Thursday 2nd July, 2026

President Donald Trump is full of himself as he enjoys unified Republican control of the US federal government. He exercises control over the White House and both chambers of the Congress. The composition of the current US Supreme Court (SC) with its conservative majority is also considered favourable to Trump; the apex court is widely viewed as being receptive to his constitutional arguments. Nevertheless, executive powers are far from untrammelled thanks to the robust US Constitution, which helps keep Trump reminded that the US democracy is stronger than he, and he has to be mindful of the separation of powers and act within constitutionally stipulated limits.

Trump’s immigration agenda suffered a huge setback yesterday. In a split decision, the SC has ruled that babies born in the US have a constitutional right to citizenship. This ruling has effectively put paid to Trump’s effort to end a 150-year-old citizenship policy amidst protests. The SC has upheld some of the current crucial immigration policies and helped strengthen Trump’s executive power, but in the present instance, it has stated categorically that all children born in the US “to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment”. Trump and his team took great pains to convince the SC that children of undocumented immigrants and some temporary visitors were not subjected to the jurisdiction of the aforesaid amendment and therefore were not eligible for birthright citizenship. But the court was convinced otherwise.

The birthright citizenship ruling has come close on the heels of an SC judgement that sent the Trump administration reeling. Three days ago, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve’s independence, the US SC foiled President Trump’s attempt to sack Lisa Cook, a governor of the US central bank. In a majority decision, the SC held that the Trump administration had not followed due process, which would have allowed Cook to contest her removal. The case will be sent back to lower courts, and the burden is now on the Trump administration to prove its allegation that Cook committed a mortgage fraud. She has vehemently denied the allegation. Trump has drawn heavy criticism for trying to exert greater control over the US central bank.

The US apex court has given several judgements against the Trump administration during the past several months. It has held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorise the President to impose sweeping tariffs unilaterally. The ruling has invalidated numerous tariffs imposed by Trump, much to the resentment of the White House. The SC has also upheld a Mississippi law that provides for counting ballots that arrive after election day if they are posted on time. Trump and his fellow Republicans did their best to have that grace period removed, but in vain. In another bold decision, the SC ordered the Trump administration to ensure the return of a man who had been mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Trump’s efforts to deploy the National Guard despite objections raised by local and state officials were also foiled by the SC by upholding a lower court’s ruling.

President Trump has also failed to keep the Congress under his thumb. The House of Representatives and the Senate have passed a vital war powers resolution, directing Trump to withdraw US armed forces from hostilities in or against Iran. They have effectively curbed Trump’s military authority and made it mandatory for him to obtain congressional approval for such military campaigns.

Not that all decisions by the US judiciary and the Congress are flawless and welcome. According to legal experts, there have been several key SC decisions that enabled Trump to expand his executive power. The SC has loosened campaign finance restrictions, and this will benefit Republicans, whose election war chest is bulging while Democrats are reportedly in debt. US midterm elections are due in November 2026.

However, the US judiciary and the Congress assert their power and strengthen checks and balances to ensure that the Constitution takes precedence over politics, and the Executive acts with restraint. This is worthy of emulation for countries where executive power is virtually unrestrained, and the Heads of States act in a way that reduces legislators, including senior university professors, to the level of kindergarten children while making accurate predictions about judgements in high-profile cases and keeping key judicial positions vacant for political reasons, with impunity.

Wednesday 1st July, 2026

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has reduced the prices of petrol 92 Octane and auto diesel marginally by Rs. 20 per litre and Rs. 25 per litre, respectively, though global oil prices are hovering near USD 70 (WTI) to USD 73 (Brent) per barrel almost at the pre-Iran war level. Regular petrol and auto diesel are now priced at Rs. 414 per litre and Rs 382 per litre, respectively. Sri Lanka’s oil pricing follows a rockets-and-feathers pattern rather than reflecting actual costs. The JVP-NPP government is accused of behaving like some Pettah wholesalers notorious for price gouging.

Former Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka has urged the government to make public the fuel pricing formula and explain how fuel prices are worked out. Other Opposition politicians ought to join Ranawaka in pressuring the government to ensure transparency in the fuel pricing process. Ranawaka has said that according to his calculations, petrol and diesel now cost the government Rs. 220 per litre and Rs. 235-240 per litre, respectively. He has accused the government of maintaining very high mark-ups and exploiting the public.

Sticky petroleum prices are not the only problem troubling fuel consumers. Fuel quality issues also cause serious concerns to them. They wonder whether fuel is clean and stable and whether they get their money’s worth at the pump. Most of them complain of a drop in fuel efficiency, rough idling, jerking and poor acceleration. Their concerns cannot be dismissed as baseless. There have been numerous instances of fuel contamination due to factors such as water ingress, sediment in underground tanks, improper handling at filling stations and even adulteration of fuel. In a country where shiploads of substandard coal have been imported with impunity, and costly diesel is burnt to meet a generation shortfall at the coal-fired power plant, with additional costs being passed on to the public, anything is possible. Most of all, the CPC has a history of selling low-quality fuel.

