SLFP member Milinda Moragoda is a veteran in politics, having in the past held several Ministry portfolios. He
alongside M.J.M Muzzamil also handed in his nomination papers for the post of Mayor for Colombo’s Municipal Council this week. We carry below excerpts of an interview when we spoke with him at his office.
Q: How does it […]

 Western Provincial Councillor A.J.M Muzammil will be contesting for the post of Mayor of Colombo from the UNP ticket. Muzammil was fielded along with several candidates, but came out on top. What is his strategy for the upcoming election, and what plans does he have for Colombo city, should he win? The Sunday Leader visited Muzammil […]

Confusion over when the Emergency lapses; PTA or new legislation will be used to maintain strict security

India makes strong statements again, vital issues likely to come up during Blake’s visit
President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a special message for his cabinet ministers. He told them at the weekly meeting on Wednesday they would all have to be present in […]

Excerpts of Sunday Leader editorial:The government has not renewed Emergency Regulations, which is right and good. The draconian Prevention Of Terrorism Act, however, preserves much of the same powers, including search without warrants and detention without charge.
Since the government so boldly defeated terrorism years ago, it is only fitting that the PTA, too, be repealed.
Emergency […]

*US State Dept puts dozens of Russian officials on Visa blacklist
*US Senators introduce Rule of Law Accountability Act to freeze assets and deny visas to human rights abusers in Russia
*The Bill to apply to extreme future and past cases such as the unsolved murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya
*Advocacy groups say similar actions targeting specific Human Rights abusers […]

In April 2009, we travelled together as foreign ministers to Sri Lanka, as 25 years of fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers neared its end.
The remaining fighters were trapped in the northern most part of the country — along with large numbers of civilians. U.N. estimates put the numbers of civilians […]

India has urged Sri Lanka to scrap far-reaching emergency powers and probe allegations of human rights violations.
The emergency remains two years after the government’s military defeat of the Tamil Tigers on 18 May 2009.
The Indian call came in a bilateral communique issued after talks in Delhi between the two countries’ foreign ministers, SM Krishna and […]