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UNP for postponing PC elections if
Presidential polls held in November Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe declared that his party will support the move to postpone Provincial Council polls on the condition that President Chandrika Kumaratunga gives an assurance that the government will go in for a Presidential election in November. The UNP will support the call to put off the PC elections only under this condition, Mr. Wickremasinghe told a public meeting at Kiribathtalawa in Udispattuwa on Saturday afternoon. 'The President is making arrangements to hold the PC elections, after being elected to office four years ago. But now she finds that she cannot face this election. In 1994 she won the Presidential election 'by force'. This time she won't be able to win even 'by force'. That's why she is trying to put off the Provincial Councils poll even prior to the Presidential election, the Opposition leader claimed. He said that if the President wanted to postpone the PC elections, she could have asked for his views before the term of the Provincial Councils expired. She is now seeking my assistance in desperation. As she finds it difficult to face the election and win it, she is now trying to postpone the poll. Putting off the poll means a violation of the democratic rights of the people. What I can do at this stage is to table the proposal before the Executive Committee of the UNP. There is yet another suggestion I can make. If the President is willing to hold the Presidential election next June I am ready to support any amendment. I will help the government to obtain a two-thirds majority', he said. The UNP leader challenged the President to face him at an election and win. I wish to tell her that she won't be able to bag even 26 percent of the votes although she received 62 percent during the last election. That is the reason she is hiding at Temple Trees. After the next Presidential poll, the people will find 'former President Chandrika' flying out of the country aboard an Air Lanka-Emirates flight! Mr. Wickremasinghe asserted. The government should not play around with democracy. The UNP will strongly oppose any move to crush democracy. The UNP is the major Opposition party in the country. It's the single-most strongest party in the Opposition.The Opposition means the UNP, he added. Kandy district MP Tissa Attanayake, Teldeniya UNP organiser, D. M. Karunaratne and chairman, Dumbara Pradeshiya Sabha, A. B. Madugalle were among those present. National hospitals in every
district The programme to establish a National Hospital in each district, of the country aimed at providing better health care services to difficult areas will be launched with the conversion of the Hambantota Base Hospital into a National Hospital next month, Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Nimal Siripala de Silva told 'The Island'. This programme, according to the Minister, is being launched in accordance with a recommendation made in the National Health Policy. The conversion of a base hospital into a National Hospital will cost around Rs. 300 million. "Under the project, National Hospitals will emerge in each of district and Hambantota and Polonnaruwa National Hospitals will be the first to be set up as a pilot project. Funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will also be utilized for this project in addition to capital from state coffers. "By making medical consultants and modern medical equipment and other necessary facilities available in rural areas, the government can ensure satisfactory curative services to poor residents of those under-developed areas and the prevailing congestion at hospitals in Colombo and other major towns will ease. These proposed National Hospitals will be equipped with special units such as neuro surgical, surgical, paediatrics, gynaecology, etc; the Minister assured. These National Hospitals will be placed under the Central Health Ministry and doctors, nurses, MLTs and other employee categories who will be trained in due course are expected to be recruited after the establishment of these hospitals, Minister de Silva said. Cholera spreading in Polonnaruwa
area Two suspected Cholera patients have died and eleven more persons suffering from acute diarrhoea have been admitted to the Polonnaruwa base hospital as the threat of cholera is raising its head in Polonnaruwa, hospital sources said. The condition of one of the patients is critical and he has been taken into the intensive care unit of the hospital according to the sources. Nine of eleven patients who are under hospitalisation have consumed meals from the same hotel in Dambulla on the same day. The first suspected cholera victim died last Wednesday and was identified as S. R. Sirisena (53) a father of three children from Divulankadawala. "We sent stool samples of all patients to the medical research institute in Colombo for testing. After the reports are received we can confirm whether the epidemic was Cholera or not. Until such time we have taken all precautionary measures possible to prevent the spread of the disease" Dr. L. P. S. Jayaweera D. M. O. Polonnaruwa base hospital told 'The Island' yesterday. "We have already separated the patients. We spray chemicals to minimise homeflies and also increased the quantity of Chlorine in drinking water, he explained. "There are three reasons to suspect this to be cholera. They are, all these patients have taken meals from the same hotel in Dambulla on the same day, cholera was spreading in Matale to which Dambulla is very close and all patients are suffering severe watery diarrhoea' the DMO said. Health authorities are making arrangements to educate the public on precautionary measures to be taken in view of the cholera threat. Wijeyapala's suspension - UNP maintains no
