Economic Crisis is the Top Voter Priority
In the latest polling by the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) conducted from August to November, 74% of Sri Lankans named the economy as their top…
Districts
Voters Want More Government Spending on Health and Education
As Sri Lanka approaches the general election, the Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) polling reveals strong voter support for prioritising increased government spending on health and…
Towards Stability, Equity and Prosperity in Sri Lanka – Part 5
As I have previously pointed out, although IMF programmes appear to solely focus on development, they do not cater to or deal with matters that affect socio-economic justice and a fair go.…
Fr. Michael Rodrigo and Education for Justice
November 10 will be the 37th anniversary of the killing of Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI, popularly known as Fr. Mike. He was killed while I was a student at St. Peter’s and…
Amending the Online Safety Act and the Centrality of Human Rights Principles
Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath’s position on the Online Safety Act (OSA) at the press briefing held on November 6 essentially re-affirms what was noted in Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s manifesto in relation…
Sri Lanka’s Path to Systemic Change: Need for Support and Vigilance
The election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Sri Lanka’s executive president has introduced a transformative environment into the country’s political landscape. His approach is marked by an emphasis on empathy, transparency and…
Towards Stability, Equity and Prosperity in Sri Lanka – Part 4
Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe has asked the voters to elect members with experience back to the parliament at the Nov 14 election. He alleges that those who have worked with him in…
The Politics of Foreign Aid
The focus of this article is the politics of foreign aid given by other states to the Sri Lankan state during the post-colonial period. The post-colonial period is an interesting case study…
Development: What Kind?
During this campaign year there are various discourses by political parties and alliances about how to develop the country or bring development in order to address the current problems faced by the…
Kintsugi by Anoma: Repairing, Rebuilding and Healing a Shattered World
When a delicate object like a glass vase, ceramic bowl or porcelain cup breaks, we throw it away thinking that it is beyond repair. But in the Japanese art of kintsugi, cracks…
Towards Stability, Equity and Prosperity in Sri Lanka – Part 3
The public appears to be pleased with most of the measures the president and the interim cabinet have taken. Yet there is much more to be done. The recent allegations made against…
The Need for Stable Government and Strong Opposition
Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture in its political and economic history. As the country prepares for the parliamentary elections on November 14 with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s party, the National…
Towards Stability, Equity and Prosperity in Sri Lanka – Part 2
The interim NPP government wants to make negotiated changes to the IMF conditionalities already agreed upon by the previous regime. If that is not feasible, the NPP will have to move away…
A New Script for Tamil Politics in Sri Lanka?
Tamil politics in Sri Lanka has entered uncharted territory. The cracks in Tamil politics had been evident for some time but with the September 21 presidential elections, it has broken into fragments.…
Towards Stability, Equity and Prosperity in Sri Lanka – Part 1
The victory of the NPP at the recent presidential election has changed the political landscape of the country. It has given rise to the expectation of a novel and fundamentally different approach…