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Previous Governor resigns
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Previous Governor
resigns President Chandrika Kumaratunga has appointed Mr. Siripala Jayaweera as the new Governor of the North Western Province with immediate effect. Mr. Jayaweera has been appointed in place of Hector Arawwawela who resigned as NWP Governor on Monday. The reason behind Mr. Arawwawela’s sudden decision to step down is still not clear. He submitted his letter of resignation to President Kumaratunga on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, government sources indicated that Mr. Arawwawela is expected to be appointed to another post by the government. After the People’s Alliance came to power, Mr. Arawwawela was appointed NWP Governor in 1995. He had a series of reported disagreements with the then UNP administered North Western Provincial Council during its tenure. Mr. Arawwawela’s resignation comes at crucial time with the NWP PC polls which is just 20 days away. His successor, Siripala Jayaweera is a senior administrative officer and has served in several state institutions. Midweek Politics Despite the consensus reached between parliamentarians from the People’s Alliance government and the opposition United National Party almost on the eve of new year to shun violence during the polls campaign in the North Western Province, violence between the two factions escalated during the past few days. The latest clash was reported from Kobeigane where parliamentarians from the two sides flocked to the police station to complain about the clashes. It was reported that the tyres of the jeep of a UNP parliamentarian who was at the police making his complaint was allegedly ripped by PA supporters who stormed into the police station premises. Last week some PA cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and PA candidates engaged in the polls campaign in the Puttalam District brought to the notice of President Chandrika Kumaratunga that a PA parliamentarian in the district who has already fifty two cases pending in court for alleged criminal involvement had threatened one of their own candidates. PA sources said that this MP popularly known as ‘Thalagoya’ in the parliamentary circles has threatened the PA candidate in Anamaduwa to close down his campaign office. The wife of this MP and another close relative are two candidates contesting the area and PA sources described it as a home and home battle for preferential votes. A deputy minister who visited the area on New Year’s eve quipped, "The Thalagoya has now turned to be a Kabaragoya who not only threatens UNPers but also our people". The police described the scenario in the province as being tense with only twenty days to go for the election. Both the government and the UNP are at full strength in the province to fight out this election which would be the prelude to the elections in the other five provinces. The UNP is unhappy over the recent police transfers in the province which began with the sudden transfer of the Deputy Inspector General of Police Camilus Abeygunewardene. Mr. Abeygunewardene maintains that the Inspector General of Police was keen to have him in Colombo as DIG (Traffic). He added that the transfer order was made at a time which coincided with the elections there. "Any person can say anything but my position is that I was due to come to Colombo to the traffic base again", DIG Abeygunewardene asserted. The Governor of the North Western Province Hector Arrawwawela resigned his post in a surprise move on Monday afternoon. A successor was appointed the following morning with the government not wasting time as it did to fill the same post in the North East Province when the former Governor Gamini Fonseka resigned. Unlike in the instance of the resignation of Mr. Fonseka, no reasons were made public over the resignation of Mr. Arawwawela. The state controlled media only announced that the NWP Governor had resigned and his successor would be taking oaths last morning. On the contrary, Mr. Fonseka who battled for justice over a period of time to uphold the dignity of the office of the Governor gave in his resignation immediately when President Kumaratunga indirectly hinted over the print media that she did not wish to keep any person in office against that person’s wishes. Mr. Fonseka within minutes sent in his resignation letter stating that he too was a person who did not wish to be in office against his wishes. Thereafter, as stated in his letter he wrote a detailed letter to the President giving reasons for his resignation but the contents were never publicised over the state media. The former NWP Governor Hector Arrawwawela could not be contacted yesterday either at Kurunegala nor at his residence in Colombo, for comments. According to some sources the former Governor was unhappy over the recent administrative changes and transfers in the province since the election campaign was launched. Sources from the Governor’s office stated that the resignation letter of the Governor was not prepared in his office and they had no knowledge of the Governor’s resignation. Mr. Arawwawela becomes the second Governor appointed by the PA to resign before completing the full period in