Constitutional reform and economic downturn

Media reports say that the draft 22nd Amendment (21st Amendment if enacted) is to be debated in the Cabinet today. They also claim that the current draft is different from the 22nd Amendment prepared under the instructions of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Interestingly, both drafts were prepared by the same Justice Minister and he who ju

Why is Bangladesh going for IMF help?

In May 2021, Bangladesh extended a US$ 200 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka to help the latter face a severe

Steep economic downturn evidenced by shrinking electricity-demand

The fact that Sri Lanka is faced with its worst economic crisis in the modern history is everybody’s knowledge today. Unfortunately, what is not perhaps anybody’s knowledge is how steep and rapid the downturn is, and the depths it is

Fuel shortages, inflation, IMF facility and stability - EDITORIAL

For the past few months, vehicle owners (including farmers, fishermen, persons involved in essential services and transportation) in our country....

Abyss between Legality and Legitimacy

The liberal democratic order in Sri Lanka is collapsing, and the problem is one of legitimacy. Sri Lanka is going through the most severe....

Tamil Parties Must Urge Full Implementation of 13A

Last week’s article was about the guerilla war fought by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Indian Army in the Trincomalee district.

To prevent another Aragalaya…

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which had almost gone underground for the past five months due to protests against its government have reestablished its authority over the Sri Lankan politics,

Climate action for most vulnerable people

In Sri Lanka and all over the world, we have divided ourselves in terms of race, religion, caste and social status. But we overlook the fact that we are essentially human beings though scientifically our blood groups may be different.

Let’s consider home growing as a ‘worthy job’ - EDITORIAL

Since of late we’ve read many articles about the need to promote community kitchens. This is largely because as many as 6.26 million....

Crackdown on protests: What the Dickens is happening?

Sri Lanka’s people-power movement is in tatters with the new government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe launching a crackdown....

Ambassador Chung and Xeroxable change

Aragalaya. Translatable as revolt, uprising, protest, agitation, struggle or even insurrection. Aragalaya is singular, but considering statements and actions it was certainly not marked by concert, ideological agreement, unity of purpose etc.

Bring young people to the forefront

Sri Lanka’s youth - female, male and young adults - play the powerful role in the spontaneous and historic public uprising which led to the seemingly strongman President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country in an Air force flight to the Maldives.

The trauma of living this story

Being a journalist in Sri Lanka historically is a terrible career choice. Not only are you chronically paid miserably low, but there....

Truth at last -no adequate supply of fuel yet - EDITORIAL

Our Minister of Power and Energy, after having all these long months of having told us that stocks of fuel were on their way, has at last....

Gas shortage could have been averted – Litro Chairman

A serious shortage of fuel, gas and other essential items as a result of the dollar crisis led to protests being staged around the country.....

Improving business strategy through politics and public sentiment

Policies in Sri Lanka tend to change rapidly, and often, overnight. For international and local organisations operating in such....

Place a recovery roadmap before people

Since the July 22 crackdown on the protestors who had occupied the Presidential Secretariat, there seems to be a relative quietness in the political front. The fright instilled in the minds of the people by the crackdown, the images and footages of

Rajapaksa rule by proxy

On Wednesday (20), Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the 8th executive president of Sri Lanka in a Pa

New President, shortages of essentials and the right to protest - EDITORIAL

Our country has a new president. On July 20, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the eighth Executive President of the country. Though Wickremesinghe is not a popularly elected president....

Decks cleared for the full revival of 19A

After the flight of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka, gave the opportunity to parliament to elect Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Sri Lankan President. The chances of the 19th Constitutional....

End of the road for asphalt producing plants in Kalahagala, Polonnaruwa

It is the normal practice to cast aside tools used for a development activity at the end of the project. Especially machinery and vehicles can be found abandoned after taking the maximum.....

How Kumar Gunaratnam alias “Gemunu” Fought  against the Indian Army

The India – Sri Lanka Accord was signed by former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and ex-Sri Lanka president Junius Richard (JR) Jayewardene on July 29,

What is happening to Sri Lanka?

United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory in Wednesday’s Parliamentary vote for the election of the President was a victory for the Rajapaksas as well. With this victory Wickremesinghe saved the Rajapaksas from being pushed to the political wilderness for the second time within a little longer than two months.

Human trafficking a crime against humanity

With Sri Lankans focusing their attention on the unprecedented and historic public uprising, which forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign and Parliament on Wednesday electing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as President with a majority of 52 votes, the United Nations later this month marks the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.

Will the new president renew a shattered nation ? - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka needs plenty of solutions to its economic woes more than an election, but Wednesday’s voting that took place to elect....

Give the new President time to prove himself

For his admirers, Ranil Wickremesinghe is the president Sri Lanka has lost and found. The late former minister Mangala Samaraweera....

Anarchy and the Aragalaya

At the time of writing, there are disparate reports of the whereabouts of Gotabaya Rajapaksa; somewhere in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Singapore,

The Aragalaya: a postscript

Ranil Wickremesinghe is no longer president in an acting capacity. He is the president, period. Did someone say ‘I don’t know whether to laugh or cry?’ I am pretty sure someone did.

The “house” Rajapaksas built comes tumbling down

Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who even at the height of the political and economic crisis and his rapidly dwindling popularity,

Countdown to end Lanka’s political vacuum has begun - EDITORIAL

Our country has proved itself to be an exceptional. Just this month alone, ‘we, the people’ peacefully and bloodlessly.....