split in party Senior UNP members maintained that there was no division within the party although some disagreed with last Friday's working committee decision to temporarily suspend veteran partyman Wijeyapala Mendis. Messrs Tilak Marapona [secretary - professions], Colombo District MP Susil Munasinghe [assistant treasurer], Monaragala District MP R. M. Dharmadasa Banda [Deputy Whip], Ratnapura District MP Nanda Mathew [Deputy Whip], Anuradhapura District MP A. M. S. Adikari [Advisor] Prof. Stanley Kalpage and Puttalam District MP Festus Perera [Advisor] have abstained along with the leader of the Gampaha District UNP Organisation Anura Bandaranaike, former Speaker M. H. Mohamed and former party chairman A. C. S. Hameed. Two working committee members, Munasinghe and National List MP K. N. Choksy both declined to comment on the Friday's meeting. Both explained that although newspapers have already reported on the meeting, they did not want to add further. Except for Bandaranaike, all three MPs representing Gampaha District have voted against Mendis. Messrs John Amaratunga, Joseph Michael Perera and National List MP Dr. Jayalath Jayewardene have voted against. Informed sources said that there were indications at the beginning of the working committee meeting that many planned to oppose the move against Mendis. However they have not voted against it, instead abstained after a Colombo District MP pointed out that the party leader has endorsed recommendations made by the committee headed by general secretary Gamini Atukorale." If they voted against it would have been disastrous for the leadership," another source said adding that the leader voted for the suspension along with chairman Karu Jayasuriya, Gamini Atukorale, Milroy Perera [Treasurer], Daham Wimalasena, Daya Pelpola. Forty five members voted against Mendis. An UNP official last Thursday told The Island that Mendis has requested the party not to take up the Atukorale report next day in view of his case against the findings of the Special Presidential Commission [SPC]. However the party despite indicating that it may agree to his request has placed the matter before the working committee. The parliamentary group was scheduled to meet today. The group was expected to discuss the appointment of a new Chief Opposition Whip, a post held by Mendis. It was not clear whether one of Mendis' deputies or an assistant was to get the post. Both his deputies, R. M. Dharmadasa Banda and Nanda Mathew did not support suspension on Mendis. However all three assistants, A. H. M. Azwer, Ravindra Samaraweera and Piyasoma Upali voted against Mendis. Political sources said that the top leadership was likely to delay the appointment. Others disagreed. The Writ application filed by Mendis , challenging the findings made against him, will be supported before the Supreme Court today. The petitioner has sought a Writ of certiorari quashing the findings of the commission headed by Supreme Court judge P. R. P. Perera. Those who voted against Mendis admit that the majority of seniors backed the Gampaha District MP. Messrs Mohamed, perhaps the senior most UNP politician, along with Hameed, Adikarai and Festus Perera, all key members of the late JR Jayewardene government did not support action against Mendis. Of the old guard, messrs Ronnie de Mel, P. Dayaratne, Alick Aluvihare, M. S. Amarasiri, Tyronne Fernando, Harold Herath, W. J. M. Lokubandara, Gamini Jayawickrema and Gamini Lokege voted against Mendis. I did not run away when the
party was going through bad times Gampaha District's UNP MP Wijayapala Mendis yesterday told his supporters that some people in the party believed that the party hierarchy was taking revenge from him because he supported Late Gamini Dissanayake's candidacy for the 1994 Presidential elections. He said he was only abiding by the decision of his own party which was of the view that Gamini Dissanayake should be the UNP's Presidential candidate for 1994 Presidential elections. "I was duty bound to stand by party decisions and there was nothing other than supporting the party's candidate", he said. Party Members of Local Government bodies in the Katana electorate leaders of UNP organisations, members of women's and youth organisations and members of the Katana UNP organisation took part in the meeting held at his home Sunday morning. Mendis convened the meeting to explain the political developments surrounding him following the findings of the Presidential Commission and the party's recent decision to suspend his party membership. He told the gathering that he has challenged the findings of the Presidential Commission in the Supreme Court and that he is not free to make any elaborate statements. "However, I will reveal everything to the Supreme Court and till then you must not get overly upset about things", he told his supporters. He said "My only son laid down his life for the United National party. On June 19, we were due to commemorate him. On the very same day I received a "reward" from the party. That was the suspension of my membership after serving 50 long years for the party". "The United National Party has declared that in principle it would not accept the reports of Presidential Commission of Inquiry. But they are out to punish me on the basis of the so-called findings of such a Commission. The resolution to implement the recommendations of the Commission was introduced by the People's Alliance. Now a group of the United National Party itself is carrying it on their shoulders. "Some UNPers want me to fade out from the party without a hum. I am not a man who runs away from problems. When the UNP was going through its worst set backs, I stood by the party braving even threats to my life. "Some members of the UNP are unaware of the path trodden by the party for 50 years. Some believe that I am being hunted for supporting Late Gamini Dissa-nayake's candidature for the 1994 Presidential elections. "But it was my duty to support the party's choice for the Presidential elections. I did not run away when the party was going through its bad times. "I cannot say much more because I have brought before the Supreme Court, the injustice caused to me and the case is pending. "I loved the UNP in the past. I love it now and I will continue to love it in the future too. "Therefore I am asking all my supporters not to be alarmed and to be patient", he said in conclusion. Several others also spoke. Minister's driver and