office. The first was Mr. Gamini Fonseka. Meanwhile, United Lalith Front Leader Srimani Athulathmudali who has now decided to go the PA way like her partymen Monty Gopallawa, P. B. G. Kalugalle, Ediriweera Premaratne (after winning the battle in the Supreme Court) suspended her party General Secretary V. M. S. Nanayakkara and announced that those in her party who would contest the elections under the UNP ticket too would be sacked. The ULF nominees for the PC elections to contest through the UNP some claim were approved by Mrs. Athulathmudali herself at a Working Committee meeting chaired by her a few months ago. The party at that time was in favour of the UNP with the PA throwing out Mrs. Athulathmudali from the cabinet. Mrs. Athulathmudali at that time firmly stood by her policy to abolish the Executive Presidency which was one of the main reasons that made her bitter with the government. With the expulsion from the cabinet she accused the government of giving her and her party step motherly treatment. The current controversy between Mrs. Athulathmudali and her General Secretary, now suspended, is drawing much political comments. A senior PA minister said: "We never called for her support for the polls but she has volunteered". A UNP stalwart noted "All her people are our people and she must not forget that Lalith was a staunch UNPer and he only left the party because of his differences with Premadasa". Tough action against errant cops Police have launched a special operation to identify and initiate tough action against policemen who are backing gangsters and are working hand-in-glove with underworld elements, senior DIG H. M. G. B. Kotakadeniya said yesterday. DIG Kotakadeniya explained that the upsurge in criminal activities in the country could be attributed to certain police officers helping underworld gangsters. Information relating to such involvements is in the process of being collated from police stations countrywide. He warned that deterrent action will be taken against any police officer found involved in nefarious activities. The DIG appealed for public assistance and co-operation to accomplish the task of bringing to book police personnel with underworld connections. Large haul of drugs detected Law enforcement authorities fighting a losing battle against the booming drug trade had detected approximately 56 kgs of heroin valued at around Rs. 84 million last year, officials told The Island yesterday. A kilo of heroin is worth Rs. 1 to 1.5 million depending on prevailing market trends , sources said. "We have caught only a fraction of the smuggled narcotics," a police officer said and predicted that the attempts to bring in more stocks of heroin will increase to meet the rising demand. However a senior police official said that last year’s operations against the narcotics trade had been at least slightly better than previous years. According to records maintained by law enforcement agencies, the customs and the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) had detected 10 kgs of heroin each. Approximately 19 kgs of heroin had been found by various police stations. Officials said that last year’s biggest single recovery had been made by the navy on April 25 at Negombo. Navy was able to seize a fibre glass dinghy carrying 16 kgs of heroin. Officials said that apart from detections made within Sri Lanka, Indian authorities particularly customs had detected a significant quantity of heroin bound for Sri Lanka. There had been many detections and arrests, Sri Lankan police sources said. Authorities believe for every kilo of heroin recovered by them at least three enter the market controlled by Colombo’s underworld. "It’s big business," police said pointing out that illegal activities of various underworld gangs centre around narcotics trade. Last year President Chandrika Kumaratunga summoned police chiefs for a ‘Temple Trees’ conference and ordered them to go all out against the underworld and narcotics trade. UNP MP held up at police station due to threats UNP MP Sarath Kongahage was held up at the Kobeigane police station for over 9 hours last Monday due to threats from People’s Alliance supporters in the area, reports said. MP Kongahage and some of his supporters has gone to Kobeigane police to make a complaint regarding certain malpractices against them when PA supporters from Kobeigane surrounded the police station not allowing Kobeigane and his crowd to leave the police station premises. MPs A. M. Lokubandara and Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake, on the instructions of the UNP leader, arrived at Kobeigane police station had got MP Kobeigane and the others out of the premises under tight security around midnight. Meanwhile two police security guards provided to MP Kongahage had been taken in for questioning by the police for allegedly shooting into the air at the time of the incident, police said. Ranil for media freedom
