action and intervening in the attack on MTV/MBC last Monday (22). The Sunday Leader has learned that political pressure on the Police Chief, compelled the IGP [...]
By R. Wijewardene Every journalist in the country will have to submit a declaration of their assets to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information by April 30th. Under the terms of the 1988 declaration of assets and liabilities act the ministry has requested, that proprietors, editors, and members of the editorial staff of every [...]
By Nirmala Kannangara Those found guilty of intra-party violence in the UPFA would be denied all party positions in the future, UPFA General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told The Sunday Leader. Following the intense struggle for preferential votes, clashes between the ruling UPFA candidates have reached a record high, amounting to more than 100 incidents, according [...]
By Anarkalee Perera Sri Lankan authorities have detained Sarah Malani Perera, a Sri Lankan-born resident of Bahrain, at the Katunayake Airport for publishing two books allegedly offensive to Buddhism. She was leaving after a three-month holiday in Sri Lanka. Perera, who was born to Buddhist parents, converted to Islam in 1999. The books, titled Darkness To [...]
An economist said that the benefits of the war end should be translated into the Government of Sri Lanka’s (G.o.S.L.’s) fiscal numbers, with a complementary reduction in defence expenditure assisting in fiscal consolidation, coupled with a decrease in G.o.S.L.’s large Cabinet, a charge he attributed to having had been made by the media. Koshy Mathai, [...]
By Nirmala Kannangara The main opposition UNP has admitted that hundreds of millions of rupees worth of donations received by the party have never been recorded or audited. Speaking to the Sunday Leader UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake revealed that the money the party receives during election campaigns is not audited, and admitted that the [...]
Recent Comments