One tweet to break an impasse!

Last Sunday morning, as I was preparing to report on the swearing in of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, I received a message that said that media would not be allowed to cover the ceremony. It was in fact, a very apt ending to the impasse that began on October 26 evening. Then too my first indication that something was amiss 

A tribute to a stoic nation 50 days of madness

It was indeed a fascinating period of time. The Executive branch of our Government ran amok; it did not understand the fundamentals of democracy, leave alone its nuanced constitutional interpretations. He did not bend the rules; he broke them.

PIECES OF GOODWILL NOT PEACE AND GOODWILL!!!

PEACE AND GOODWILL are what the Season of Christmas is all about, but sadly while people the world over are preparing for Christmas, our politicians are dishing out ill will with the unchanged political climate and the state of the country in PIECES NOT PEACE!!! THE ALL IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN ARE 

It’s time for UNF to ensure country on right footing 

Of the two crises that had engulfed the country for 50 days since October 26, the Constitutional deadlock is over, but not the political crisis. We cannot give credit to the politicians for ending the Constitutional grid

Three ways the post-coup political capital could be squandered

After an uphill battle by the people,who are not necessarily the fans of the United National Party, a good deal of activism by the civil society, lawyers and online chatter; and finally an unanimous Supreme Court verdict that ruled the dissolution of Parliament as illegal and ultra-vires, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the prime- minister on Sunday.  

Face book; The Matrimonial Killer/wrecker

With the rapid development of science and technology, humans are granted with opportunity to connect from one end of the world to the other. Humans are granted with the privilege to engage and mainta

The problem in undermining the minorities

President Maithripala Sirisena restored a shaky and unhealthy political situation in the country to a certain degree by reappointing Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. Political analysts term this move more as the need of the hour rather than accepting Sirisena’s explanation that the reappointment was done to honour parliamentary traditions. If the political impa

Challenges to South Asian security

Colombo, December 17: Historically, South Asia had been an integrated region with cultures, languages, religions and values crossing natural geographical barriers and creating seamless symbiotic relations between diverse peoples.  But today, thanks to the bir

Mannar Unbound: A Journey through history and nature

The setting sun sets fire to the dunes, bathing them in flames of gold and saffron. Silhouetted in the flaming light, a female donkey reaches out towards its foal. The foal, in turn, nuzzles its mother. A rare

JUDICIARY AS GUARANTOR OF THE RULE OF LAW

The judiciary as the guarantor of the rule of law is the theme of the conference this year. I have the greatest satisfaction of having very closely worked with JSA as a member, Secretary to JSC and President, Court of appeal.   

Turbulent Politics

Over the last week, in Sri Lanka as in the United Kingdom, the United States and India, there is much talk of major court rulings, confidence motions, elections, referendum and impeachment.

A President stopped in his tracks and a country in a quagmire - EDITORIAL

With the resignation of former President Rajapaksa from the post of Prime Minister on Saturday, and the re installation of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister on Sunday, the Constitutional crisis which engulfed the country since October, appears to be at long last coming to an end.

Neutrality promotes preventive diplomacy

Since 1956 and the social revolution of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka has played a leading role in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). After Mr. Banadaranaike’s assassination in 1959, his widow Sirimavo Bandaranaike as prime minister continued Sri Lanka’s important role in NAM along with other legendary leaders like Yugoslavia’s President Josip Broz Tito,

Brexit: Time for another referendum

The whole debate about Brexit has had a weird quality about it from beginning to end. Prime Minister Theresa May voted in the referendum two and a half years ago to remain in the European Union but then as a quid pro quo for being made prime minister she has led the charge to implement Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, voted to remain but has made it clear that he too prefers out, albeit keeping the UK in the Customs Union. 

