Trump’s spy drama: Even a James Bond will be shocked

Scandals, sleaze and now sick and spy stories: The United States’ President-elect Donald Trump continues to court controversy.

Let’s go to the green, green grassroots - EDITORIAL

The National Unity Government – launching its sustainable all-inclusive and eco-friendly development strategy this year -- is giving high priority to issues relating to climate change and global warming.   

Toppling Government: President, JO in wrangle

There is no Presidential Election around the corner, but the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), out of the blues, sprang a surprise in political circles saying that President Maithripala Sirisena would be its candidate next time. One cannot disregard it as a knee-jerk comment by a party politician,

Let us join hands on this noble mission

“While respecting the richness of our diversity of different ethnicities, religions, regions and languages, with the firm objective of making National Integration a reality in Sri Lanka,  

That curious creature called ‘civil society’

Words are easy for politicians and in politics. Take ‘the people’ for example. It’s hard to think of a term that has been as abused. It’s all ‘in the name of the people’ isn’t it? There are of course other useful (and cheap) words in the lexicon of politics. ‘The nation’ has a lot of utility value, for example and has been used and abused all over the world and across history. And then, there

Four brothers who ran the country

The guns fell silent. Victory cries echoed in the skies while jubilant Sri Lankans celebrated the war victory with Kiribath (milk-rice), 

Wilpattu deforestation controversy

The controversy over the alleged deforestation in the Wilpattu area by certain politicians has now resurfaced. It had been dragged on for the past three to four years intermittently creating media 

Large scale rice millers operate Mafia -p.harrison

Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harrison remains optimistic about the government and its stability despite some odds. In an interview with Dailymirror , he also speaks about the rice shortage, plans for imports and development work undertaken. The excerpts of the interview: 

“JO engaged Lankans in USA against Hillary becoming President’ - Bandula

Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardene in an interview with the Dailymirror, speaks about the status of economy, future challenges and the global situation. He shared the following:

I dIDN’T ASK THE Delimitation Committee TO DRAG THE REPORT

The Delimitation Committee report has drawn much attention from many segments of society and now it has evolved into a controversial issue. In an interview with our sister newspaper Lankadeepa, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Faiszer Musthapha spoke extensively on the many charges levelled against him by his critics. Excerpts:

is the Govt. making MR’s New Year resolution a reality?

Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his New Year resolution a little too prematurely, days before 2017 dawned when he....

Justice Weeramantry; For him every issue was a cause, not a case - EDITORIAL

One of the world’s most eminent jurists Justice C. G. Weeramantry -- an international activist for causes ranging from inter-religious...

A collapsing world order - EDITORIAL

In the developed Western countries, political differences between party political leaders were largely limited to the political field...

A RESTRICTED SELF-SERVING ASSEMBLAGE RUN GOVT AND POLITICS

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke had said “The world will not wait for us”. Yet, our institutions are weak, imperfect....

War and elections in the Congo

The West African state of the Congo has always been taking one step forward, two steps back. This goes back to the days when Congo became independent from Belgian rule in 1960.   

Let this be a promise-keeping year

High were the hopes and expectations when more than 6.2 million people, in what was widely seen as a silent and peaceful revolution, elected to office on January 8, 2015, the rainbow coalition led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.   

‘Assistance’ or Espionage?

Recent media reports revealing that a $13.7 million USAID programme for ‘democracy and accountability’ is to be implemented by a private US company alleged to have links to the CIA, raise several questions regarding the nature of the government’s relationship with the US.

Weeramantry’s vision for international justice and peace

This article discusses the judicial vision articulated by Judge C. G. Weeramantry in his time as a member of the International Court of Justice. It seeks to trace the development of his vision by examining his earlier writings, and the factors which shaped his approach to international law. It discusses some of the key elements of his vision: his sensitivity to Third World concerns, his attempts to create a universal international law which repre

Wars and woes of 2017

Blast through 2017 was ironic, if not nightmarish and tragic. The gun attack that killed nearly 40 revellers in Turkey’s sultanate city of Istanbul two hours after the clock struck 12 could be a harbinger for things to come. 

Producing Youth as Climate Champions

With the National Government giving high priority to climate change concerns in its sustainable development mission launched on January 2, 

Constitutional reforms: Allay doubts on genuineness

With the dawn of the New Year and President Maithripala Sirisena’s third year in office, the government seems to instill more hopes into the people by launching its development plans, despite it sustaining a heavy blow with the defeat of the Development (Special Provisions) Bill in eight out of nine provincial councils at the end of the just concluded 2016.   

What’s brewing within SLFP or rather within the “Sirisena clan”?

The dawn of the New Year 2017 saw former President Rajapaksa’s public claim that he would oust the “Yahapalanaya” government of the conjoined parties this year, to munch along with. He left political circles excited about how and when he would take over if he did, when he chose a breakfast meeting with foreign correspondents to say he would work towards a change of government.   

Let’s make Sampanthan’s New Year wish come true

R. Sampanthan is the Leader of the Opposition. He is also the Senior-Most Citizen of Tamil Nationalism. Some might demand that the ‘Nationalism’ descriptive is incorrect, but let’s leave it at that. It’s a new year, after all. Let’s also leave aside track records. Mr. Sampanthan has made a statement, a gracious one in fact, and as such is richly deserving in reciprocated grace.   

Ongoing drought; Sacred duty to save water

Rice has been Sri Lanka’s staple diet for thousands of years and our country was once known as the rice bowl of the region. But the Agriculture Department has warned that due to the lack of rain Sri Lanka may face a rice crisis by June this year and we may have to import our ‘buth patha’.   

WINDS OF POLITICAL POPULISM IS SWEEPING ACROSS SRI LANKA

Is Sri Lanka ready to cash in on the trends created by the populist political tsunamis sweeping around the world? Tectonic shifts in voting patterns began to dominate democracies with the arrival of Le Penn in France (she sacked her father, the founder of the party for being too fanatical) is on the threshold of winning the next Presidential election. Triumph of Trump and the emergence of Brexit in Britain added a new dimension  to populism.

Ethical conduct in the Public Service

According to the dictionary meaning ‘Ethic’ is the study of what is right and what is wrong in human behaviour. In this context I would like to regard the meaning of the term work ethic in relation to public servants, in the simplest term to mean attitude to work.

Put the act together -Lionel

The  discussed the oft said allegation that today’s public service was inefficient, lethargic and under-productive with the former top public official Lionel Fernando, who has served as a Government Agent, Ministry Secretary, the Governor of the North, and Ambassador of Sri Lanka in France  and UNESO.Excerpts from the interview:

Delimitation Committee Report Ministry wanted it delayed

Currently, the most crucial discussions centre around the topic of the report of the Delimitation Committee. In this interview, the Chairman of the Committee Ashoka Peiris expresses his views.

“Even JR placed certain safeguards on 13th Amendment” – Manohara De Silva

Leading Constitutional Lawyer Manohara de Silva has authored a new book titled “The strategy of separatists and Constitutional Amendments” that deals with the 13, 16, 17 and 19 Amendments to the Constitution and the 2000 Draft Constitution. In an interview with , he speaks about the constitutional proposals and their implications on the country and the majority religion. Excerpts of the interview:   

FROM 2016 TO 2017

2016 was the year, in which we lost Fidel and Muhammad Ali. Fidel was the Muhammad Ali of politics; Muhammad Ali was the Fidel Castro of sports. We also lost David Bowie, Prince and above all, Leonard Cohen,the poet of our interpersonal lives.