Asoka Obeyesekere

Barrister - Fmr ED @TISrilanka - MPA'ing @Kennedy_School - All things Open Gov (@manthrilk) - TEDx - - RT ≠ endorsement

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

One small step forward #ApeSalli #lka

[Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) @tisrilanka]

RTI Commission grants access to asset declaration of @RW_UNP - awaiting the release of the declaration by the office of President @MaithripalaS - A major victory for #RTIsl and accountability of public representatives - #ApeSalli #EmathuPanam #lka

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

SL Javelin Star Rumesh Pathirage came second at the latest Diamond League event - some serious talent - even the commentator is excited. A few good years and Olympics 2028 here we go! 😀

https://t.co/fXQtXAcmQ7

[Javier Blas @JavierBlas]

CHART OF THE DAY: The size of the 🇨🇳 Chinese strategic petroleum reserve is mind blowing: larger than 🇺🇸 US + 🇯🇵 Japan + the whole of 🇪🇺 Western Europe combined.

Via @EIAgov — more: https://t.co/bZVjzOHL7Z

[The Gratiaen Trust @gratiaentrust]

The longlist unfolds!

The longlist gathers a compelling range of work, each piece offering its own texture, its own urgency, its own way of seeing.

The journey takes on new meaning from here.

#GratiaenTrust #GratiaenPrize #Longlist #SriLankanLiterature #LiteraryExcellence

[Nishan de Mel @NCdeMel]

The fuel queues are not necessary. So why? and how to end them?

@VeriteResearch has three simple suggestion to improve coordination

1. Add a Timing Restriction on access
2. Reduce Frequency of access
3. Increase Volume per access

Read below to learn how this works

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

A reminder that star points expire tomorrow. You can donate them using the mydialog app. Just open the app, click on the menu icon (bottom right hand corner) and select "star loyalty" and then "donate points". You can select from a list of charities to donate your points towards.

[Arutha @AruthaResearch]

Budget is in less than an hour. Follow this thread for live tweets. #BudgetLK #Budget2026 #lka

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

The best way to spend Rs.3600 ($12) is to get an annual subscription to @ExaminerLK - in its weekly email it has an amazing Diary with a rundown of events taking place in SL (mainly in Colombo). There are so many things happening which I would otherwise 100% miss. Don't miss out!

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

The Athletics World Championships 100m Semi-finals (men's and women's) start at 4.50pm and the finals are at 6.50pm Sri Lanka time today (Sunday). You can watch on this link.

https://t.co/P631y6eTjE

Register for free and you can watch it live.

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

An excellent 20 min snapshot from @UmeshMoramudali on the current public debt situation in SL & its bearing on the coming years - watch from 2m15s to 23m35s. He has simplified things for non-economists like me. Great work by the team at @AruthaResearch. https://t.co/7BRdW566Dd

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

Some things change, some things stay the same 🙂

[Deshal de Mel @deshald]

983 days. 3 Presidents. 3 Finance Ministers. 1 team. Sri Lanka is back.

https://t.co/Ur8AS9BmED

[Nuwan I. Senaratna @nuuuwan]

COLOMBO

For those of us who call #Colombo home, the city can sometimes feel a bit too familiar—mundane, even dull. We might long for something different, something exotic—perhaps the thrill of distant horizons and foreign streets, reached only by the wings of an airplane.

But perhaps that is because we have grown accustomed to seeing only one incarnation of Colombo, forgetting that this city lives many.

On weekends, I indulge in what I like to call a “Random Walk” through the city. Not mathematically random, but whimsically so—I let my feet wander where they please, where direction bows to curiosity.

Today, my path unveiled four—perhaps even five—of Colombo’s
many incarnations.

I strolled through alleys reminiscent of the ancient bazaars of Istanbul, then found myself before pompous facades akin to those in the storied Square Mile of London. Around another corner, I glimpsed shadowy, timeworn buildings that could belong in the hills of old Lisbon. And then, the city is reborn again, revealing a modern seafront not unlike San Francisco.

Of course, each of these scenes always bare unmistakable stamps of #SriLanka. You will not find a purveyor of Saaravita on the steps of the Bank of England or the Castelo de São Jorge, will you?

Sadly, my journey was shared by only a handful of true locals. Most of the others I encountered were the influencer mob—clad in their gaudy costumes, chasing the perfect shot for TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. Soon, I imagine, their filtered reductions of Colombo will surface online. And you might even see them.

But I urge you—put down your phone. Better yet, delete these apps entirely. Instead, step out into your city. You will not need elusive visas or exorbitant air tickets. Just lace up and walk.

Colombo looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels best in the flesh.

[Nuwan I. Senaratna @nuuuwan]

#POPULATION of #SriLanka

Here's the "One-Map" version.

- 50% live in GNDs that cover just 7% of the area
- 49% on 65%
- 1% on 28%

[FactCheck.lk @factchecklka]

On November 21, President @anuradisanayake made several claims in the Policy Statement of the NPP Government. How accurate were his claims?

Keep reading to find out!

[Iromi Perera @iromip]

Rarely do politicians remember that the working classes also have a right to leisure, entertainment, joy - life is not all about working all day to make ends meet. GoSL must create these environments also. I look forward to NPP bringing this empathy to Parliament.

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

If you want to see all the candidates and their preferential vote numbers in your district - check out this really easy to use @ManthriLK candidate finder https://t.co/iVhbzbH7lS

[Shamara Wettimuny @shamara4w]

As we gear up for our second election within weeks of each other, I've returned to #SriLanka's first election in 1911- for the single seat of an 'Educated Ceylonese'. The contest was between 2 candidates - Ponnambalam Ramanathan and Marcus Fernando. (1)

[luwie niranjan @LuwieNiranjan]

The shortest time for the election to take place from the date of dissolution of Parliament is 52 days (5 weeks + 17 days). The longest time period it can be is 66 days (7 weeks + 17 days), So whoever is PM would only hold that office for 52 - 66 days. (4/7)

[Asoka Obeyesekere @asokao]

This is a very good live infographic of the cumulative votes of the presidential candidates.
https://t.co/noEkeGrCbK

[ManthriLK @ManthriLK]

The Vote to Seat Tracker 2024 is now ONLINE‼️
Visit https://t.co/MHjaIJ8hF2 to access the 2024 presidential election results live.
🎯Our tracker is your one-stop platform for all presidential election results.
🎯Get live updates and district and division-wise analysis to understand how the nation voted.
🎯See how the candidates might be represented in parliament at the next general election.
#PresidentialElection2024 #LiveUpdates
🔗To access the Vote to Seat Tracker 2024:https://t.co/FB7eHnDPo9

[ManthriLK @ManthriLK]

🎯Election results just got more exciting!
Tomorrow, for the first time in Sri Lanka, we’re launching a cutting-edge vote tracker that gives you live updates, district-wise vote breakdowns, and much more.
Stay tuned to learn more❗️
#PresidentialElection2024 #FirstOfItsKind