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GL tells Mahanayake Theras Kandy: Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris yesterday told Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters that the government wanted to put off scheduled Provincial Council elections for six months and hold the presidential election before year end. The Minister has said that the decision to hold the key presidential poll instead of the elections to Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Central, Central, Uva Provincial Councils was taken after a full assessment of the security situation. Both Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Rawatte and IGP W. B. Rajaguru were on record as saying that withdrawal of police from operational areas to provide security for provincial polls will seriously affect the security of the country. The Mahanayakes have told the Minister that they don’t want the government to put off the polls but priority should be given to the ongoing security forces campaign against terrorists in the North and East regions. Mahanayakes last month urged the government to postpone provincial council elections and continue with the campaign against the separatist terrorists. Prof. Peiris further said that the government believed in acting on priority basis. Whether to hold the provincial council elections or continue with the war in the North was the government’s dilemma. He said the war in the North is at a decisive stage. The security services are essential in the north. Withdrawal of army and police from the north is a risk. Hence the proposal of postponement of provincial council elections has been accepted by the government. The Mahanayake Theras told the minister that they had not instructed the government to put off provincial council pools but that priority should be given to the ongoing war in the north. This was the agreement of all four Mahanayake Theras, the prelates of Malwatte, Asgiriya told the Minister. The prelates insisted that the war against the terrorists should not be hampered at any cost. Asgiriya Prelate: The commissioner of Elections has said under present regulations, elections cannot be put off. Prof. Peiris: But the government can overrule decisions of the Commissioner of Elections having taken urgent matters into consideration. Asgiriya Prelate: We were against the provincial councils concept from the very inception. This was a system under the Rajiv-Jayewardene pact as a solution to ethnic conflict. But it has not worked. Even the referendum on the North-East amalgamation after one year period was not held. Prof. Peiris told the prelates that their views will be conveyed to the President. President blaming govt. servants
to cover up her own inefficiency "President Chandrika Kumaratunga has made a degrading speech at the annual sessions of the Officers of the Administrative Service. She will go on record as the first leader in the world who had reprimanded government servants to cover up her own shortcomings. She had attended this meeting on invitation." Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe had observed at a meeting with professionals at the Opposition Leader's office at Cambridge Place last Saturday. A UNP news release quoted Mr. Wickremasinghe as saying that President Kumaratunga had reprimanded the government servants in a despicable manner knowing very well that the government servants have no chance of replying her charges. "The capabilities of our government servants are very high. When I was the Prime Minister I was able to achieve 7 percent economic developmnt while a war was raging, with the help of these government servants. The whole world congratulated us over this achievement. If no fruitful results could be achieved from such a government service the mistake is not with the government servants but due to a incapable President who cannot enforce proper management. If a vehicle cannot be well maintained it is useless reprimanding the vehicle. The most weak and and inefficient President Sri Lanka had since independence is President Chandrika. Her only way to cover up her inefficiency is to put the blame on somebody else, the Opposition Leader claimed. "She had stated in her speech that Sri Lanka was the only country that pays the highest pensions to persons who waste their time eating, drinking and idling. She had warned that payment of pensions in the future would have to be stopped. It is the biggest falsehood to say that Sri Lanka is the only country is the world that pays the highest pensions. It is Western European countries that pay the highest pensions in the world. The highest expenditure incurred in Sri Lanka is not for paying pensions but for the war and settling debts," Mr. Wickremasinghe told the meeting. "A pension is a right of the government servant. It is so with armed and police services. The families of war heroes who laid down their lives for the country are also entitled to pensions. Even disabled war heroes are entitled to pensions. Now the Chandrika government is attempting to curb these pension payments. But the United National Party will never allow that to happen. Pensioners don't have such money as bribes taken with regard to the Air Lanka deal. They don't have the income from arms deals or from underhand dealings from awarding tenders. Pensioners are not persons who eat, drink and idle with any public assistance. It is what they are entitled to after sweating for the country and the society. The persons who eat, drink and idle from public assistance are presently in the government. No head of government since the time of the late D. S. Senanayake had run down the public service like the present President. "It is therefore time that the people in the country be allowed to take a decision on such a Cabinet living on public assistance and on a President trying to cover up her weaknesses and inefficiency by shifting responsibility on someone else. "That is why I asked for a Presidential election in August. Then I can eradicate all these dreadful deeds and build up a peaceful and amiable society", Mr. Wickremasinghe had noted, according to the release. Mahanayake Thera’s reject
