Monthly Archive: May 2015

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‘Prabha’ set to take over Bar Association?

USAID seeks to consolidate control of Bar

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is contemplating a change in its structure which is likely to put the organization under the control of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to high ranking sources of the Association. 

The envisaged restructuring will see the appointment of an Executive Director who will function as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Registered Lobbyist. This would severely diminish the discretionary powers of the Secretary, Treasurer and Administrative Secretary.

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CBK abandons her father and embraces Chelvanayakam -Part I

Chandrika Kumaratunga’s memorial lecture on S. J. V. Chelvanayakam (April 25th, 2015) should be taken seriously not because she claims to be “a political scientist” (she did so in her first TV interview after she succeeded in her plot to overthrow of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime) but because it is loaded with a political message on the critical issue of majority/ minority relations – the most infectious and inflammatory issue exploding in diverse parts of the globe threatening peace and stability. The majority vs. minority issues can vary from the sexual orientation of gays, to wearing the hijab in France, to Sunni vs. Shite in the Middle East, to xenophobic attacks on migrants in S. Africa, to majorities demanding conformity from minorities, to minorities demanding special privileges on top of what is available in common with others, the plight of the Sephardic Jews dominated by Euro-centric Ashkenazis in Israel, the persecution of Afro-Americans even after Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Act in 1863, (111 were killed by the white Police in America in March 2015 alone) etc. In broad outline, the underlying issues boils down to violent explosions that threaten the peaceful co-existence of the two demographics.
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Kurunegala: Politics on steroids

Not since 1992/93 has this country been on a political roller coaster as it is today. We are experiencing game changing events virtually every week. The game changing event of the past week was the pro-Mahinda rally in Kurunegala last Friday. It was held soon after the breakdown in talks between the Sirisena and Rajapaksa factions of the SLFP. One of the main points discussed at this meeting was the prime ministerial candidacy of the UPFA. When the talks broke down, one would think that the Kurunegala rally held barely 48 hours later would be a flop with disappointed Mahinda loyalists abandoning him because president Sirisena had denied him the PM candidacy. Yet, the crowd in Kurunegala was even bigger than the crowd at the Nugegoda rally. 

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MR rebuts Samaraweera’s claim of amassing US$ 18bn

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that neither he, nor his wife, sons or brothers, have secret offshore accounts or illegal overseas investments in front companies.

 

Responding to the claim by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera that the Rajapaksa family has concealed US$ 18 billion in secret offshore accounts, the former President said that legal advice will be sought on the statement made by the Minister.Minister Samaraweera told a news conference in Colombo last week that information has been received from foreign intelligence agencies that Rajapaksa, his wife, sons and brothers had amassed a fortune of 18 billion US dollars concealed in secret offshore accounts and front companies overseas.