UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein says the UN had failed to protect the lives of civilians in Sri Lanka in 2009. Al Hussein made the comment via a video link to the United Nations Security Council, when it met to discuss the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that if the UN is going to make commitments on protecting civilians, then it must be resolute, undivided and clear about its intentions. “Had this been the case with Sri Lanka in 2009, or…
Read MoreDay: 9 July 2015
MR from Kurunegala; Chamal from Hambantota
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be contesting the August 17 Parliamentary elections from the Kurunegala District, while the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa would be contesting from the Hambantota District, a reliable SLFP source told the Daily Mirror yesterday. He said both would contest as group leaders of the UPFA of their respective districts and the former President would also campaign island wide for the alliance. The source added Chamal Rajapaksa had decided against retiring from politics as speculated by certain media recently. Meanwhile, the SLFP yesterday admitted that there were mistakes…
Read More‘CM adopting double standards on LTTE issue’
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko accused Chief Minister Jayalalithaa of adopting double standards on the Intelligence Bureau reports with regard to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). He was addressing a demonstration organised by the party here on Tuesday. The protest was organised to condemn the State government for filing the affidavit in the apex court stating that the Periyar dam should be protected by the Central Industrial Security Force, instead of the Kerala police as “it faced threat from among others the supporters of LTTE.” He wanted…
Read MoreAnother poll of a voter hell-hole!
President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to finally dissolve Parliament sounded like a clash of cymbals without the customary fanfare of trumpets, heralding its demise. Not that the move came as a surprise to anyone because it was expected at any moment within the month. Yet, if not for the dissolution, the Parliament could have remained until April 2016.President Sirisena, no doubt, would have had no objections to have continued boxing on with his hastily-cobbled Cabinet and play for more time. It became patently clear that the crevices were becoming too deep…
Read MoreThe Nomination Imbroglio & A Question Mark
By Shyamon Jayasinghe – “Shilling Demons in the Shadows.” There is hardly a dull moment in dear Mother Lanka. The country has a plethora of unsolved problems; yet. it has time and opportunity to witness the comedy drama that politics is, over there.This time, it is the furore over the President’s apparent decision to give nomination from the UPFA to his arch rival, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mahinda fans and parasites went jubilant. As when a wicket falls on the opposite side how the fielding side flock around together in the mesmeric…
Read MoreSri Lanka – The Comedy Of Asia!
By Sharmini Serasinghe – Once again, we see yet another version of a ‘Comedy of Errors’ unfolding on the political stage of Sri Lanka. Over the years, this stage has seen many a comic performance, enacted by comedians of all hues, but the current scene takes the cake. Its title ‘Good Governance’ aka ‘Yahapalana’ is a joke in itself, and seemed fanciful, right from the start. In a country where daylight robbers, drug lords, rapists, child molester, murders et al call the shots, and are seemingly above the law, with…
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