committee findings on Maligawa blast The Mahanayaka Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters yesterday rejected findings of the three member committee which investigated the January 25 suicide attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa. They expressed their grave disapproval when Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs and National Integration called on them yesterday (5). The Most Ven. Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi and Palipane Sri Chandananda, Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters respectively told the Minister that the three-man commission holding Kandy police chiefs responsible for the security lapses that led to the bomb blast was totally unjust. The police should not have been held responsible for the shortcomings in the security arrangements the prelates, stressed. The Mahanayake Thera of Asgiriya Ven. Sri Chandananda told the minister that the commission had not made an attempt to find out the authorities who instructed to remove the iron barrier at Raja Veediya the route taken by the bomb laden lorry to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He further said, we have been stressing the vital importance of the army for the Dalada Maligawa security. Police alone were not sufficient. When an attempt was made to remove the army from the Dalada Maligawa security three of us (two Mahanayake Theras and Diyawadana Nilame) during the presidency of D. B. Wijetunge vehemently opposed it. The arrangement was to have 11 (eleven) road barriers on the approach roads to the entrances of the Sri Dalada Maligawa. But those barriers were never put up, the prelate noted. The Mahanayake Thera of Malwatte told the Minister: "I totally reject the blame being put only on the Kandy police for the lapses in the security arrangements that led to the LTTE bomb attack on the Sri Dalada Mali-gawa. "I have already informed the President about my disapproval of the commission report. Bribery Chairman,
Commissioner to be summoned to House The Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to inquire into the activities of the permanent Commission on Bribery and Corruption has decided to summon the Chairman of the Commission, T.A.de S. Wijesundera and Commissioner Rudra Rajasingham before Parliament. Nine charges have been served by the Select Committee on the Chairman and Commissioner of the Commission in writing and they are required to submit their explanations to the Select Committee within two weeks. The Select Committee has also decided to seek assistance from the Attorney General, if necessary. The Select Committee chaired by Minister Dharmasiri Senanayake comprises the following members; Ministers G. L. Peiris, C. V. Gooneratne, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, M.H.M. Ashraff and MPs John Amaratunga, Ronnie de Mel, Tyronne Fernando and R. Sampanthan. The Speaker, on June 23,1998 appointed the Select Committee to investigate and report to Parliament on the allegations referred to in the Resolution placed on the order paper of that day for the presentation of an address to the President requesting the removal of T.A. de S. Wijesundera, from the office of the Chairman of the Commission to investigate into allegations of Bribery or Corruption and Rudra Rajasingham from the membership of the said Commission. The Select Committee will have to complete its sittings within 30 days. LTTE killed Larry as he was
close to the people Major General Larry Wijeratne was killed by the terrorists because he was close to the people of the North, said Prof. G. L. Peiris in his address at the Larry Wijeratne felicitation ceremony held last Thursday. Minister Peiris said that effectively gauging the service rendered by Larry was an impossible task. He forged a relationship between the army and the citizens of the North dispelling all fears the people had of the Army. He used the Army as a tool to help the citizens. In fact he was killed by the terrorists because he was close to the people, Prof. Peiris noted. He also contributed greatly to the functioning of the Judicial affairs in the North. The justice system that was known to have centered around the gun and the lamp post was gradually shifted to the courts by him, he said. Prof. Peiris gifted an album, "Nomiyena Guna Suwanda", a felicitation book and a video to the widow of Maj. Gen. Larry Wijeratna during the ceremony. The felicitation ceremony was also attended by the Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Rohan Daluwatte. Several citizens from the Vadamarachchi area were also present during the ceremony. Lft. Gen Rohan Daluwatte, who spoke during the occasion, described Larry Wijeratne as an officer and a gentleman. Apart from his duties as a soldier he functioned as a unique human being who helped the people who were in areas that