What Happens if the Budget Is Rejected?

Under the original provisions, if the Council failed to pass the budget within two weeks of its submission, the budget would, notwithstanding such failure, be deemed to have been duly adopted.

Media excesses or government overreach:Towards a healthy relationship between the state and the media

The National People’s Power (NPP) government is being accused of suppression of media freedom again, a month after it was accused of the same, after the Chief Editor of the Sinhala language daily, “Aruna” was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over a news item published in that newspaper.

NPP - few successes, a plethora of broken promises

Prior to the presidential and parliamentary elections, the National People’s Power (NPP) led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the largest political group within the NPP, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), promised the electorate to lower the cost of living and lead a corruption-free government.

Invisible Zebra Crossing: Are Pedestrians Being Lured into Traffic?

While accompanying my young grandson to his Abacus class, I was compelled to cross the road directly opposite the Building Materials Corporation (BMC), No. 486, Sri Sangharaja Mawatha, Colombo 10. What should have been a routine and safe pedestrian crossing turned into a terrifying gamble with fast-moving traffic.

A New Year forged in unity, not circumstance

Sri Lanka stepped into the New Year 2026 not under clear skies, but amid the lingering impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Homes were damaged, livelihoods disrupted and entire communities were once again reminded of the island’s vulnerability to forces beyond human control. Yet, as midnight passed and calendars turned, what defined the nation was not despair, but hope—quiet, determined and shared.

2026 world order: More war than peace

Rationally speaking, January 1st is just another day. Scientifically, there is no evidence that time began on a January 1, whether millennia or billennia ago. Yet the turning of the calendar invites reflection. The spiritually inclined may take stock of themselves, and teenagers may pledge to give up or take up a habit. In general, the belief is that a new year brings new hope. But does it?

Education reforms and related blunders

The latest in the education reforms process is the gay website controversy. Even though some might call it a typo, the government has launched an investigation into it. Sometimes, we have too many investigations but no satisfactory outcomes. There are committees being appointed for all sorts of things; from taking action against an individual to investigating corruption and so on. People sometimes wonder whether the government has enough people

Another year dawns upon us…

If there are two lessons that 2025 taught us, that happens to be the uncertainty of life and survival of the fittest. These lessons, however, are not confined to last year but to many years, decades and centuries that have passed. Cyclone Ditwah that ravaged through several parts of the country made people realise these two lessons in a brutal manner.

Rebuilding SL through Astro-numerology, nameology in 2026

Astrology - In my humble opinion, astrology is the logic behind the planets and their movements. Astrology is all about the planetary positions in your natal chart and facilitates the study, reading and offering predictions for your life journey. To prepare your natal chart, your full name, the names of your parents, your time of birth, and the place of birth are required.

Death Anniversary of F. R. Senanayake today The unsung architect of Ceylon’s freedom

In the pantheon of Sri Lanka’s independence heroes, one name lingers in the shadows of his more celebrated younger brother. Yet Frederick Richard Senanayake’s (FR) story reveals a man who chose principle over prominence, whose strategic vision helped forge the path to freedom.

2025- the year that was: The year that the government passed the muster

Sri Lanka ended 2025, a year that could have been much worse, on a positive note. The ravages of Cyclone Ditwah, which killed over 600 people, scores still missing, and the infrastructure damage estimated at $ 4 billion, had been a fatal blow at the end of the year.

Corruption is not the way forward

The NPP finally won the second reading of the Colombo Municipal Council budget. During its first reading, the ruling party lost, and this loss was followed by a rather emotional speech by the mayoress. She requested those who voted against the budget to knock their conscience and check whether they could have a peaceful sleep.

Budget defeats may be contagious under current LG laws

The first budgets presented by Chairmen and Mayors of several local government bodies including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) representing mainly the National People’s Power (NPP) have been defeated. However, only the CMC budget made headlines as it happened when the NPP captured the council in May.

Deep fissures in Trump’s MAGA camp Race and religion dominate American politics

US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) camp is now a house divided on racial, religious and doctrinal lines.

A Garbage Tax to Stop Roadside Dumping

Following the publication of my recent article on measures to curb roadside garbage dumping, I observed that the small wall-mounted notice board indicating penalties has since been removed. However, the garbage accumulated directly beneath that board remains unchanged.