security officer killed in car accident A driver and a security officer of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Rajapakse were killed when a Peoplised Transport Service bus rammed into one of the back-up vehicles of the Cabinet Minister's convoy around 11.30 a.m. at Parakaduwa, Galahitiyawa on the Colombo-Ratnapura road on Saturday. Three others who were also in the vehicle were seriously injured, police said. The driver of the back-up vehicle was killed on the spot and the security officer had succumbed to his injuries before admission to Ratnapura hospital, police said. The bus had been on its way to Monaragala from Colombo at the time of the mishap. The driver of the bus was also injured and admitted to the Ratnapura hospital. Minister Rajapakse had been returning to Colombo after attending the funeral of the father of UNP General Secretary Gamini Atukorala at the time of the accident. The two victims who lost their lives were identified as Abeysinghage Kumudu (27) and Vanniarachige Albert (32). Army take over of buses leads to
strike The strike by private bus operators in Polonnaruwa entered its fourth day yesterday. People faced immense difficulties as private transport services remained paralysed. Private bus operators launched the strike last Thursday to protest against commandeering of their buses by the military after the army took over 17 private buses and 5 Peoplised Transport buses for their use. Several rounds of talks took place between army and representatives of bus operators during past three days and the Army had expressed their willingness to return the buses. "However the strike continues as the buses were not returned as promised" U. D. Titus, a bus operator told "The Island". "We do not want to drag this issue, as thousands of passengers are facing difficulties. We hope to meet Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera the division commander at Minneriya to settle the issue", he added. Meanwhile Rajarata Bus Company tried to cope with the situation, by deploying more buses to transport the stranded passengers at Kaduruwela and Polonnaruwa. Mr. Maithreepala Sirisena, Minister of Mahaweli Development and MP Polonnaruwa district also held talks with bus operators and army to settle the strike. Defamation case against
'Messenger' Colombo Archbishop Rev. Nicholas Marcus Fernando and Rev. Fr. Bertram Dabrera, the first and the second defendants in a defamation suit against the newspaper "Messenger", a weekly publication of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka has denied the averments in the plaint and sought an order that the case be rejected for it was not in conformity with imperative provisions of the Civil Procedure Code and that the publication referred to is privileged. In this case, a former public servant, Francis Pietersz has filed a suit through Perera and Abeynaike claiming Rs. 1,000,000 damages allegedly for publishing an article defamatory of him in the 'Messenger' dated June 23, 1996. The answers of the defendant priests filed by Prasanna Goonewardena and Co., stated that there was no cause of action set out against the 1st and the 2nd defendants. There is a misjoinder of defendants. The proprietor of the 'Messenger' is the Archbishop of Colombo who is a corporate body. The plaintiff cannot have and maintain the action against the 1st defendant. The defendants are unaware of the averments that the said article refer to the plaintiff. The defendants deny the averments that the words published in the said article are per se defamatory. They deny the averment that the said article was published maliciously. The defendants pleaded that the plaintiff's action be dismissed. M. H. P. Perera appeared for the plaintiff. Romesh de Silva (PC) with Hiran de Alwis instructed by Prasanna Goonewardene and Co., appeared for the defendants. Malpractices
probe During cross examination of recalled witness, W. K. B. Weragama, Additional Solicitor General, Saleem Marsoof in a formal admission said the case presented by the state is not that the former GMR culpably delayed drafting the documents from his office to the Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Highways. He added, it was the author of the fax who had the impression that there was a delay on the part of the GMR. The commission comprises Justice P. R. P. Perera (chairman), Justice H. S. Yapa and Justice F. N. D. Jayasuriya. Former GMR P. W. A. K. Silva is the party noticed in the inquiry. Mr. Silva who served GMR from 1991-1994 was accused of misuse of power during his term of office. He has been required to show cause as to why he should not be found guilty of misuse of power for certain acts in respect of transactions related to the establishment and functioning of John Holland International Ltd. of Australia. Ranjit Abeysuriya P. C. with Ms. Priyadarshani Dias appeared for the party noticed. Saleem Marsoof, Additional Solicitor General with Ajith Wickramaratne assisted the commission. S. K. P. Bambarande is the secretary to the commission. Commission resumed proceedings at the Superior Courts Complex last Friday (19). Ranjit Abeysuriya: Your evidence was that the committee comprising of Pathirage, Samaranayake, Bandara and you as chairman sent its report dated November 23, 1990 to Mr. Silva ? - Yes. Q: Thereafter you had no occasion to look into the claim until a Cabinet Tender Board was appointed several months later ? - Not the claim made in April '90, but there was another letter sent in August '91. That was referred to me. Q: So until mid '91, you had no occasion to consider the claim that was made in April '90? - Yes. Q: You said according to your state of knowledge in the month of December '90, this claim from John Holland was in the office of the GMR?