How much does his opinion count in the inner-circle of government when political pygmies such as Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and even Sudarshani Fernandopulle dare to defy him in public?   If politics is about marketing leaders to the masses, the leading brand and market leader in Sri Lanka is undoubtedly Mahinda Rajapaksa. The two-time President has his faults- of which there are many- but he is still the politician who wields the most clout in Sri Lanka. Why then is he being undermined, particularly ...Continued

Sri Lanka’s response to the Corona virus pandemic can be likened to how its cricket team approaches a game: the openers start with a bang, giving great promise of victory, then there is a dreadful middle-order slump followed by some rear-guard action that gives hope of saving the game but it is too little, too late and we are beaten decisively. That is exactly how our battle against the pandemic is proceeding. When the corona virus first emerged early last year, Sri Lanka rushed to ...Continued

The silence of health authorities while all this is going on is deafening. The government’s favourite lap dog, the GMOA is not even barking, let alone daring to bite. Other medical bodies have taken a vow of silence, or so it seems. So, the pandemic marches on The resolution against Sri Lanka is sponsored and encouraged not by India, China or Russia but by the United States, Britain and other EU countries, the same countries that are in the race for the vaccine, elbowing out ...Continued

  Ranjan Ramanayake, actor turned maverick politician and now convict with a four-year prison sentence hanging over him, would have made his uncle, the late Professor Carlo Fonseka, proud. That is not because he insulted the judiciary but because he was man enough to stand by what he said- even when he was led away to prison- and stand up to what he believed was wrong. Carlo Fonseka, when he was threatened by the then terroristic Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) after making a stirring oration ...Continued

~ By Anne-Marie Schleich SYNOPSIS Since April 2020, Australia and China have been embroiled in escalating trade and diplomatic disputes. The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated and is currently at a critical point. Developments on both sides could be right out of a playbook on ‘how to wreck bilateral trade and diplomatic relations’. COMMENTARY THE DIPLOMATIC conflict between Australia and China seems to be worsening since it started in 2018. It began when Australia barred Huawei from providing 5G network services in Australia ...Continued