Author: Lancelot
Opinion: Give Ranil a break and allow him space to put Sri Lanka back together
December 17, 2018 (LBO) – Remember where we have been. In the moments after October 26th, and the days immediately following, Sri Lanka reached all time lowpoints in its constitutional democracy.Hunkered down in his official residence (Temple Trees), illegally deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, his parliamentary group, and party supporters engaged in gallows humour in […]
”s constitutional crisis
November 17, 2018 (LBO) – Pelted with bottles of water mixed with chilli paste.Chairs, books and other projectiles thrown at them. Pushed and shoved by men who are decades older than them dressed in suits and national dress.The above image is one of Sri Lanka’s police officers, many of them young men, unarmed and forming […]
Opinion: Ranil Wickremesinghe is fighting the good fight, and he will win it
November 7, 2018 (LBO) – A fortnight ago, Sri Lanka was shocked at the news that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been sworn in as the nation’s Prime Minister. Initial reactions of many were that they thought it was fake news, a joke even. However, as the news trickled out, and photos were circulated, it […]
Premiership Stakes – the race to 113 votes in Parliament
October 27, 2018 (LBO) – A few hours ago, Sri Lankans were throttled by one of the most shocking political developments in the country’s tumultuous modern history. Stunning the whole country, President Maithripala Sirisena swore in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minster. First reports of this development were met by disbelief, many even […]
‘s advisors? Rukman Senanayake should be one of them
October 21, 2018 (LBO) – The drama over the dissolution of the boards of directors of the Board of Investment (BOI), Bank of Ceylon (BOC), and Peoples Bank has led many to ask the question….Who are the President’s advisors? Whoever they are, their advice has resulted in simmering tensions with the UNP and its leader […]
Opinion: BOI/BOC/PB fiasco, Are board positions worth fighting for?
October 19, 2019 (LBO) – Thursday morning the Colombo business community woke up the news that President Maithripala Sirisena had given instructions for the dissolution of the boards of directors of the Board of Investment (BOI), Bank of Ceylon (BOC) and Peoples Bank. After the news broke there was much speculation on the legality of […]
Opinion: Khashoggi Killing – Imagine if Sri Lanka had done it
October 16, 2018 (LBO) – Imagine a team of 15 highly trained Sri Lankan intelligence operatives board a private plane and embark on a journey to Istanbul, one of the greatest cities in the history of the world. This team of operatives includes those well versed in interrogation, torture, forensics, and someone who is an […]
‘s oligarchs
October 15, 2018 (LBO) – 2018 has been a tough year for emerging market equities, and Sri Lankan stocks are no exception. The major stock indices of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), the All Share Price Index (ASPI) and the S&P SL 20 are down near 10% and 20% respectively so far for the year. […]
Opinion: Hardly any women on the National List, who is to blame?
October 9, 2018 (LBO) – After hearing about a women’s business forum, and reading a joke on twitter about how the panel addressing the crowd was all men, thoughts came to mind of how these types of events could be more meaningful. What can they really accomplish to bridge the divide of opportunity that exists […]
Opinion: Central Bank intervention likely to exacerbate foreign selling of Sri Lanka bonds
September 29, 2018 (LBO) – The main subject of discussion on the Colombo cocktail circuit has been the Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) and its significant recent weakness against the U.S. dollar (USD). The LKR seems to have halted its slide, hovering just under Rs170 to the dollar. This recent price stability in the LKR is […]
Opinion: Sri Lanka is statistically ripe for a youth centric Presidential candidate
August 6, 2018 (LBO) – Who will the next President of Sri Lanka be? As the speculation mounts as to who the candidates for the presidency will be, it seems prudent to look at who most resembles the electorate. The electorate can be sliced and diced in may different ways. Analysis can be done based […]
Opinion: Suren Ratwatte was underpaid as CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines
July 23, 2018 (LBO) – A recent uproar has been created by the Right to Information Commission’s disclosure of the executive compensation package of former Sri Lankan Airlines CEO Suren Ratwatte.The disclosure indicated that Ratwatte made approximately US$20,000 monthly basic salary as CEO, plus perks which can be estimated at US$5000 per month. The indicates […]