LLRC REPORT:REFLECTIONS AND RESPONSES

BY JEEWAN THIYAGARAJAH The Marga Institute had a very inspiring set of sessions on the LLRC Report last week. The material featured today draws on presentations by Godfrey Gunatilleke and Asoka Gunawardane respectively in the first section. The main international responses to the LLRC report–

fuel price hike: one crisis leading to another?

The fuel price increase that has been continuing in the world market during the past period has to a large extent been absorbed by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. Also the providing of fuel on long term credit to state institutions, and the problem of repayments due to banks have also contributed to the escalations of costs on one hand. On the other hand the problem of having to pay the matured loans to Sri Lanka’s Iranian oil suppliers h

Queen’s reign and democracy’s rule

By Dawpadee Kawshalya If things happened in the fairytale style, the Queen’s diamond jubilee would have been a continuous bash of seven days and seven nights where the entire country rejoices over her sixty-year-rule. Yet, for the majority in Great Britain, the Royal family is an unnecessary expense; a burden that burns holes in their pockets. Thus, the jubilee was a low-key event. Throughout history, liberal monarchs were known to be on t

The best way out

This was a legal battle he could never have won. General V.K. Singh was determined to prove when he was actually born — a matter of fact. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, was interested in how his age should be determined as per service matters — a matter of interpretation. As a result, the raft of documents, including a birth certificate and a school leaving certificate, which conclusively establish that General Singh was born o

BREAKING THE CYCLE

The Leader of the Opposition and of the United National Party, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has done it again: he sees flaws in the LLRC report, but none in the CFA. He has issued a solemn, well-crafted statement on the LLRC and the current debate on devoluion, commencing with a rejection of the LLRC’s critique of the Ceasefire agreement as ‘flawed’.

OPERATION HOLDFAST”:CONTOURS OF A COUP CONSPIRACY

“Operation Holdfast” was the codename given by a group of conspirators to a plot devised to overthrow the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Government headed by the world’s first woman Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike through a bloodless coup d’etat in January 1962. 

Confusing signals on Afghanistan

The confusion that passes for Washington's Afghanistan policy was once again in evidence in the statement by United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta that the drawdown of American combat troops is expected to begin sometime in 2013, a year ahead of the earlier timetable. The statement created a stir from D.C to Delhi, and has added to the uncertainty that hangs over Afghanistan.

Towards fishing in calmer waters

The Joint Working Group (JWG) on the fishing issue between India and Sri Lanka, after many meetings, has been able to travel quite a distance. The meeting at Colombo in mid-January was no exception as the "two sides agreed to enhance cooperation that would allow both countries to pursue their fishing activity in a safe, secure and sustainable manner, including discouraging fishermen from using destructive fishing methods", as was later

Int’l community and TNA Disregard atrocities by LTTE

Arun Tambimuttu the son of former MP Sam Tambimuttu, who was gunned down by the LTTE in the 1980s, speaks to the Daily Mirror on the victims of the LTTE and the TNA’s role in legitimizing the LTTE.

Shadows on Yemen

This time around the presidential elections are likely to take a violent turn as the ousted head of state, Ali Abdullah Al Saleh, plans to return home. The presidential poll, which by and large is on the pattern of a referendum in the absence of any canddate...

Choice before Maldives: How to save democracy

It's all happening again amidst a strong sense of déjà vu. Hasn't the Maldives gone through similar crises before? Yes it has. Twice before; once when the country's first President Mohamed Amin Didi was overthrown while he was in Sri Lanka in 1953.

Obama ayes for second-term

President Barack Obama has staked his claim for a second-term. With the Republicans still wandering around for a nominee, Obama hopes to stay put at the White House by virtue of his gains.

The Asianization of the World?

  In the years following the Second World War, the United States dominated the global business world completely – it was the major source of capital, the home of advanced manufacturing, and the source of most major technological developments. It provided the best quality management education, and it was the source of all the latest management thinking.

“The international community has forgotten the victims of LTTE terrorism.”

Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the widow of Former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber on 6 April 2008, is not happy.

The Maldives after Nasheed's resignation

In an unexpected turn of events the President of the Maldives resigned after mass protest by the anti-government protestors that engulfed the capital Male. The protestors were supported and at times joined by the Police and Armed forces forcing the President to step down.

