Easter Sunday bomber met intel agent moments before he blew himself up?

The political and intelligence bungle leading up to the Easter Sunday Attacks is one of its kind of miscarriages of national duty. Much of that oversight is public knowledge, but not all of that is officially chronicled. Now the bits and bytes are bein

THE 20TH AMENDMENT – A VIOLATION OF PROCEDURE?

Last week, the controversial 20th Amendment Bill was placed on the Order Paper of Parliament, the First Reading was moved by the Minister of Justice, and its journey through the legislature commenced. None of the legislators appear to have

Reform the proposed 20A to strengthen; not weaken, transparent and public oversight

Following parliamentary elections, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wasted no time in obtaining cabinet approval and thereafter gazetting.....

Upholding dignity and a sense of humour in the House - EDITORIAL

Parliaments and legislative bodies around the world impose certain rules and standards during debates and Erskine May’s guide to parliamentary practice....

Murder most foul

Sixty-one years ago on September 25, 1959 Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRDB) the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon then was shot and seriously wounded by a Buddhist monk. Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day. Therefore September 26, 1959 got etched as an important date in the post-independence history annals of Sri Lanka.

The most catastrophic threat to humanity

While world attention is focused on the Covid-19 pandemic which thankfully is under control in Sri Lanka though a second wave appears to be emerging in the United States and some parts of Europe, less attention is being given to another threat that could destroy the world within minutes.

Wigi gains from southern ire

When in Parliament the solitary Thamil Makkal Thesiya Koottani (Tamil People’s National Front) MP C.V. Wigneswaran opened a can of worms by glorifying Tamils and the Tamil language over other communities and languages, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa said the former Chief Minister of the Northern Province was attempting to outshine Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan, as a Tamil nationalist.

No substantial changes to 20 A

The government presented the bill titled ‘20th Amendment to the Constitution’ to Parliament in its original form despite attempts by a section of the government.....

The 20th through the eyes of a helpless citizen

In the mornings now the traffic on the left lane in Colombo areas moves painfully slowly. The word painfully is closely associated with life and politics in Sri Lanka.

Finding our roots among the pages of books - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka stakes a claim for some of the best books written by Asian authors, but sadly these authors have to take the books to readers in a country like ours. Books can take you on a journey, to a past which is often contested by historians and nationalists.

Changing geopolitical alliances in Indian Ocean and lessons for Sri Lanka

In 1988, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), a Tamil separatist group, undertook a mercenary mission to stage a coup in the Maldives. They were hired by Maldivian businessman Abdulla Luthfi.

The 20th Amendment Bill Lest We Forget

Strident calls were repeatedly made from many quarters for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to be repealed.

QuÕ vÃdis, ‘Core Group’?

There’s a ‘Core Group’ on Sri Lanka operating in international circles. It is made of five European countries (Germany, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the UK) and one North American, Canada. A political bloc, then, essentially and one whose general ideological and political thrusts are no secret. It would have been better if there was a ‘core group’ that was more representative both geographically and politically, but then this is what global-sl

World Maritime Day: ‘Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet’

The United Nations marks World Maritime Day today. Where Sri Lanka is concerned, it comes this year in the wake of the fire that broke out on September 3 in the engine room of the MT New Diamond when it was some 65 kilometres off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.

it has to be people first...

The news that young Ruwan Wijewardene was elected Deputy Leader of the UNP boosted my spirits and that of many of my friends. We had feared that the exit of Ranil Wickremesinghe at the end of the year, would be the end of an era of gentleman politicians.

What was and what is

According to Julia Carey’s poem “LITTLE ACTS’ we are told that little acts of kindness can form a mighty ocean. Dwelling on the way things were, I’ve read some really beautiful stories that are worth sharing, so here goes.

Social-media rumours are scything through customary info blocks

Tragedies can be kaleidoscopic moments. They provide those instances that cut through imposed façades. An unobtrusive cutaway view in a moment of tragic truth.

‘Devolution of Power and Provincial Councils’ - Where do we stand?

This is a time when even those who agreed with the LTTE to explore a solution to the ethnic problem within a federal framework are standing even for the abolition of the existing provincial councils. This may be a genuine mind change or swimming with the tide.

Laying waste our forests

In the 1920s, Sri Lanka had a 49% forest cover, but by 2005 this had fallen by approximately 26%. Between 1990 and 2000, Sri Lanka lost an average of 26,800 ha of forests per year. This amounts to an average annual deforestation

What govt. should do to win over environmentalists?

The environmentalists have come up with a fretful confrontation with the government over the Sinharaja issue. This irritable attitude of environmentalists is justifiable with what is said and done so far by the government regarding the few environ

Strong executive presidency needed for rapid development - GL

Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, in an interview with Daily Mirror, comments on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution

UNHRC: To be or not to be? - EDITORIAL

On September 16, media reports revealed that United Nations (UN) investigators had emphatically stated the government of Venezuela committed egrarious....

Constitution to Restrict the Politician 220-year History of Constitution-Making

Covid 19: Democracy crucial to calm the storm

Amid a crisis where many independent analysts are warning that the proposed 20th Amendment could be a death certificate for parliamentary democracy in Sri Lanka, the United Nations this week marked the International Day of Democracy with Secretary General António Guterres saying that as the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for

The downside of cow slaughter ban

In both Sri Lanka and India, which share a culture, cow slaughter is generally considered unethical by the majority Sinhala-Buddhists and Hindus. In Hinduism, the cow is considered “holy” but in Buddhism it is not. However, cow slaughter and beef eating are discouraged in Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka because the faith is against the killing of all sentient beings, and the cow is one of them.

Rambo, Uda Walawe’s Iconic Elephant to be Translocated?

There is reliable information coming through that the Uda Walawe’s iconic elephant, Rambo may be captured and trans-located to a holding ground (which is effectively an elephant prison) by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). This will in effect be the signing of a death warrant for this famous elephant.

Who is going to decide the contents of the new Constitution?

Leaders of the Opposition parties, especially those of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the United National Party (UNP) are making an unnecessary big fuss over the architect of the draft 20th Amendment to the Constitution that has already been gazetted.

79th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 79th Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday the 10th of October 2020, at the Sri Lanka Federation of University Women: Resource and Training Centre at No. 96/25, Kitulwatte Road, Borella, Colombo 08.

Keep to your lane and eye the police! - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka needs stricter road laws and tough law enforcement officials to implement them. When ever an authority says this it underscores one major issue; a good number of Sri Lankan motorists.....

Trump plays new card for peace with Pharaoh

First the United Arab Emirates, then Bahrain and which Arab nation is next in line to make ‘peace’ with Israel? In Washington on Tuesday, the UAE and Bahrain formally signed with Israel what is touted as peace agreements....