Opposition skeptical on government’s approach towards the ethnic issue President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement on re-convening another All Party Conference to discuss a political solution to the national question has indicated the government’s indecisive approach towards the ethnic issue. Rajapaksa since first assuming office in 2005 has come forward with various proposals and actions claiming to [...]
“A committee is not a structure but a plant. It takes root and grows, it flowers, it wilts and dies scattering the seed from which other committees will bloom in turn.” This is the demystification of that bureaucratic and political panacea for most of political and bureaucratic ills - a committee – by Northcoate Parkinson [...]
From time to time, someone trots out an invidious comparison/contrast between Sri Lanka and the South Asian City State created and managed by Lee Kwan Yew and his successors. Let me, this Sunday, make a similar effort. Sri Lanka emerged out of World War II, with its foreign exchange coffers brimming with hard currency reserves [...]
A time bomb is ticking away in the Persian Gulf while bellicose statements issued from Tehran and Washington are causing global concern of an immediate armed conflict in the Gulf. In Washington last week James Clapper US Director of National Intelligence told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that some Iranian officials probably including Supreme Leader [...]
SINCE the inauguration of the inter-club rugby competition back in 1950, the season has kicked-off sometime in May/June and concluded in August/September. But now it is to be slotted into the November-March timeframe. Changing a 62-year habit no doubt will hurt the sensibilities of those with a sense of nostalgia for the past, but, for [...]
With the new budget the government has shown stores inclination to make the country more business friendly. The vast amount of tax concessions provided together with incentives for exporters make it more attractive for foreign companies to set up factories and BOP services here. But a lot depends on the global situation now and what [...]
Last week a story on the front page of a daily English newspaper caught my eye. Not for its content but for the sheer absurdity of such a story having made headlines on the front page of a newspaper. This was the story: Manioc stolen from Horogolla. The article went on to say that some [...]
At the same time it is pointless and unrealistic to deny that the Tamil people have grievances. (emphasis added) The articulation of grievances by the Tamil people continues to remain at the centre of the Sinhala – Tamil relationship and need to be recognized and addressed directly and fairly as the first step in the [...]
Another “Black” month got added to the Sri Lankan Calendar last Wednesday. After the infamous “Black July”, now its “Black January”. After President J. R. Jayawardne’s contribution in making the month of July, a “Black” month, President Rajapaksa took his turn in making the month of January, “Black”. The media organisations, 7 of them, decided [...]
The title of this week’s column is one that has been front and centre in my mind for a very long time and well you might say, “Given the Sri Lankan reality, absolutely no surprise there!” The “Houses” I refer to are the political parties and other entities that pretend to provide a voice for [...]
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