also moots Media Council "I have granted my approval for the motion to be presented in Parliament at the request of the Editors’ Guild, to prevent the elimination of freedom of the media through the concept presently practiced by the government under ‘criminal responsibility and criminal defamation’. "This should be repealed" said Ranil Wickremesinghe Leader of the Opposition, at the presentation of the report on Citizen’s Consultation on Free and Fair Elections and Depoliticization of Key Institutions at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) yesterday. Mr. Wickremesinghe said that such reforms should be included in the report concerning the depoliticization of key institutions in order to control politicians taking editors before courts. He said that official matters demanding absolute secrecy from the public should be focused and defined with liability and responsibility attached to them. Mr. Wickremesinghe also suggested the establishment of a Media Council in order to make available to the public the necessary information with regard to the executive branches. He said that this council could be utilized in granting accuracy to news items. "The work left to the Plenary Committee and the Draft Committee is to explain the details of the report to the public and to educate them on it and to accept proposals they may present which will help in further strengthening the concept of free and fair elections and the depoliticization of key institutions", added Mr. Wickremesinghe." When these issues are materialized in the forthcoming elections and in the public services sector, both the leader of the government, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, myself and all other political parties can be victorious in the knowledge that the people of Sri Lanka have, at last, the ability to use their vote in an election independently", he said. Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman of the Plenary Committee, speaking at the presentation said, that "in terms of this report, the Public Service will be liberated from political control and will be brought under the control of an independent National Public Service Commission to be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Constitutional Council". Rampant thuggery, mass-scale stuffing of ballot boxes, forceful eviction of polling agents of opposition parties and the creation of a fear psychosis which has been practiced up to the present day during elections, is expected to be controlled if not eliminated, through the establishment of an Independent Elections Commission, said K. H. J. Wijayadasa, a member of the Drafting Committee in his presentation of the report. Mr. Wijayadasa also explained that in a similar way depoliticization of the Sri Lanka Police Service is expected to take place through an Independent Police Service Commission which would make provisions for the appointment, transfer, promotion, dismissal and disciplinary control of all police officers while being subject to the constitution. The hands of the judiciary, too, would be strengthened by a Judicial Appointments Council which would make recommendations for appointments to the President, thereby, divesting the discretion available at present to the President alone, in the matter of such appointments. The Judicial Appointment Council would, Mr. Wijayadasa said, consist of the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Solicitor General and one of the most senior President’s Counsil nominated by the Chief Justice. The judicial system would gain more independence through the proposed Judicial Service Commisssion appointed by the President which would constitute the Chief Justice and two other judges of the Supreme Court recommended by the Chief Justice, one of whom shall have been a judicial officer with original court experience. Propositions were also made in the report, said Mr. Wijayadasa, to form an institution called the Constitutional Council which would constitute the Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, a Chief Minister nominated by the Chief Ministers of the Provinces, five Members of Parliament nominated by the Committee of Selection of Parliament and seven members out of whom shall be retired judges of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal and five members who have rendered distingushed public service or persons of eminence in professional, commercial, industrial or agricultural life holding no political office. The Constitutional Council , he said, would be responsible for recommending personnel for the appointment to Independent commissions mandatorily established by the Constitution inclusive of the Independent Election Commission, the independent Public Service Commission, the Independent Police Service Commission and the Judiciary. Mr. Wijayadasa also elaborated that the main objectives of the Citizen’s Consultation were the elimination of political interference in the administration, abuse of power, bribery and corruption, the enabling of free and fair elections devoid of intimidation, obstruction and violence and the restoration of the Sri Lankan people’s faith in the integrity and independence of key democratic institutions such as the Public Service, the Police Service and the Elections Department. The meeting was then opened to those present to voice their views regarding the contents of the report. Among those who spoke was Ravi Karunanayake MP, said that of the seven civil members of the Constititional Council, the members other than ex-officio representatives should be restricted to one term of office. He also added that too much of emphasis had been laid on the legal officers constituting the various proposed institutions. Susil Siriwardene, former commissioner of the "Janasaviya" project, emphasised his opinion that the political candidates of an election should be funded by the state as the state considered elections fundamental. He also said that in this way election violence which arises from the frustration in the inability to fund an election campaign could be controlled. Senior members of the UNP and other politicians were also present on this occasion. Phone subscribers’ tax
