The Worst

Minister Rauf Hakeem was almost prevented from attending an event in Akkaraipattu today when certain elements tried to create a roadblock with burning tyres on the roads. Police were deployed as the situation was becoming serious. Rauf Hakeem is the leader of the SLMC and a Minister of Parliament. As a Muslim leader, he has been instrumental in securing many rights for Muslims in the past years. His active participation in Sri Lankan politics has ensured that the minority Muslim population are not denied their rights in a otherwise very volatile environment. Unfortunately, riots have had a home in Akkaraipattu in the recent past; and certain elements have developed an animosity towards Rauf Hakeem due to his success in securing the rights of the Muslims. It was prudent to control the situation before any large scale demonstrations or protests took place which could have easily become out of hand.

The Best

The European Union is coming under pressure from retailers in the UK to not take away the GSP plus scheme for Sri Lanka. The EU has been debating whether to remove the GSP plus privileges for Sri Lanka due to the recent alleged human rights violations by the government over the minority Tamils during the last stages of the LTTE war. UK shops are now warning that relegation of the GSP privilege to Sri Lanka will increase consumer prices in the UK making sales even more difficult in a market that is already in deep recession. This is good news for Sri Lanka as the GSP plus scheme has been instrumental to key developments in the country. The continuation of the scheme will ensure that Sri Lanka will continue to see growth which will be even more marked due to the end of the war.

The Worst

Mihin Lanka, the ill-fated budget airline of President Mahinda Rajapakse is now reported to be running at a monthly loss of Rs 1.8 million. It's losses as of today amount to Rs 3 billion. It is a shame that the government keeps spending the tax payers money on a veutre that has failed before, and is continuing to fail again. SOme say that nefarious reasons to swindle money in collusion with bad management have led to the loss of this company. If the public monies are going into someone elses pocket, we demand that the person be brought to justice. Ironically, if the people involved are in the highest offices of the country, justice is merely a word to be printed until that person leaves office. Oh well...that's the way the wheel turns in Ol Lanka.

The Best

Ironically, the best news also comes from the aviation industry. Air Asia, the world's largest budget airline has decided to set up its regional base in Sri Lanka. Air Asia has announced that it intends to use the base for flights to Europe and South Asia. In additional to the direct revenue due to employment and tourism; the indirect benefits by the exposure of Sri Lanka to visitors as well as the influence of foreigners on Sri Lankans will help the development process tremendously.