A Tribute to Shibly Aziz PC
I want to thank the organizers for having invited us here today to pay tribute to this great man. I want to particularly thank Shibly Aziz’s wife Fathima. In life she was…
Constitutional Reform
Crisis as Second Chance?
Time will say nothing but I told you so…” WH Auden (If I Could Tell You) Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Admiral and Chief of Defence Staff, epitomised impunity as he swaggered into Fort Magistrate…
On Dissolution of Parliament
Featured image by Raisa Wickrematunge There is speculation that Parliament will be dissolved. Arguments have been made for and against the right of the President to dissolve Parliament at will, at any…
Taking A Stand
On November 4, 2018, a group of people gathered at the Liberty roundabout in Kollupitiya. For some, it was their fifth day of standing in protest. Following news that President Maithripala Sirisena…
Questions of Freedom: Problems in Sri Lanka’s Constitution, Laws and Institutions
Citizens of Sri Lanka should heed this warning to the framers of the US constitution. The Sri Lankan Presidency was, until recently, a fixed executive, not dependent or answerable to parliament and…
The Political Is Personal – An Essay In Despair
“ In his explanation of why he removed Ranil Wickremesinghe from the office of Prime Minister, President Maithripala Sirisena cited policy and personal differences between the two. An analysis of his speech…
Of Constitutions, Cabinets and Coups
This brief article seeks to build on what commentators have already contributed regarding the present constitutional crisis, and to suggest responses to several claims which – perhaps – have not been addressed…
What Is At Stake Is Democracy Itself
What is at stake today is not the future of Ranil Wickremesinghe or the UNP. What is at stake is democracy itself, and its necessary pillars, inviolability of the constitution, rule of…
Paradise Lost? Preliminary Notes on a Constitutional Coup
There were three dramatic announcements on the evening of Friday 26th October 2018 from the Presidential Secretariat, which occurred in the following order: (a) the announcement of the withdrawal of the UPFA from…
A Litmus Test: The Debate on the 19th Amendment
On April 28, 2015, the 19th amendment to the Constitution was passed in Parliament, with a two-thirds majority. 212 MPs voted in favour of its passage, with just one MP at the…
The Legality and Legitimacy of Presidential Term Limits: A Response to Dr Nihal Jayawickrama
There has recently been a flurry of comment and speculation about whether, due to a technical flaw in the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution (2015), former President Rajapaksa may actually be eligible…
Democratic Decay: Examining Sri Lanka under the Rajapaksa Government
The phenomenon of democratic decay has gained attention around the world by various different academics, especially in light of countries such as Poland, Hungary and the United States. Scholars such as Tom…
Democracy, Nationalism and the Nation State, with Reference to Sri Lanka
The ex-colonies at their independence were presented with a state conforming exactly to their former colonial boundaries. They were expected to build one nation into it – even if there were two…
Corridors of Power at Dhaka Art Summit 2018
Corridors of Power, the critically acclaimed collaboration between constitutional theorist Asanga Welikala, architect Channa Daswatta and the Founding Editor of , Sanjana Hattotuwa, was invited by world renowned curator Sharmini Pereira to…
MMDA: Personal Narratives – 8
This is the seventh in a series of videos conducted by sister publication Maatram, highlighting the difficulties faced by women under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). Article 16 of the constitution states that…