burden discussed The burden of tax on the telephone subscribers was the main issue at the commencement of the second phase of the ‘Public Hearing’ convened by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) on "improvement of subscriber bills and billing related disputes" of Sri Lanka Telecom, Suntel and Lanka Bell operators yesterday. The Committee headed by Prof. Rohan Samarajeeva questioned two representatives of the Department of Inland Revenue at the commencement of the public hearing. The questions put forward by the Committee touched on the payment of GST on rental, the practice of passing on NSL and GST to the subscribers and the possibility of exempting GST up to a certain number of units as in the electricity bills, and the absence of any safeguards to protect the consumers from being unduly charged by the operators who pass on both GST and NSL to the consumers. Chairman of the Committee Prof. Rohan Samarajeeva said that the TRCSL received a large number of complaints by the subscribers and there is great deal of dissatisfaction and confusion among the public over paying GST on rental. The officials defended the practice of charging GST on rental as it is a periodical payment on the continual supply and therefore they said it is taxable. According to the Inland Revenue officials the telephone operators have the option of passing on GST and NSL to the consumers as there was no specific provision in the law prohibiting it. The officials also said that the National Security Levy was charged after the implementation of GST in April 1998 when the revenue went down from 18% (BTT) to 12.5% (GST). The operators can pass on the NSL to the consumers or they can absorb it. Prof. Samarajeeva said that many consumers complain that NSL should not be passed on to them by the operators unlike GST which is a consumption tax. The possibility of charging NSL on NSL by the operators was also discussed. On the possibility of exempting the bills upto a certain point as in the electricity bills where GST is exempted up to 90 units the officials said that there would have to be an amendment in the law to facilitate that change. Several other experts in different areas of billing including the inventor of a telephone metering device and a linesman gave evidence at the hearing which will continue up to Thursday. The Committee is due to make a decision regarding all issues that transpired at the public hearing at the end of this month. Peradeniya varsity will not register students for BSc external degree exam KANDY: The University of Peradeniya is to suspend the registration of applicants for the External Degree — Bachelor of Science (BSc) with effect from this year (1999). This is sequel to the acceptance by the University Senate a proposal submitted by the External Examinations Department of the Univerbsity of Peradeniya. However, the BSc degree external examination will be continued till 2004 enabling those who have already registered for the examination, a spokesman told "The Island". NWPC postal voting on January 8 Postal voting in connection with the North Western Provincial Council elections will commence on Friday Jan. 8. Instructions has been issued by the Department of Elections to complete postal voting on the same day itself official sources said. SLMC branch office set on fire Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) office at Veerathodai was set ablaze on Saturday night by unidentified persons. A complaint in this regard was made to Puttalam police by K. M. Kamardeen, a candidate contesting on the People’s Alliance ticket for Puttalam district. One of the men who was fleeing after setting fire to the political office had been apprehended by villagers of Pulibiwayal and handed over to the police. The villagers had also told police that a cycle belonging to one of the attackers was seen parked close to the SLMC office and they had also seen another man fleeing with a gun in his hands Puttalam police are carrying out investigations. Ashraff threatens leaving
govt. when his portfolio is at stake, not rights of
