The electors in Sri Lanka operate on a very simple principle – they vote for those who work for them or at least pretend to work – and many do just that. The term ‘work’ in the Sri Lankan context, especially where elections are concerned is where those that seek office are seen as having [...]
There is a pithy proverb in Sinhalese that goes something like — nangiwa pennala akkawa dunna. In essence, what is meant is that having promised the beautiful younger sister in marriage, the not so good-looking older sister is presented at the wedding ceremony instead to the unsuspecting groom. This basically sums up what is happening [...]
Since when did taking loans become fashionable? Especially when it is done mortgaging the very people whose burden you are supposed to ease? Call this scribe old-fashioned or whatever else, but in my book taking loans to build mansions just to impress the Joneses or to boost personal egos is simply out of the question. [...]
The Bollywood glitterati now swarming Colombo’s five star hotels may still be recovering from a heavy bout of partying at all the after-parties Colombo hosted following the Indian version of the Oscars held in Colombo last evening. Sri Lankans who have got an overdose of stars in the recent past with back-to-back ‘superstars,’ ‘megastars’ and [...]
The extended Wesak holiday had its effect on Paththarakaraya hence the philosophical mood. We were just thinking that there was not a day that passes in this most resplendent island where some commemoration or the other is being held. Everyday, one glance at the newspapers or TV news will show someone or something being commemorated [...]
A news item that received little prominence last week was that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Department of Sri Lanka Customs to “share information to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of persons suspected of money laundering and terrorist financing.” S.A.C.S.W [...]
The Rajapaksa saga so far has been a well-scripted one. From day one back in November 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa could not have asked for a better story. Looking back five years later, hardly anything outside the script has been allowed to happen and the caravan rolls merrily on with the commencement of his second term [...]
The UPFA’s main election slogan was that it authored the war victory. That credit should come to it and no one else. Sarath Fonseka is living proof of that. The other side of the coin is that whatever flak for mishandling things post war should also be directed at the government, as the sole authority [...]
While watching our latest set of representatives piously take their oaths in parliament to uphold the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka last Thursday, a colleague was to mention rather nonchalantly that the only one missing from the assorted collection of 225 MPs was Samantha Lakshan. For a minute we wondered who [...]
The tsunami has ended. The tsunami of election propaganda that bombarded us 24×7 for the whole of this year and almost the entirety of last year has finally ended and as polling concluded at 4 pm last Thursday one could almost hear the collective sigh of relief. That one out of two Sri Lankans opted [...]
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