BEING SAFE ON THE 'GATEWAY TO WONDER’

The recent accident on the Southern Expressway which took the life of a 26 year old had drawn the attention of many regarding safe driving on Sri Lanka’s first and only “super road”

PALESTINIAN FACTIONS FATAH AND HAMAS TO FORM UNITY GOVERNMENT

Overcoming differences The two main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas’ seem to have finally made a breakthrough in ending the stalemate that had rendered their earlier reconciliation attempt futile. They have finally now agreed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas heading a new, transitional unity government that would then hold elections. With this agreement the two rival groups have more or less buried the hatchet.

SRI LANKA’S WAR:POLITICAL RECONCILIATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Part of my duties as an Ambassador of Sri Lanka take me to Spain and I am acutely aware that the parliamentary party, which was the preeminent representative of militant Basque nationalism, Herri Batasuna, was banned by Spain, which I admire as a liberal society.

MISTAKE IN THE MAKING

Intentions may be honourable in reaching consensus but the results can be disastrous. A Parliamentary Select Committee [PSC] is the instrument selected by the Government to fabricate a road map to stamp the national seal on an amity highway. It is wistful thinking of imprinting the lion logo on the masthead of a blueprint for a labyrinth thoroughfare that will not reach beyond wasteful deliberations because of strange bedfellows.

A TRAGIC IMPASSE

Russia and China may have acted rashly in vetoing a sharply worded draft United Nations Security Council Resolution on Syria but the United States, France and Britain - who have reacted with predictable fury - cannot escape their responsibility for an impasse which leaves the world unable to act on the unfolding humanitarian disaster in that country.

POST-WAR CHALLENGES: RESETTLEMENT

The district breakdown of the total number of persons resettled or returned as at 31.12.2010 (at the beginning of 2011) is provided in Column C. These figures include all persons returned or resettled to various districts in Sri Lanka, provided that they came from specific camps in Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee.

OLD WOUNDS,NEW CURE….

No political discussion or discourse, whether within Sri Lanka or outside, could be complete without a substantial amount of time spent on the ethnic issue, war, violence and the postwar situation. Yet, there are other issues and concerns crying for time, not necessarily from the government and the stake-holders alone.

GOOD NEWS FOR OBAMA

It’s growth time in the United States. If statistics are to be believed, the rate of unemployment has come down and the economy has flexed itself to offer more jobs to the youth and, especially to those in the vocational trends. This is a positive indicator and inadvertently has prompted President Barack Obama to challenge Congress to keep the pace of growth going on.

TOWARDS A MEANINGFUL FREEDOM…

The 64th Independence Day is near at hand. The government is preparing to celebrate ‘independence’ on a grand scale. In addition to spending a colossal amount of money for celebrations, a “carnival”, ‘Dayata Kirula’ is also being organized annually. The ‘independence’ that is said to have been won is becoming meaningless and often being used for propaganda and celebrations.

Black january and enemies within the fraternity

Please include names of Richards de Zoysa, Themis Guruge, Premakeerthi Alwis. Killing of any person is unacceptable. Why only with journalist? We must act, fight and work towards stopping all killings in the society. Fortunately the biggest killer "the LTTE" is now killed and we are relived in that respect.

PUBLIC SERVANTS UNDER POLITICAL PRESSURE

Bureaucracy has been blamed for many things and as of late it is being blamed for hindering the progress of development in the country. The vision of the political leadership is said to be hampered by the inefficient functioning of the administrative arm.

UNWITTINGLY SUPREME COURT CAN MAKE SRI LANKA INSECURE!

In the foreseeable future a government with a 2/3 majority is unlikely. The people returned the present government for another term with a 2/3 majority for making the country secure. But the country will never be safe with a constitution that vests police and land powers in the Provincial Councils and hold a possibility to merge the North and East. These are matters that affect the security of the entire country.

PROSECUTION,POWER,PRINCIPLE

All people are equal under the law, but the provisions relating to prosecution sanctions in India would suggest that some people are more ‘equal’ than others. Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act prevents courts from taking cognizance of offences allegedly committed under the Act by a public servant without prior sanction of the government. And Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure lays down the general requirement o

13TH AMENDMENT IS THE GOVERNMENT’S BASE DOCUMENT

I was in deed delighted to find the reply of Mr. Sumanthiran MP on behalf of the TNA in the Daily Mirror of January 21 to my open letter to the TNA published in the Daily Mirror of January18. Although they are yet to participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), the Daily Mirror can be used as a useful platform for us to exchange views.

GRASSROOT-LEVEL POLITICS IS DIFFICULT WITHOUT SUFFICIENT SECURITY: THILANGA

Government Member of Parliament Thilanga Sumathipala spoke to the Daily Mirror on the importance of protection for MP’s,the Sri Lanka Cricket Administration and the backward approach of the present bureaucracy