Power To The People
Reflecting on the recent elections in both Sri Lanka and the US is an interesting exercise particularly because, as the two countries now have synchronized election cycles, comparisons and contrasts are readily…
Politics and Governance
An Election That Signals the Transition to a New Political Culture
The presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024 have clearly sent strong signals of a clear change in the political landscape in Sri Lanka. On September 21, the country elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake…
A Magic Wand
The Grimm version is known wider but the Turkish one cuts deeper. In both tales, the boy goes in search of fear and finds a crown. In the Grimm version, fear comes…
NPP’s Historic Victory Sparks Hope and Unity
Sri Lanka stands on the brink of a transformative era. The National People’s Power (NPP), under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has secured a historic two thirds majority in parliament….
Will the Parliamentary Election Result Add to System Change?
The parliamentary election on November 14 is going to be like no other in Sri Lanka’s post independence history. Like the presidential election held on September 21, it will be another ground…
Gurunagar Church Bombing: Justice Must Be Done Even After 31 Years
November 13, 1993 will be 31 years since bombs were dropped by the Air Force over St. James Catholic Church in Gurunagar, Jaffna. Nine civilians were killed, several others injured and church…
Decoding Falsehoods of Online Information During Elections
The 2024 presidential election marked the first major electoral event following the aragalaya and the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The election highlighted the country’s shifting political landscape, moving away from traditional…
NPP and Women’s Parliamentary Representation
Leading political parties, mostly in the Sinhala speaking south, are known to loudly proclaim the need to elect more women to parliament. The reality has not caught up with that political rhetoric….
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…
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….
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…
Nyet
No more refugees. No more border- crossers. No more morning after pills. No more right to decide who will decide if I will bear the greatest child in the greatest nation….
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…