were under his command, he said. ‘Larry strove to involve the youth in the north and build them up’, said Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, the President of the National Youth Services Council. He set up about 120 youth camps in the North especially in Vadam- arachchi. He also brought 100 youth from Jaffna to Colombo to promote inter racial relations. Among the other development programs he started was the computer training courses which greatly benefited the youth, he said. Dr Jayampathi Wikramaratne who delivered the keynote address said that Major General Larry Wijeratna was an extraordinary individual who destabilized the terrorists by helping to create political dialogue in the North. Larry was very interested in exposing the people of the North to open political dialogue, because the LTTE could not handle the people having ideas contrary to their own, he said. Dr. Jayampathi described Larry Wijeratne as a person who understood the people in the North more than anyone else. He was a person who knew the needs of the Tamil community and he saw their needs in a new perspective, he said. (NGW) To
strengthen peace, stability in SA- KATHMANDU, July 5 (Reuters) - Pakistan, which conducted a series of nuclear tests in May, said on Sunday it was committed to maintain peace and stability in South Asia. The pledge came in a letter from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Nepali premier Grija Prasad Koirala. The letter was delivered on Sunday by Sharif’s special envoy Akram Zaki, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate of Pakistan. "The letter covered matters of strengthening peace and stability in the South Asian region ...," a statement by the Nepali Foreign Ministry said. Zaki, in Nepal on the first leg of a regional tour, is due to visit Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka on similar missions. Cramming for exams will be
out under new reforms Question papers in the new GCE AL will no longer be designed to cater to "memorizing" under the reformed educational system, the Vice Chairman of the National Education Commission, Prof. K. D. Arulpragasm told a recent seminar on ‘Reforms in Education at the GCE Advanced Level.’ The seminar was held by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science to explain the reforms. Under the proposed reforms, teachers are asked to stop dictating notes as the education is to be student centered and not teacher centered, Prof. Arulpragasm said. The implementation of the reforms to the GCE AL is expected to commence in September this year. The first AL batch who will come into contact with this move would be these sitting for the exam in the year 2000. The major reform in the GCE AL is the reduction of the traditional four subjects to three. Apart from the reduction of subjects, practical and project work have also been introduced as part of the curriculum with a compulsory 80% completion rate for practicals to qualify for application for the GCE AL examination. The new subjects Biology, Mathematics, Combined Mathematics and Higher Mathematics have also been introduced to the AL under the new reforms. Further changes are also to take place in 1999 with more new subjects being introduced, Prof. Arulpragasm said. Science and Society, for Arts students; General English, for all students and Management, for science as well as other students are to be introduced to widen the curriculum, he said. Prof. Arulpragasm said that the Minister of Education plans to make the subject of General English compulsory learning for AL students. However, he said, this does not mean it is to be tested at the exam for University entrance. The new subjects were introduced as part of the diversification of subjects and combinations. The reduction of subjects was done due to the increase of subject content, he said. The minimum aggregate pass mark for students sitting the exam is to be 140 marks. The selection of students to Universities will be based on rank order of the aggregate and passing the Common General Paper also known as the Aptitude test. 40% of the students will be selected to Universities on all island merit basis whereas 55% will be selected on the district quota system, Prof. Arulpragasam noted. Students planning on entering the University are required to sit for the Common General Paper. There has been no change in the numbers taken into university per district. He also claimed that there will be no disadvantages for any student or group. To carry out the required practical work all school labs are to be adequately equipped. The school libraries are also to be strengthened by the World Bank project already underway, he said. A Pupils Record Book is also to be assigned to each student. The PRB is said to hold a comprehensive record of the pupils total performance at school in grades 11 and 12. The records will also include achievements in sports and community interaction. In future employees will be asked to call for the PRB during interviews of school leavers. The establishment of Zonal Monitoring Panels to administer reforms are also to be done, Prof. Arulpragasm said. The monitoring will include teacher assessment, he added. Prof. Laxman Jayathillake The chairman of the NEC who spoke on ‘Educational Reforms’ revealed that a further Technology stream is to be introduced in addition to the existing subject streams of the A Level. The existing streams are Arts, Commerce and Science, whereas the fourth will be introduced within the next two years, he said. The Aptitude test which was renamed the Common General Paper was explained by Prof. S. Widanapatirana of the University of Kelaniya during the seminar. The paper will measure the potential or capacity of a student to benefit from higher education or training, he said. The paper will consist of 60 questions which will exclude general knowledge questions. There will also be no questions on the quiz type, he said. The paper will contain 15 questions each on general awareness, reasoning, problem solving and comprehension/communication, Prof. Widanapatirana said. A pilot paper is said to have been sent to schools in every province and the results are being analysed now, he explained. Land related problems at
