THE FORGOTTEN MAJORITY – THE WAY FORWARD?
Photo via World Snap The elections are over and much will be said and written about these historic days. Amidst these discussions I present a preliminary analysis of an often forgotten and…
Elections
Sri Lanka stunned? Sri Lanka’s 2015 presidential poll and [un]warranted exclamations
Image courtesy Salon.com On 9 January 2015, Dr Oliver Walton, a lecturer at the University of Bath, published an article entitled ‘Sri Lanka stunned as (UK) published an article entitled ‘What a…
Post Election: Real Vs Perceived Risks
Meme via Sri Lanka Memes The election of Sri Lanka’s new President Maithripala Sirisena has undoubtedly marked the dawn of a new era in Sri Lanka politics. Around the country and across…
Honour our trust, Your Excellency Maithripala Sirisena
Photo courtesy Maithripala Sirisena website January 9th 2015 The very moment we are penning this letter, you are being sworn in as the 6th Executive President of Sri Lanka. We congratulate you…
Sri Lankans voted for Sirisena: Not Tamils, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians or Sinhalese
Photo courtesy Yahoo I have been hearing one group of people saying “Maithri won because of North and East votes (Tamil and Muslim votes)” and another group of people trying to prove…
A(n) (un)Presidential Swearing in?
Photo by Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images via Huffington Post A presidential swearing in ceremony, in a polity with an executive presidency, is a moment of tremendous solemn national pride. In the case of a…
Democracy has triumphed: Will the opportunity be seized?
Photo courtesy VOA News The New Year 2015 began yesterday, 9th January 2015! Though there were the traditional celebrations on the 1st, these were on a subdued note, given the fears and…
Some Reflections on Post-Election Day
Photo courtesy The results are all in and Mahinda Rajapaksa has been defeated at the polls. This is a great victory for almost all concerned. It is a victory for the coalition,…
The moon is out
In Sri Lanka The moon is out I think No, not a full moon Just a patch of light Straining through the darkness And not everywhere equally bright In the north I…
Maithripala Sirisena’s Victory: Winning the Hearts of Women
Photo courtesy The Hindu As the campaigning for both candidates has ended, and the celebrations for the victory of Maithripala Sirisena have begun, larger battles are still being waged, and will be…
Hope
I drove past Temple Trees this morning at sunrise, a few minutes after the first SMS from a major news service proclaimed Mahinda Rajapaksa would step down as President. I couldn’t believe…
The Chandrika Bandaranaike factor in Sri Lankan politics, Part I
Photo courtesy DBS Jeyaraj A Gaullist executive presidency for Sri Lanka was an idea that J.R. Jayewardene cherished since the early years of the Dominion state. Having won a spectacular majority against…
Voting for Lasantha Again, 26 Years Later
Photo courtesy CNN A quarter century ago, as an eager first time voter, I cast my maiden vote for a young journalist friend who had recently taken to electoral politics. Lasantha Wickrematunge…
Why people seek a change
Photo courtesy IPS Today, January 8, approximately 15 million Sri Lankans will seek to elect the island’s next president at a tightly-contested presidential election. The chosen day is a special one. It…
The Moment, Opportunity and the Possibility for Change
Photo via The Republic Square The moment and opportunity have arrived! Sri Lankans are going to the polling booths across the country on this 8th day of January 2015 to elect their…
