Amendments must be done with broader spectrum

The government is going to change the present Constitution in two steps, in line with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s policy statement at the inaugural session of the Parliament on August 20. Accordingly, the government has already gazetted on September 3, a Constitutional Amendment Bill - 20th Amendment to the Constitutio

20A is redundant in supra-majority; so why this unholy hurry?

The abiding feature of the indigenous constitution-making in Sri Lanka is personalism. Since the first Republican Constitution of1972, successive constitutions and endless amendments have been adopted to remodel the supreme law of

Ethnic issue only a few are talking about a political solution - media minister Keheliya Rambukwella

The former Government placed much focus on a political solution for the Tamils, fighting corruption and assuring justic

Lessons from Palestine - EDITORIAL

For the past 53 years (since the 1967, Israel-war, also referred to as the 1967 Arab-Israel War), Palestine has been under Israeli militarily occupation. In 2018, Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East Director at Human Rights....

Criminals in Legislature: Speaker - Convict - Speaker in 1930/40s

“… One reason why voters choose to elect candidates with dubious reputations is due to the huge abyss between the aspirations of the people and what institutions can deliver “

Charity will bring about a just and fair society built on rock

If we speak in every language but do not have love or charity, we are like resounding gongs or clanging cymbals. If we have various talents and imaginative skills or fathom mysteries and all knowledge or even if we can move mountains, but do not have love or charity, we are nothing. If we give all we possess to the poor and give over our bodies to hardship that we may boast, but do not ha

20 A; manifestation of a crisis in political culture

The proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution which the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government is going to pass in Parliament next month is nothing but another round of manifestation of uncultured politics in Sri Lanka. It is going to be a further step of incivility of politics not only because of the contents of this piece of legislation, but mainly because it manifests the rashness

The hydra against the behemoth

“To put it very simply, Sajith is not Mahinda.” (A man on the street) Sajith Premadasa’s decision to deliver his speech at the commencement of the ninth parliament in English gleaned mixed reactions from various crowds. Some argue that he was channelling

Officers not following the due legal process

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It must be stated at the outset of this article, that the knowledge of the law in relation to subjects coming under the purview of various officials, be they be attached to the Government, Provincial Administration or even the Local Government administration is much to be desired. If the position of the officials is such then one can imagine as to what would be the posi

When politicians make the unthinkable happen! - EDITORIAL

The Parliament has absolute sovereignty and is supreme over all government institutions, including executive and judicial bodies. Hence it is only just to send people with dignity and a sound education to serve as lawmakers.

19 years after 9/11, global order in turmoil

Nineteen years ago today, a series of terror attacks shook the United States and with that the world changed. While fear-struck Americans were witnessing a massive attack on home soil for the first time....

Bracing for state interference

The present regime is doing a lot to raise the country’s image, but not knowing the thin divide that separates what’s accepted and what’s not certainly won’t help this government.

PM moots idea to rediscover Ruhunu, Maya and Pihiti

Apparently for the first time since the presidential election on November 16, 2019, dissension has emerged among the members or the groups of the Government. That is on the content of the bill titled ‘20th Amendment to the Constitution’ which primarily seeks to roll back the 19th Amendment.

Drug rehabilitation and web of deceit

The proliferation of narcotics, such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and ice, in Sri Lanka, their widespread use and the subsequent addiction to one or the other of these intoxicants is only too well known.

Yasmin Sooka: Programmed to ‘believe’ or victim of a ‘truth’ factory?

I shall give Yasmin Sooka the benefit of the doubt. I’ll get to that presently. The back story is as follows: Yasmin Sooka and the outfit she leads, International Truth and Justice Project — Sri Lanka (ITJP-SL), through counsel,

World Suicide Prevention Day - EDITORIAL

The 10th of September is set apart by the United Nations as World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), in recognition of the increasing numbers of our brethren....

The Art of Selective Transparency

This indeed is an art. An art perfected for public consumption, fibbing and managing the financial bottom-line.

COVID-19: People’s reckless behaviour could vouch disaster again

Sri Lanka is one of the success stories in the world in respect of containing COVID-19 threat. It is so successful that people have even totally forgotten the threat and now media rarely carry stories about the disease. However, does it mean

Foreign relations: Is ‘neutrality’ compatible with ‘India first?’

In several interviews after his recent appointment as Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Adm. (Rtd.) Jayanath Colombage has sought to explain the newly-elected government’s thinking on matters of foreign policy. In these media interacti

Sino-US differences over SCS appear to be irreconcilable

The on-going conflict between China on the one hand and the “Free World” led by the US on the other over the South China Sea (SCS), is unlikely to end in the foreseeable future. China’s irredentist claims in the strategically located waterway

An opportunity to reverse injustice

In the beginning of the month of March 2020, the news of former Army Staff Sergeant Sunil Rathnayake, who was convicted of the heinous Mirusuvil massacre, been granted a complete presidential pardon, especially at a time when S

Back to Senanaiksm and save the Party

The wealthy Attygalle sisters of Madapatha married DS Senanayake’s brother, Sir John Kotalawale’s father and JR Jayewardene’s uncle whose fortunes were closely...

Burning ship and the reality of marine disasters - EDITORIAL

On Thursday, the massive super oil tanker MT New Diamond, carrying 270,000 tons of crude oil and 1,700 MT of diesel.....

Return of the Rural

Economies around the world are in free fall with a great economic depression triggered by the COVID-19 disaster and prolonged capitalist crisis.

Let’s work together for a green recovery

As the world grapples with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and starts to gradually prepare to deal with its long-term impacts, the very real threat of climate change – possibly the greatest threat that mankind faces -- did not disappear. Governments and societies should take a moment to reflect on what we can learn from this crisis, draw parallels with the overhanging threat of climate change and use these lessons to build a better future.

With the 20A whither goest Lanka

In 1978 the then President J. R. Jayawardene used or abused the ruling United National Party’s 5/6th majority in parliament to impose the Executive Presidential System on the people of Sri Lanka. He took his oaths on February 4, 1978 as the first Executive President and what happened after that was abuse after abuse which eventually led to the 30-year ethnic war, the reign of terror from 1987 to 1989.

Misconceptions of a peace envoy in his peace mission

During an exclusive interview with one time Norwegian peace envoy to Sri Lanka Erik Solheim, which was published in last Wednesday’s Daily Mirror, senior journalist Easwaran Rutnam had posed a question whether.....

G R E E D

Greed is an uncontrollable unconscionable longing, urge as it were, to possess or even acquire material gain, wealth, possessions, power, clothing, food, even social status, and envy....

Good things associated with COVID-19 should remain - EDITORIAL

The COVID-19 pandemic is still haunting the school system and how kids interact with each other. This is despite the world health authorities having confirmed that children rarely develop severe symptoms of COVID-19.

The trillion dollar politics of narcotics

Sri Lanka is being increasingly besieged by illegal drugs and attendant crimes such as terrorism, gun violence, gang warfare, extortion, burglaries, robberies and prostitution.