Presidential People’s Service The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands unit operating here at the Presidential People's Service in Hanguranketha seems to be unable to cope with the large number of residents who have thronged with their land-related problems. Now the Ministry has decided to hold separated land kachcheris in five Divisional Secretaries areas on 24th and 25th of this month. The land kachcheris will be held in the Nuwara Eliya, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale, Walapone and Hanguranketha Divisional Secretaries' offics on these two days. Thousands of people, men and women, young and old, were seen in slow moving queues in front of the Agriculture and Lands Ministry unit, braving the hot sun. A request was made by Livestock Development and Rural Industries Minister S. Thondaman to hold separate land kachcheries in the predominantly Tamil areas of the Nuwara Eliya district to resolve the land problems of the people, on Saturday. He said that Hanguranketha where the 5th PPS is in progress, the Tamils are a minority and that the land problems of the Tamil predominant areas could be addressed with more ease to both the people and the officers if land kachcheris are held in those areas. Canadian Airlines denies
liability in damags case filed by passenger Canadian Airlines International Ltd, the defendant in a ten million rupee suit denies any liability under the Warsaw convention. This is stated in the answer filed by the defendant airline through Paul Ratnayake Associates in Colombo District Court. In this case, a passenger, Shamilal De Silva Wijewardena has sued the Canadian Airlines International Ltd, for wrongful acts of commission and omission during his flight from Japan to Van- couver. The plaintiff filed the civil suit through Osmar Associates. The Canadian Airline International Ltd., in its answer stated that on the material day, the plaintiff presented himself at the Canadian Airline's connection counter at the Narita Airport, on an examination of the documents, the plaintiff looked different from the photograph appearing in his passport. The secret features of the Canadian visa were questionable in that there was no feel of steel and the intent image "immigration" was not visible. As a result he was handed over as required by the immigration laws to personnel of Air Lanka Ltd., the carrier that had taken the plaintiff to Japan. When a passenger is refused entry into Japan by its immigration authorities, he is deported back to the country of origin in the event a return flight is available and the obligation to secure a return flight is on the airline that carries the passenger to the country refusing entry. If it is found that there is no available flight, the passenger is detained by Japanese immigration officials until return passage can be arranged on the next available flight. The officials of the Canadian Airlines Ltd., contacted Canadian Embassy officials to attempt to expedite the investigation process. The Canadian Immigration Act requires every transpor-tation company to ensure that the persons it brings to Canada are in possession of proper visas, passports and travel documents. In fact, heavy penalties are imposed on airlines that carry passengers with forged documents. The alleged incident did not take place on board the aircraft or in the course of operations of embarking or disembarking. The defendant has no liability in terms of the Warsaw Convention, the answers concluded. Tamil United Liberation Front President, M. Sivasithamparam says that the unpleasant incident that took place in the Kalutara Prisons on Tuesday, the 30th of June, is a matter for deep regret and also deserves condemnation. The real cause for this type of incidents being racial discrimination, all types of discriminations should cease and steps should be taken without any further delay to find a political solution Mr. Sivasithamparam said in a press release. Majority students deny
