- The
week that was
Protest meeting at Hyde Park
UNP's
first warning to the govt.
The fourth anniversary of the PA government
falls today, but there was no evidence whatsoever
that the party’s intention to have even
little celebration up to the time that the paper
was going to press. They intend to celebrate it
rather silently.Asked
about this apparent inaction, a government
minister replied that the intention of the
government is to win the people’s goodwill
by performing some useful practical service
rather than having a tamasha.
However, the UNP had decided to
celebrate the fourth anniversary by holding a
protest meeting at Hyde Park against the
postponement of Provincial Council elections.
- In
a competitive economic environment
Labour
laws must promote not hinder investmentIn an economic environment, where
competitiveness is the key to survival,
industrial relations have a significant impact on
a nation's economy. However, it is indeed a
matter for regret that in Sri Lanka there has
been no deregulation in the sphere of Industrial
Relations.
When one discusses business,
investor confidence and expectations are two
matters which must be seriously considered.
Reality demands that if we are to attract
investment, the returns too must be attractive
and hence business profitable. Protectionism that
impinges on the economy is not in keeping with a
liberalized economic policy. Therefore, the
Government of Sri Lanka cannot continue with a
legal framework which would hinder progress in
this direction.
Labour law in Sri Lanka is a
huge handicap to providing opportunities for
economic development in this country. We need to
change the labour laws to suit the socio-economic
plans of the country.
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E G A L W A T C H
Judicial
discretion and minimum sentences
The recent case in
which an Army sergeant was sentenced to seven
years rigorous imprisonment for possessing
indecent photographs of a young child, serves to
highlight some of the positive features as well
as a point of controversy surrounding the recent
strengthening of the laws against child abuse.The start of the legislative reform
process dates back to Act No.22 of 1995 which
introduced a series of measures for the
protection of women and children which,
incidentally, were the first amendments to this
country’s century-old Penal Code.
Among the new measures
introduced was Section 286A(1) which made it an
offence to use children in obscene shows or for
the making of obscene films or photographs, as
well as to sell or distribute such material or,
being a parent or guardian of a child, to permit
the child to be used for any of such purposes.
- War a lame
excuse to postpone elections
Indecision, ad hoc
measures taken on important matters at the spur
of the moment seems to be the order of the day in
certain government activities. The sudden closure
of roads and declaration of holidays without
adequate notice during the SAARC Summit, putting
people into confusion and inconvenience, was one
instance.Take the case
of the postponing of the Provincial Councils
elections. Could not the government have thought
of the security factor beforehand and extended
the terms of the Provincial Councils instead of
dissolving them when their terms have expired.
If they had done that the
present confusion of certain functions performed
by P.C.s being disrupted in the absence of the
elected representatives and Ministers would have
been avoided.
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