One may recall that a special audit, conducted by the Auditor General’s Department, on the procurement of petroleum products by the CPC from 01 June 2011 to 30 June 2012, revealed that gasoline 90 Octane had been purchased at the 92 Octane price, without bargaining or negotiating with suppliers at the bid evaluation stage of the procurement process, to obtain a recommendation on the premium of that product; low quality gasoline (lower than 90 Octane) produced at the refinery of the CPC had been mixed with imported gasoline 92 Octane and that blended product had been distributed all over the country during 2011. The then Petroleum Minister Susil Premjayantha claimed that petrol may have been mixed with rainwater. But the country was experiencing a drought at that time! The present-day ministers also have earned notoriety for making such absurd claims and insulting the intelligence of the public.

In 2019, the National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection alleged that the fuel sold as petrol 92 Octane actually had an octane rating of about 90.5. Subsequent laboratory analyses supported that claim. Last week, we quoted SJB trade unionist and former CPC employee, Palitha Ananda, as having claimed that the CPC refinery was unable to produce petrol with 92 Octane rating by using American crude WTI, and an experiment to produce petrol 92 Octane by using UAE’s Murban crude and WTI had been in vain.

Fuel consumers are in a dilemma. They cannot rely on forecourt brands; it is not advisable to assume that one brand is inherently superior, for fuel is said to pass through the same common-user storage and quality-control system. Petroleum sector experts inform us that fuel is not meaningfully traceable by brand at the pump. It is not possible for ordinary people to have fuel tested, as is obvious, and they have to rely solely on quality assurances given by the CPC, which has tarnished its reputation. It is like asking a suspect to investigate himself.

Tuesday 30th June, 2026

Dengue cases continue to climb despite a countywide campaign to bring them down. The number of dengue patients has exceeded 53,000 so far this year, and 31 of them have already died. The Western Province has recorded the highest dengue case burden (27,833), accounting for about 52.36% of the national tally, with more than 124 MOH (Medical Officer of Health) areas designated as high-risk zones. Health authorities have expressed fear that unless the high incidence of dengue is brought under control urgently, the hospital network may be overwhelmed.

Health authorities are reported to have found that 80% of mosquito breeding sites, identified across the country, are located in public places. About 42% of schools, inspected so far, have been found to have mosquito breeding places. Mosquito larvae density in schools surged to 63% last month, an increase from 23% recorded in April. Mosquito larvae density in government institutions is 28%. Religious places and factories have recorded larvae densities of 24% and 37%, respectively. This is a very serious situation, yet the public seems unconcerned.

Health officials are in overdrive to control the spread of dengue. They have instituted legal action against the individuals who have failed to keep their houses, gardens, factories and business places free from mosquito breeding sites and threatened to prosecute the heads of the state institutions where mosquito larvae have been found. The geographical spread of the dengue burden has made the task of fighting the disease even more challenging, stretching the resources of the health authorities thin. The Health Ministry has stated that the incidence of dengue is alarmingly high in Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Matara, Galle, Hambantota, Kandy, Matale, Badulla, Batticaloa, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts.

The task of eradicating dengue or other such diseases must not be left entirely to the health authorities, and the public has a pivotal role to play in fighting them. Active public participation in dengue eradication is half the battle in making the country safe.

Political battles must not be fought over epidemics. Sadly, the Opposition has been hauling the government over the coals for the high incidence of dengue. The JVP did likewise while out of power; its leaders thundered in Parliament, condemning previous governments for their failure to control dengue. These parties ought to help health officials fight dengue instead of waging political battles.

Some political parties claim to have hundreds of thousands of members. If so, why don’t they ask their ranks and file to help the health workers detect and destroy mosquito breeding sites in their areas, especially in public places? These parties carry out effective door-to-door propaganda campaigns in the run-up to every election, and the question is why they cannot come out in their numbers and take part in dengue control campaigns.

Meanwhile, many mosquito breeding sites have been found in public spaces, and legal action must be taken against the heads of local government institutions that have failed to keep these places free from mosquito larvae. A few days ago, the media reported on several tractor trailers full of garbage parked on the roadside for days in the Kaduwela Municipal Council area. Residents have alleged that municipal workers dump garbage haphazardly, creating mosquito breeding sites in Kaduwela. These allegations must be probed.

Health officials have detected mosquito breeding sites in public spaces in other local council areas as well, especially Colombo, where people are also complaining of a foul smell emanating from Beira Lake. If the existing laws do not provide for legal action against the heads of local government institutions and officials for their failure to eradicate mosquito breeding places in their areas, new legislation must be introduced to hold them accountable and make them face prosecution. Endangering the lives of ratepayers by exposing them to diseases is a serious offence that must not go unpunished.