Muslims The National Organiser of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. M. Musthaffa, who recently resigned his office as National Organiser of the party and from its membership, said he was compelled to take this decision in the interest of the constituents who voted for him in the last parliamentary election. Mr. Musthaffa, a businessman and Chairman of Myown Group of Companies was a major financier of SLMC in the Parliamentary election campaign. He further said 25,000 people voted for him in the parliamentary election but he could not do anything in return for his supporters as he was not delegated any power to do so. He said he was fifth in the SLMC hierarchy, but the leadership didn’t spend at least 10 minutes to discuss any party activities with him personally. He was a mere puppet under a treacherous arrogant leadership he charged. He was addresing a Press conference of Provincial Correspondents at his residence in Kalmunai to explain the circumstances which led to his resignation. He regretted the SLMC had used the state media to sling mud on him by saying that he was dismissed from the party contrary to the fact that he resigned. He said the SLMC had cooked up a story that he was negotiating with other political parties and sent him a letter calling for his explanation and sought a reply before December 5, 1998. The SLMC was well aware that he was abroad during this period. He returned to the country on December 2, 1998. As the following day was a holiday he sent his letter of resignation under registered cover on December 4. A copy of the letter was personally handed over to Mr. Maruthoor Gany, Senior Deputy Leader of SLMC by one of his employees on the same day. Amidst all this and to his surprise the SLMC said he was dismissed from the party without giving any reason for dismissal. He described this as a "trick used by the SLMC to safeguard the deteriorating image of the party. He further said: "I was one of the three SLMC candidates for the Digamadulla district in the last parliamentary election. On the night of the election day I didn’t stay at the counting centre as I was indisposed. Around 2 a.m. Minister Ashraff telephoned me at my residence and said that the G.A. had announced my name as the second in the SLMC list and I was elected an M.P. for Digamadulla district. Following this I received a number of congratulatory messages. At 4.30 a.m. the same day Minister Ashraff telephoned me again to say that according to the G.A. it was a computer-error. At the recounting M. L. M. Mohideen was elected second SLMC M.P. for Digamadulla district. It was a plot against me, he alleged. "Minister Ashraff says he is the champion of rights of Muslims. What are the rights he has won for the Muslims? In fact some of the rights the Muslims enjoyed in the previous government have been lost in this government. For example Haj Public Holiday Muslim Cultural Ministry, Muslim Governor etc. are no more. He threatens to pull out from the government when his portfolio is at stake; not the rights of Muslims. He has not done anything constructive for the Muslims of the East, he charged. ‘Mr. Ashraff said he would fight for 8 percent ratio for Muslims in the employment sector. Has he done it? What has happened to the Oluvil port project? It is only a mirage. He boasts of South Eastern University. Really the foundation for a university in the Ampara district was formed by the previous government with establishments of an Affiliated University College in Sammanthurai. The Rajarata and the Sabaragamuwa universities were also established amalgamating the previous affiliated university colleges, Mr. Musthaffa claimed. — M. M. Musthaffa, former SLMC organiser CMC budget passed by
majority of twelve votes The Colombo Municipal Council last week passed its budget for 1999 by a majority of twelve votes providing a total expenditure of Rs. 4,344,292,000/- to provide various amenities for the metropolis during the year. Twenty seven U.N.P. councillors voted in favour of the budget while fifteen others voted against. Those opposing the budget were twelve members from the People’s Alliance, three from the M.E.P., J.V.P. and an Independent group. Eleven councillors were absent during the voting. Mayor Karunaratna Jayasuriya introducing the budget on December 22 said that it provided for an estimated surplus of Rs 7,7150,000 while estimated expenditure is Rs. 4,344,292,000. The council planned to collect Rs. 3570 million as revenue. The Mayor said the sewerage system in the city is more than hundred years old it should be revamped to suit the present day conditions. He said a preliminary project for revamping the sewerage system had been forwarded to the treasury for foreign aid. The subject of sewerage had been assigned to National Water Service and Drainage Board since 1996 but the C.M.C had to bear the expenses for the maintenance of the sewerage system and a provision of Rs 275 million had been made for this purpose in the budget for 1999. Mr. Jayasuriya said that Rs 42 million had been allocated for the installation of fifteen more traffic lights in 1999. This is in addition to seventeen traffic lights set up last year. He said that installations of these traffic lights had been instrumental in the releasing of traffic jams and had contributed to discipline in driving." Steps will also be taken to install more traffic lights in the coming year too, Jayasuriya said. "During 1999 the programme to privatise the removal of garbage in the Fort and Pettah areas would be extended to other areas this year". The budget has also made provisions for health facilities, veterinary and library services, play grounds and recreational activities, public assistance and transport among other facilities. Primary education reforms to take shape from Jan. 8 Reforms in primary education will be implemented islandwide from