involvement The majority of Colombo Arts Faculty students who have appealed against their suspension have denied any involvement in the hostage drama. The appeals were called following the suspension of over 100 students after the hostage taking of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts along with several other staff members. Of the appeals on suspensions received so far, about 40 students had denied their involvement, the acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Thilak Hettiarachchi said. Only 10 appeals accepting responsibility have been received, so far he said. Also, a group of parents of the suspended students have reportedly walked into the University last Monday, demanding to see the Vice Chancellor over the recent suspensions saying that their children were not to blame for the hostage taking. The group of about 30 parents were met by university officials, the acting Vice Chancellor said. Unfortunately many of the parents who met the officials had the attitude that their children had done nothing wrong, he said. The university expects the students involved to accept responsibility for the incident and express repentance over the deed, he said. The University is not prepared to accept any other appeal, including the 40 received denying involvement. After the appeals have been received, the Vice Chancellor will review them to take necessary action over the suspensions, the acting Vice Chancellor said. The VC will either reduce the punishment or suspend the sentence, he said. The University has decided to extend the deadline for accepting appeals to today. The university is trying in every way to facilitate the resolving of the matter. We are also trying to get the students back, he said. Of the students involved in the hostage taking a group was forced in to the act, not knowing the gravity of it Prof. Hettiarachchi said. The other group are the leaders who were aware of what was happening. The university expects the students involved to clarify which group they belonged to, he said. The University has now returned to normal and all acadamic activities and examinations are proceeding without hindrance, the acting VC said. Committed suicide as police
arrested wife A resident of Kataragama committed suicide after police arrested his wife. The peasant, K. Sirisena, had earlier climbed a tree and tied a noose around his neck demanding suitable accommodation for him and his family by relevant authorities. He was joined in the protest by his wife and five children as they stood under the tree displaying posters with their demands written on them. The police had later arrived at the scene and torn the posters promptly arrested the man’s wife who was pregnant. He had then appealed to the police to release his wife; when the police did not comply he hung himself by jumping from the tree, according to reports. The incident occurred at about 8.00 A. M. on Sunday. The body of the deceased is at the Kataragama District Hospital. Further investigations are being carried out by the Kataragama Police. Case against Wildlife
Protection Society AGM The case filed against Wildlife and Nature Protection Society to restrain the holding of its Annual General Meeting comes up for inquiry before Colombo District Court on July 27. A committee member of the Society Milinda Anura Bandara Morahella is the plaintiff in the case. Earlier Court issued an enjoining order restraining the Society from holding its annual general meeting fixed for May 2, 1998. The application for the enjoining order was supported by President's Counsel S. A. Parathalingam. The Defendant Society filed the objections and it was argued by Nihal Jayamanna (PC) with Hemantha V. Sitige. The plaint stated that the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society was established for the prevention of harmful commercial exploitation of species of wild animals and plants wherever desirable and possible, to assist in protecting nature in all its forms such as landscapes, soil, water , etc. and to establish private wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves. In terms of cause 8 (a) of the constitution of the Society it is mandatory that the General Secretary give 21 days notice of the Annual General Meeting. On April 9, 1998, a notice appeared in the Daily News stating that the Annual General Meeting will be held on May 2, 1998. The said notice is nall and void as no notice has been given to the general membership in terms of the constitution, no agenda has been notified and no minutes of the general committee meeting had been circulated, the plaint stated. The statement of objections of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society filed through De Silva and Gunasekera stated that denied the averments in the plaint. The plaintiff has misrepresented material facts in obtaining the enjoining order. On the balance of convenience of the parties the defendant Society would suffer grave hardship and prejudice if the interim injunction is granted, the objections stated. The 'fast unto death' by the Eastern Province Unemployed Graduates Association which was launched on June 30 at Trincomalee opposite the North East Province Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs and Sports Office continued for the 6th day yesterday without any settlement. Meanwhile, one of the participants who was unconscious was taken to the Trincomalee and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for treatment. Two others are in a state of unconsciousness. It was reported that the Governor, North East Province Gamini Fonseka has submitted all the particulars in this connection to the President and is awaiting a reply. Golden
haul Six Indian tourist passengers from Singapore bound to Madras who arrived aboard an Air Lanka flight on Saturday at the BIA were taken into custody by customs for attempting to smuggle out gold jewellery worth Rs. 640,000. The haul included 68 gold chains and 32 gold rings. The suspects who were waiting to enplane next morning for Madras were searched on suspicion by Custom officials. The gold jewellery was found hidden in their possession. The gold jewellery was forfeited. Deputy Director of Customs, J. H. Abayratne and a team of customs officials carried out investigations. |
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