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Rights group, monitors query Sri Lankan election
January 29, 2010 (AFP) – Poll monitors and human rights groups on Friday raised questions over elections that drove Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse back to power as his defeated rival demanded a fresh poll. The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission cited counting irregularities, as well as blatant misuse of state resources by Rajapakse, […]
Sri Lanka ready for investors with polls over: BOI chief
Jan 29, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state investment promotion agency is standing by to support businessmen who want to start investing now that the polls are over, its chief Dhammika Perera said. “The presidential elections are over,” Perera said. “Now is the time for everyone to leave the elections behind and put their plans […]
Sri Lanka treasuries yields up
Jan 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasury bill yields edged up marginally across maturities at Tuesday’s auction, the government’s debt office said. The 3-month yield moved up 09 basis points to 7. 95 percent, the 6-month yield moved up 04 basis points to 8. 90 percent and the 12-month yield moved up 05 basis […]
Sri Lankan stocks close 1.2-pct higher
Jan 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks recovered early losses Thursday to end the day 1. 25 percent higher in the first day of trading after President Mahinda Rajapaksa was returned to a second term, brokers said. The benchmark All Share Price Index (ASPI) closed at 3,636.41 points, up 45.03 points, while the Milanka […]
Policy choices in Sri Lanka. Five years. What next?
Jan 28, 2010 (LBO) – The first Choices column (link) was published on the 11th of February 2005. The decision to take time from an already overloaded schedule to write a monthly column (took me several years to get into that rhythm) was taken on the 27th of January 2005, the day that I hit […]
US cheers polls, urges candidate safety, electoral abuse probe
Jan 28, 2010 (LBO) – The United States congratulated Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his election to a second term in office but said the safety of candidates and campaign workers should be protected and allegations of electoral abuse probed. “The United States congratulates Sri Lanka for the first nationwide election in decades and […]
Sri Lanka president must heal ethnic rift: analysts
January 28, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankans opted for stability in their first post-war presidential poll, but analysts say the results underscored simmering ethnic tensions that could once again tear the country apart. President Mahinda Rajapakse was re-elected with a resounding 57. 9 percent of the vote on Tuesday despite vociferous local and foreign criticism […]
Sri Lanka to mend fences with West: president
January 27, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president, who won a second term Wednesday, said he was keen to repair relations with Western nations that have been at odds with Colombo over its human rights record. President Mahinda Rajapakse said most of the “misunderstandings” between Colombo and Western nations stemmed from the island’s conflict with […]
India hopes Sri Lanka poll win will heal ethnic divisions
NEW DELHI, January 27, 2010 (AFP) – India Wednesday congratulated Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on his re-election and voiced hope that he would help heal the rift between the majority Sinhala and Tamil minority communities. India is home to millions of Tamils in Tamil Nadu, separated by a narrow strip of sea from Sri […]
‘s Fonseka leaves hotel
January 27, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s defeated opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka left a luxury hotel in Colombo on Wednesday where he had been holed up all day surrounded by troops, an AFP reporter witnessed. He drove out of the lake-side hotel complex in a black BMW in a motorcade of several cars, which was […]