January 8, 1999 the Presidential Secretariat said yesterday. These reforms are based on the recommendations made by the Presidential Task Force on General Education. The reforms in primary education which are going to affect all Grade 1 classes will be initiated in every school in the country. Through the revised curriculum the pupils will not only acquire knowledge and skills, but also develop hidden talents, while learning to think, be inquisitive and ask questions, find answers, discover things, be creative, care and respect others, understand other points of view and grow up with self-confidence. In key State 1 i.e. Grades 1 & 2 the principal mode of learning will be guided play with secondary emphasis on activities and minimum of desk-work. In key-stage 2 i.e. in Grade 3 & 4 equal importance will be given to all three areas. In key-stage 3 i.e. Grade 5 stress will be on desk work. The curriculum is organized under four subject areas — Language, Mathem-atics, Religion and Environmental Studies. English will be used in communication during activities and play, in key stage 1. At key-Stage two English will be introduced as a separate subject in addition to communication. Other subjects like natural science, health, creative activities and aesthetic studies will be integrated under environmental studies. The curriculum is designed to develop competencies necessary for living. CEB trade union leader goes
to court challenging transfer A trade union leader of the Ceylon Electricity Board has complained to the Supreme Court in a fundamental rights violation plea, that he has been given a transfer to hinder his engagements in trade union activity. The petitioner C. R. K. Senaratne had said in his petition that he has been working as a Class I Electrical Superintendent, at the Systems Control Centre, Colombo. He had been working in shifts and sometimes in the night to engage in trade union work during daytime office hours. On 16.12.98, the petitioner had received official confirmation, stating that he had been transferred to work at the office at the Deputy General Manager, in Colombo. At this office the petitioner will not be able to work during the night shift and be free during daytime for trade union work. The petition alleged that the petitioner, had been denied his fundamental right to engage in trade union activity, as stated in Article 14(1)(d) of the Constitution. The transfer order had been arbitrary. Thereby subjecting the petitioner to unequal treatment in violation of Article 12(1) of the Constitution. The petition said that the petitioner had played an active role in the CEB general strike in May 1996 and he filed a F.R. application No. 513/96, against the CEB for illegally using the Emergency Regulations, to disrupt a meeting and a press conference, of striking unions, which application was disposed of in September 98. Six other applications, filed by members of the petitioner’s trade union, challenging their illegal arrest during the strike, was successful. Inspite of his trade union activity, the petitioner did not neglect his work. He was never accused of negligence of professional duties. The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the General Manager and the Deputy General Manager to stay the operation of the transfer order, until this application is determined. The petition further requested the court to declare the violation of fundamental rights and to grant suitable compensation. Indo-Sri Lanka Foundation
paves way for joint projects The Indo-Sri Lanka Foundation which came into being with the signing of the memorandum by the President last week during the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in India hopes to open a new channel for joint projects and cultural co-operation between the two countries. The concept of the Indo-Sri Lanka Foundation was first discussed in January 1997 with the then Foreign Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral, during his visit to Sri Lanka for the third session of the Indo-Lanka Joint Commission, sources told "The Island" yesterday. The fund raises potential for advancement between the two countries in the cultural, educational, scientific and technical fields. These activities of the foundation will be financed through a trust fund which will be set up shortly with a capital of Rs. 40 million (Indian rupees). While this capital will be invested, the interest received from it will be utilised for the activities of the foundation, the sources said. The foundation will be governed by a board comprising six members. The Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India will be ex-officios of the board. The other members will be officials of eminence in the areas covered by the foundation according to the memorandum. The board would select the activities for a given year in keeping with the available reserves. While both countries will invest an equal sum of Rs. 20 million (Indian Rupees) each, the interest will also be jointly pooled, the sources said. The means of investment of the capital will be sorted out by the Treasury. He said that the fund became operational upon the signing of the memorandum for the establishment of the Indo-Sri Lanka Foundation on December 28. The trust fund will be open to