Playing with the Constitution Continues

Last Friday President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament creating yet another twist in the unfolding political crisis. Despite the protests, a written request by a majority of members of Parliament....

Politics has been divisive: Dr. Nesiah

As the Sri Lankan political scene has been taking new turns during the past couple of weeks, people too have begun to voice out their democratic rights. Some collectively, and some on their own, individual capacities.

Assault on the Constitution

The changes that have happened in a dramatic manner at the helm of the state within the past fourteen days have shaken our faith in the Constitution drastically.

Even ‘flutterbys’ and leeches are not spared

Gona’ and ‘Buruwa’ reverberated in the house by the Galle Face in good old days of NM, Colvin, Philip and Sir John, who later shared an erotic anecdote with Marxists at tea. They would not mean it, just the spur of the moment, as there were absolutely no ‘animals’ in politics then. Do not waste time turning pages of 1950s and ’60s searching for such derogatory terms; even before the expunge order comes from the

Dream of a just, peaceful and all-inclusive world

Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of World Armistice Day, commemorating the centenary of the day on which an agreement was signed to end World War I or WWI as we may refer to it in today’s high technology era. Armistice Day is commemorated every year on November 11 to mark the armistice signed between the allies of World War I and Germany. For the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, the armistice took effect at 11

BEST BET STILL MISSED

Identity politics is perishable. It seems true in Sri  Lanka in particular and in almost all the countries where parliamentary politics prevail. A close perusal of election results including by-elections in the post-independent era of our country drives home the concept that identity politics has done more harm to the nation than good. Now, the time is opportune to make a critical analysis of the tragi-comic status quo political crisis of th

Angela Merkel and Theresa May should head for retirement

Is Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, responsible for Brexit? In a way yes, she is because at the time of the great economic crisis of 2007-2013, counter-productively she insisted on austerity throughout the European Union. Austerity helped turn the poorer classes of the UK towards Brexit. 

As the world watches over us - EDITORIAL

The present political crisis that has engulfed this country sees many contrasting views being presented as to whether it is an issue that also connects with the outside world or is purely an internal matter which should be settled within us.

MPs’ defections a sheer betrayal of the voters

An elderly gentleman, a United National Party supporter, cast his preference vote for a teledrama actress who contested the 2010 parliamentary elections from the UNP, for he felt she was being unfairly vilified by the then government leaders....

Of fluttery butterflies and slimy LEECHES...

Its not everyday that a President of a representative democracy mentions butterflies, not once but twice, in a public speech. Our President is obviously not fond of butterflies.....

Hypocrisy comes with a capital “H”

Politics does strange things to civil society. This, despite the fact that civil society is supposed to be independent. But then we are political animals. We do not want to be independent. We can’t be independent.

The winner is… President Sirisena

Who is the winner of the current political game? No doubt, it is President Maithripala Sirisena, in spite of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa seeming to be. Before the President unseated Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe....

Counting stars from the gutter

The teacher asked a Montessori child what’s there in the drawing book drawn in large red, blue and green patches, smudged all over the page. The little one says The Sky.

Science and innovations: Where does Sri Lanka stand?

Saturday November 10 is the United Nations World Science Day for Peace and Development and the UN in a statement says the organization of a focused event related to the commitment to science and society was one of the positive outcomes of the 1999 Budapest World Conference on Science. It was considered an 

Sovereignty is in the people

In the Republic of Sri Lanka, Sovereignty is in the people and it is inalienable. Sovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. Vide. Article 3 of the Constitution.  

Prez mulls over referendum to dissolve Parliament Sees it as a viable option to break current impass

The political equation is constantly changing these days making it difficult for anyone to conclude which side would emerge with the required parliamentary majority to form a stable administration by the time Parliament meets on November 14. The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Maithripala Sirisena was 

Will there be the fragrance of flowers along Parliament Road?

There was a time in Sri Lanka when the elite and the poorest of poor steered clear of politics. These two segments of the society couldn’t be influenced by the agenda of others and the secret of their ‘stability’ in thinking was the fact that they had formed contentment in life. But the elite have changed now and members from this 

Hypocrisy in the name of Democracy

This was a poster or rather sentiments that appeared to be popular at the demonstration in Kollupitiya last week following President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to sack Ranil Wickremesinghe and appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister.   

Patriotic solidarity to save democracy

Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen and Sampanthan appearing on the same podium with majority Sinhalese parliamentarians, declare that all that happened since President Sirisena’s premeditated coup is undemocratic and that the parliament should be called into session immediately. In the annals of modern political history 

Danger Lurks

From the day President Maithripala Sirisena unseated Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to replace him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country is fast drifting towards anarchy and a dangerous situation is in the making. The statement by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday that he had been compelled to recognize the 

How vibrant social media is undermining a politically biased media culture

Around 2:00 pm on the afternoon of November 2, actor turned politician Ranjan Ramanayake went live on Facebook. He is an artiste, a popular personality at that, and when Facebook launched live, it was celebrities like Ranjan that were the stars.   

SELFISHNESS

With the progress of time, man has become progressively selfish!!! It is time we started thinking in terms of WE not I, the selfishness of our time has reached gigantic proportions and the reason is that we prosper in our ignorance or we think we do!!! It is only the truth that can set us free; the acceptance that we come with nothing, we 

Politics: From civil to evil

Siddhartha Gautama was one of the most pioneering thinkers who revolutionized the very manner in which man used to think, act and operate at mundane levels. Long before the Magna Carta or the American Constitution came into being, the Buddha told us that no man was unequal to the other; long before this modern-day 

Environment; Silent victim of Sri Lankan war

Today is the United Nations International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. In a statement to mark the event the UN says though the world has counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, destroyed cities and livelihoods, the environment has often remained the unpublicized victim of war.    

Speaker has taken a stand: Now the int’l community should follow suit

After a long and rather undue wait, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday announced that the arbitrary sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place as unconstitutional. Noting that it is the view of the majority that the recent changes effected by the president are unconstitutional and carried out in violation 

Kicking aside the Mandate

When Members elected to Parliament from one party crossover to another, for whatsoever reason, it is a violation of the mandate received at the hands of the voters, which they are honour and duty bound to protect.

Pros and cons of Crossovers

  Colombo, November 5: Crossovers from one party to another in Parliament have been a constant feature in Sri Lanka in recent years. They were endemic in India till the Constitution was amended by the 52nd Amendment in 1985 and by the 91st Amendment in 2003 to make defections difficult.

Can President Dissolve Parliament ?

One of the objectives of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was to restrict powers of the President to dissolve parliament within four and-a-half years. Was that objective successfully achieved? My reading of the constitution is the opposite.    Firstly, the reader is advised to be ca

Sri Lanka: A Moment of Reckoning

The greatest upheaval ever known since this country regained political independence occurred just a few days ago. The event of appointment of a new prime minister and members of a new cabinet sent shock waves among all concerned citizens of this country and rightly so. The whole episode in this political scene has become a bone of contention with some d

The country’s democracy in limbo: Where do people stand today?

October 26, 2018 is a date that will be marked in the notorious political history of Sri Lanka. A country that has once dealt with insurrections, civil wars and minority clashes has now ended up in a confusing political crisis once again.