Three inspiring human rights activists win accolades

The Human Rights Office in its seventh year of salutation recognised three distinguished human rights activists who have rendered yeoman services to the cause. They were felicitated at a special awards ceremony held on December 9 at Good Shepherd’s Convent in Kandy The Chief Guest of the occasion was Saliya Pieris, President’s Counsel and Chairman of the Office of Missing Persons, while Rt. Rev. Dr. Vianney Fernando, Chairman of the C

Gender inequality at workplace

I believe workplace is a great platform to shape societal gender inequalities. This article will bring about reviews of theory and research on gender inequality in organisations; reviews of empirical evidence on gender inequality at work, beginning with studies that explore the cultural, relational and structural mechanisms to reproduce gender inequality in organisations and moving towards discussing research on mechanisms in order to uphold equa

Way out Via media

It is a lingering crisis on two demands for political power. Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP are asking for their Government back with their PM.

Need an election, but not by hook or by crook

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has exclaimed in his twitter feed as to why those who make a fuss on democracy were scared of elections.

The President must bow to unanimous Supreme Court verdict

The Supreme Court has spoken, justice has been delivered, and the President’s action of dissolving parliament has been declared illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners.

Cheating at the exam hall - EDITORIAL

The news of three impersonators being arrested for helping candidates to cheat at the ongoing General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Exam must be taken seriously not only by the education authorities, but also by the candidates’ parents. 

The Return of Rahul - EDITORIAL

Till a few days back Rahul Gandhi had a nickname that no poll victory could erase off. It’s ‘Pappu’ which means ‘loser’. However everything has changed overnight. The Congress party’s spectacular victory in the assembly polls in Hindu hinterland of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh has made people see the young 

‘Citizens’ as suckers

So Sri Lanka! That’s a tourism promotional line. It’s more subtle and of course far less pretentious than ‘Aasiyaave Aascharya’ (Miracle of Asia). In a way it’s more ‘Sri Lankan’ come to think of it. In other words, we are a pretty laid back nation. Of course some may disagree. So let’s consider the current political situation. 

In a world of contradictions

The heavy debates regarding the present political crisis in the country continue on social media, especially on Facebook, leaving the country at large rather peaceful. At present there is no prime minister, government ministers and a Cabinet, but with only a president in office this nation continues to function; giving hiccups to the outside 

To reach a port one must sail

A few days ago Radhika Coomaraswamy wrote that many of us existed in a state of suspended disbelief thanks to chicanery in the political sphere.Well, we have now descended to being firmly impaled on the spiky realities of life and what was formerly a disbelieving situation has now become horrifyingly real.

Authoritarian trends in power game

Former Minister of Megapolis, Patali Champika Ranawaka presenting the proposal in Parliament to suspend finances for running the ministries of the Rajapaksa’s controversial Minority Government made a rare, informative and persuasive oration on Friday, Nov  30.

Parties gear up for elections pending court ruling

The political gridlock takes a turn for the worse each passing day pending the ruling by the Supreme Court on Fundamental Rights Applications filed in regards to dissolution of Parliament. It is even compounded by the fact that the Court of Appeal has restrained Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet from functioning.

Yellow vest movement that made Macron say Mea Culpa

The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty - Rousseau On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted to the nation that he had blundered. In the face of weeks long country-wide protests, Macron dubbed “pro-rich” president, had little 

Mr. Executive, your office is bigger than yourself…

When an electorate gets carried away with the candidate’s veneer of simplicity that concealed all the oozing that was rotting away within the presumed ‘common man,’ consequences are seldom concealed. When he couldn’t match his flowing rhetoric with actual accomplishments on and off the field of politics, his acquired purity fades into nightmarish shadows. When the 

The lad who set the paddy field ablaze….

What cost Bill Clinton a second term in office was not his affair with Monica Levinsky , per se. It was his sworn deposition and the public affirmation by him that he had nothing to do with the latter, which later was proved and he admitted, as false. He admitted the affair and that it was wrong and apologised. Yet as the President he 

BRAZEN SELFISHNESS ENACTED

To view selfishness beyond the accepted norms, you need to be in Sri Lanka where anything goes, anything is acceptable as long as you are a politician and more so if you are a Member of Parliament. The lunacy that was enacted in the hallowed precincts of Parliament on November 14 and 16 could rightly tell its own story but perhaps the HONOURABLE MEMBERS were