Who is really behind the New Constitution-making process in Sri Lanka?

There is currently a debate about the drafting of a ‘New Constitution’ for the country among the academic community and the general public in Sri Lanka. This started with the appointment of a 19-member Committee headed by Lal Wijenayake called the

RISE OF THE GREAT GOOD Religion of science

“The scientific method is the addition of new truths to the stock of old truths, or the increasing approximation of theories to the truth, and in the odd case, the correction of past errors”

Stagnation and decline of our culture

I look out the window. The sun, already below the horizon, having left its day’s legacy of tireless yet unkind assault on mother earth, with the darkening western sky, is behaving in her usual splendor, creating a riot of colors; a magnificent 

‘We can’t survive with this island mentality’

Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in a recent interview with the Daily Mirror  spoke on educational reforms and the incorporation of technology in education while responding to criticism of his ambitious strategies. Following are excerpts of the interview.   

Federalism is not Separatism: the Supreme Court de-demonizes Federalism

The Supreme Court determination in the Chandrasoma Vs Senathirajah case (SC Spl 03/2014 -Decided on 04/08/2017), this August, did not receive the public attention it deserved. The silence speaks volumes for a society that chooses to languish in ignorance by choice. The ongoing political 

Ploys by the Opposition to scuttle Govt. moves for new Constitution

Several people have come forward to defend National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa who threatened to bomb the Parliament if a new Constitution was adopted on the basis 

Will not sign new Constitution if harmful to nation -Speaker

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, speaks out his stand on the constitution making process and the enactment of the Provincial Councils Elections Act. Excerpts:

Detractors of constitutional reforms cannot be ignored, they need to be defeated

Yesterday, Parliament took up for debate the Steering Committee Report on the Constituent Assembly. The first round of the debate will be held until Wednesday.    However, the history of Sinhala hardline obstructionism is repeating itse

NGOs and Federalism

Prof. Yash Ghai, a Harvard Scholar and Prof. Emeritus of the Nairobi University, was a Kenyan who had over the years been regarded as an international expert in constitutional making. It was a great honour for the University of Nairobi to have educated and nurtured such a magnificent scholar. He has been invited by many developing countries to formulate and assist in the drafting of their own Constitutions.  

Disaster Management in S.Asia needs a hub; and it ought to be Sri Lanka - Jayanath Colombage

“Disasters are becoming increasingly common and dangerous. Many populations are vulnerable to disasters. As large populations are now urbanized, and living in coastal areas, they are more prone to disasters.”   

FOOD AID, BUDGET AND POVERTY IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has a long history of providing its citizens with food aid. In fact the first such aid programme was introduced to the country....

Mismanagement of Public Affairs and its Horrendous Consequences

The main function of a modern State is the management of public affairs in keeping with widely accepted principles, values and....

Bombing Parliament: ‘Lord’s Temple Turned a Den of Thieves’?

– Oliver Cromwell (1599 –1658) - English military and political leader’s address to British Parliamentarians on April 20...

Myanmar: Who is fanning the flames?

Reports on a recent incident in a Colombo suburb, where a refugee centre housing a group of Rohingya was attacked by a mob....

Least-cost generation planning: A tale of two utilities

It was the age of reason, it was the age of ignorance/chaos, it was the era of tradition, it was the era of optimism, it was the season of arguments, it was the season of agreements.   

Time to make it up with Iran

Over recent years, many Iranians in the big cities confided quietly to the opinion pollsters that they felt an empathy with the West. It was not reciprocated. Frankly, most people in the West have no in-depth opinion about Iran. If they think about it for more than a couple of minutes, they go along with their government’s line. 

Bill flawed

Concerns have been expressed about the possibility that in consequence of the Government’s ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances, Sri Lanka would appear to have submitted to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, and is therefore legally bound by the Convention.   

Power of Plant Foods

Health aspects of vegetarianism or veganism and therefore a more healthy and more compassionate society, were the theme of the second Asian Buddhist animal rights conference held in Colombo yesterday, co-hosted by the Sri Lanka branch of the California based Dharma Voices for Animals (DVA) and the Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala Foundation.  

The Belfour blow: Britain’s crime of crimes, 100 years on

If moral decadence is defined as doing a shameful act and being proud about it, then Britain under Prime Minister Theresa May is an embodiment of moral decadence.

Constitutional reforms in the eyes of Tamils and Muslims

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa is in a midst of a controversy over his remarks that Parliament should be bombed in case it approves a Constitution based on the interim report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly (CA). 

Sinhala Buddhist Supremacy breeds "Rural Poverty"

“We have decided to include the responses of political parties in the interim report so that MPs could study them before coming for the debate.

Sri Lankans misunderstand the relationship between legal theory and political practice

Dr Asanga Welikala is a Lecturer in Public Law at the University of Edinburgh and the Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law

Curing the nation of its many dementias

Teddy Ameresekere offers a pithy and pertinent elaboration of the meaning of dementia: ‘The former regime has forgotten why they were chased out and the present can’t remember why they were elected.’   

LG Polls assume national significance

With the intensification of public pressure, the government reached a point beyond which it cannot delay the elections to the local authorities. As such, the government leaders met at Temple Trees on Tuesday evening with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the chair to work out modalities for the elections.

“Sri Lankans aren’t a psychologically advanced group”

“Neither my life of luxury in the palace, nor my life as an ascetic in the forest were paths to enlightenment,” Gauthama Buddha had once said. Hence, by giving up on worldly pleasures, one can end the journey in Samsaara.

The danger of postponing elections

When the then President J.R. Jayewardene held a referendum instead of general elections in 1982, most legal and political analysts said that while it may have been legal, it was illegitimate. Mr. Jayewardene’s Government obtained a 50.1% majority at the referendum. But it was immorally blown up into a 5/6th majority in Parliament.

COALITION IS A FOUL WORD IS IT ‘ME BEFORE YOU’ OR ‘AFTER YOU’ - ON MR AND GOTA

Mahinda Rajapakse [MR] is the front-runner in an opposition soft on the government. Appears overcome, by the enormity of his personal problems. Best way to negative is to be at the helm of politics.

Congress to crown Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi is a type of young man one meets near a small stream, perched on a rock with a fishing rod or seated under a tree writing poetry. A soft hearted romantic, la Byron.  

NOT A FOREIGN HAND BUT A LOCAL ONE WHO PLANNED A NEW CONSTITUTION ?

Who is the inspirer and driver of the new Constitution project? It certainly wasn’t the “foreign devil”--those wicked ole western imperialists. 

‘SLFPers in the Govt. are helpless’ -John Seneviratne

?Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development John Seneviratne in an interview with our sister paper ‘Deshaya’ spoke about groups in the Government that are frustrating others and his love for the SLFP. Following are excerpts of the interview with Minister Seneviratne