- Yes. Q: That was until you saw for yourself, in the witness box that, that in fact the GMR had put his report on December 4. '90? - Yes. Q: Now do you admit that there was no culpable delay on the part of GMR Silva in passing on to his superiors the report submitted by your committee?- I still say that there was. Q: Is your report dated November 23?- Yes Q: Are you saying that there was culpable delay at that stage?- At some stage. Q: Approximately two weeks from the date Silva received your report he sent it to the Secretary, Ministry of Transport (Nov. 23- Dec.) Do you think that amounts to a culpable delay on the part of the GMR? - No, I don't think so. Q: It was only after you got into the witness box that you realised that Silva had sent up the report on December 4? - Yes. Q: Until that stage, your knowledge was that the report was lying in Silva's office?-Yes, my knowledge was a result of the facts that were stated in the fax. Chairman: Apart from the fax, did you have any other information that the report was in the GMR's office? - What Mahinda Seneviratna told me. The letter from the GMR to the Secretary had been sent on December 4, where there was no delay on the part of the GMR. Subsequently the Secretary on the same day or on the following day had made an endorsement to the GMR requesting him to forward a fresh cabinet paper on the recommendation of the committee. That letter (P187) is dated January 24. That was where the delay had occurred. That is mentioned in the fax. Justice Jayasuriya: The amendment to the Cabinet memorandum was forwarded only on January 24? - The GMR's letter is dated January 24, but we don't know when the Secretary received it. Based on the date itself there is a delay of one month. During the course of the proceedings a copy of letter dated December 14, '90 is produced. The letter is addressed to resident project manager, MacGregor by Weragama. Q: In the letter you sate that "the devaluation claim is under consideration." When you stated that, you were not precisely aware at which stage or under who the claim was being considered by? - I was not aware and even if I was aware I would not have communicated that with the contractor. Q: Do you know when the Secretary of Transport requested the GMR to take action in regard to the devaluation claim? - Yes, because when I was giving evidence, the letter with the handwritten endorsement of the Secretary was shown to me. The endorsement was dated December 21. The handwritten endorsement requests the GMR to " redraft with regard to tender procedures, default clauses and penalty alterations." At the this point, Additional Solicitor General, Saleem Mar-soof pointed out that the case presented by the state is not that the GMR culpably delayed drafting the documents from his office to the Secretary, Ministry of Transport. He added that the state of mind of the author of the fax, was that there was a culpable delay on the part of the GMR. At this admission cross examination on whether there was a delay or not was stopped. A letter written by MacGregor dated December 17 was shown to witness. The letter was addressed to the then Secretary to the Treasury, Paskara-lingam. Copies of the letter had been sent to GMR and the Secretary, Ministry of Transport. Q: The letter states that the GMR and staff of Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) had been very cooperative on the matter of the claim made by John Holland on April 7,1990. He also highlights the financial constraints that they have been subjected to as a result of the bank overdraft not being available quickly - Yes Q: They had an overdraft facility with a limit of 10 million rupees, but circumstances compelled them to exceed the limit - Yes Q: Owing to Central Bank regulations, if they cannot make the payment they will have to close down the factory?- Yes Chairman: Was the stoppage of work due to the financial constraints or a delay on the part of SLR officials? - It was not on the part of SLR officials . They were not ready with overdraft facilities from the bank and were finding it difficult to run the factory without the facilities. Justice Jayasuriya: If the devaluation claim was considered and granted, the money would have gone to the bank and the overdraft limit brought down. Then John Holland could have continued business until the limit?- Yes, they should have managed their cash flow accordingly. A letter dated January 3, 1991 was produced by the Counsel for the party noticed. The letter addressed to GMR Silva stated several reasons for the cessation of work in December '90. The letter also refers to a fax, dated January 9, sent by GMR Silva. Subsequently the tele-fax (P148) sent by GMR Silva to the John Holland head office in Perth, Australia was shown to witness. Q: GMR Silva in the tele-fax states the following Messrs. John Holland, " ...having said that the local cost component of the contract is not subject to any variation in strict compliance of the terms of the contract, we have yet considered your claim for local cost increases and have recommended to government financial authorities for required sanction with a view to granting a justifiable redress." GMR Silva specifically informed John Holland head office that the claim has " been recommended to government financial authorities". With this clear statement before them, they would never have sent a fax saying that the report was lying in the GMR's office for six weeks. The fax was the work of someone who was totally unaware of what happened between the GMR and John Holland. It was also pointed out that ultimately 10 per cent of the local component increase amounting to 4.7 million rupees was approved for payment. Commission is proceeding. |
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