projects bought forward by the government, academics or NGOs and Indian or Sri Lankan citizens. The decision to adopt the projects will be taken by the board. The Trust Fund would be the starting point for joint projects between the two countries. Programmes in the technical field, the development of new hybrid in the agricultural field, wide scope including projects on energy in the scientific field, work on archaeology, art, music and dance in the cultural arena, possibilities are wide, a spokesman said. While it would take two to three months to initiate projects, action has been initiated in the Finance Ministries of both countries and monies would be shortly released, he added. Chamber of Commerce to discuss FTA with Indian HC Resulting from the Free Trade Agreement signed between Sri Lanka and India on December 28, 1998, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in association with the High Commission of India will be organising a discussion session led by Shri Shivshankar Menon, High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka, on Monday (11) at 10.00 a.m. in the Ground Floor Auditorium of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The agreement seeks to promote investment and rapid development, whilst protecting Sri Lanka’s natural economic interest. Chamber sources indicated that the discussion will be followed by an open forum, where the participants could clarify any issues of relevance to the agreement, from the High Commissioner. A copy of the Free Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and of India, is also available at the Chamber Secretariat. The 100th birth anniversary of the late premier S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, the founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party will be commemorated on January 8. SLBC and SLRC will air special commemorative song composed by Kalasuri Dayaratne Samarasekara, JP, the President of the Pasdunrata Kala Sangamaya to mark the occasion. The song will be sung by the members of the sangamaya. People will reply to pa
violence through their votes — Ranil UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe told Provincial Council election candidates and rural leaders at a meeting in Anamaduwa on Monday that various incidents of burning of houses, vehicles and assaults have been reported in the Anamaduwa area. However, the UNP has planned its election campaign in such a way that everybody would be able to use their votes without fear or any disruption. People will reply to all the violence that have taken place, through their votes on the day of the poll. Our aim is to let people elect a suitable party and members for the province in accordance with their wishes, he said. Although some others are trying to win the election through violence we have a proper programme to prevent them from doing so Mr. Wickramasinghe noted. He expressed confidence of winning the PC poll. ‘Our Victory will begin here,’ he declared. General Secretary of the NDUNLF T. M. S. Nanayakkara issued the following press release yesterday. My attention is drawn to the statement made by Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali, and the press release of the United Lalith Front, appearing in the newspapers of 4th & 5th January 1999, pertaining to the purported suspension of myself as the party secretary. Both Mrs. Athulathmudali’s statement and the press release are misleading and wrong. The Constitution of the Party does not give the power to the leader to either suspend or sack any member arbitrarily or otherwise, let alone the secretary of the party. The Constitution is quite clear on the procedure to follow in respect of disciplinary action against its members. The Working Committee of the party has not met since 2nd October 1998 at which a dispute arose as to how several new clauses had been surreptitiously introduced to the Constitution giving arbitrary powers to the leader. It was also revealed that the leader had acted unconstitutionally and reconstituted the Working Committee under the powers she has assumed in for herself in terms of the unauthorized amendments. Accordingly it was decided that a sub committee consisting of 3 members including myself, appointed on that day, will inquire and report to the Committee on the validity of the amendments and until such time the original constitutional provisions will prevail. This Committee has not finalized its deliberation yet. Therefore there is no possibility of the Working Committee to meet and decide or ratify any decision. I have kept the Commissioner of Elections informed of this situation. The purported meeting of the Working Committee held on 3.1.1999 attended only by about five genuine working committee members (consisting of 37 members) while another 10 outsiders too have attended the said meeting. Further I am informed that a majority of the genuine working committee members were not notified of the said meeting. In the meantime I have received requests from a majority of working committee members to convene an emergency meeting of working committee to take action against those who have acted unconstitutionally and in contravention of the Working Committee decisions. |
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