Douglas Devananda who fought with the Sri Lankan Army against the LTTE

Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Chief and Secretary-General, Douglas Devananda became the latest political leader to be arrested in Sri Lanka.

Transformation agenda risks being forgotten:Governance Crisis: System Change Promise Under Scrutiny?

The National People’s Power (NPP) government, elected on an overwhelming mandate to transform governance and strengthen accountability, now faces growing criticism over decisions that contradict its core principles.

Fair return for a nation that invests in its youth

Sri Lanka is bleeding talent. Each year thousands of graduates walk out of our state universities with degrees fully funded by the taxpayer, only to walk straight into foreign embassies, recruitment agencies and overseas job markets. Doctors, engineers, IT professionals and academics trained at public expense are leaving in record numbers.

The New Year Should Bring Hope — Not Sirens, Burns, and Blindness

As Sri Lanka prepares to welcome the New Year 2026 on the night of December 3, 2025 it is imperative to pause and reflect on the serious dangers associated with the use of firecrackers —particularly the substandard products currently flooding the market.

Another Christmas arrives amidst challenging times..

This year, in many Sri Lankan households, Christmas would just be an after thought. The devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah has left many unhealed wounds, sometimes in the form of loss of loved ones, and sometimes, the loss of property and all belongings.

Nightmare of the South Asian Springs Bangladesh’s descent into Islamist extremism

South Asia’s youth revolutions began with the Aragalaya in 2022, followed by deadly protests in Bangladesh that ousted Sheik Hasina last year and in Nepal, where the pro-China government of K.P. Sharma Oli fell this year.

Delay in clearing vehicles: Bad show by SL Customs

According to a recent news report, Sri Lanka Customs took nearly one year to release 166 vehicles imported by John Keells Holdings (JKH), one of the country’s most reputable conglomerates. This unusually prolonged delay raises several serious concerns that merit public clarification:

Social media videos reach saturation point Violence against women as popular entertainment

A short video I saw recently on You Tube compels me to write this. It shows a passenger, a man in his thirties, confronting an airline steward. The steward is telling him repeatedly, ‘Sit down, sir, sit down! Put on your seat belt!’ The man keeps warning, ‘Don’t touch me!’ though nobody’s trying to touch him.

Auditor General issue and AKD’s credibility

The fourth name submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the post of Auditor General in permanent or acting capacity has also been rejected by the Constitutional Council last week. The nominee, O.R. Rajasinghe, a member of the Audit Division of the Army was proposed by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya had the backing of only four members in the ten-member CC -- namely, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake and MPs M. Athambawa and

‘Experienced’ vs. ‘inexperienced’ politicians: ‘Ditwah’ and the Bankruptcy of All Political Leadership

Sri Lanka’s worst flood disaster in a decade has exposed an uncomfortable truth that transcends any single administration: the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Ditwah reveals not merely the current government’s inability to protect its people, but the bankruptcy of an entire political class that has systematically failed the nation through decades of mismanagement and negligence.

Are we falling victim to substandard drugs?

Another questionable drug is now doing its rounds. According to sources, this drug has already claimed the lives of two youth raising doubts about the procurement of such medicines.

Relocation of flood victims and Problems the govt. must face

This writer has written about three massive flood disasters -- in 1989, 2016 and this year, which affected hundreds of thousands of people in the lower valley of Kelani Ganga. And he was personally a victim of two of these massive floods, the ones that devastated his area in 2016 and 2025.

Cyclone Ditwah - a wakeup call to the government

With a ferocity rarely seen in this country, Cyclone Ditwah hit the country for three days. Our much maligned Met department after a long time got its predictions right.

Burnt Elephant, Absent State

An elephant has died from burns after terrified villagers tried to chase it away with firebrands. This was not cruelty; it was desperation, the outcome of a human–elephant conflict the State has failed to resolve for decades.

Why no alcohol test?

The police always face the allegation that law enforcement is not even-handed. The saying ‘one law for the rich and another for the poor’ is commonly heard among the ordinary folks. Or else, they would say ‘big fish escape, small fish get caught’. With the politicisation of the police service, people started doubting fairness in law enforcement. The current government pledged to end politicisation of the law enforcement agencies. At times, th