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declared winner in Wayamba polls Opposition and monitoring groups cry ‘foul’
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PA declared winner in Wayamba polls The People’s Alliance was declared elected in the North Western Province winning 30 of the 52 seats at stake at Monday’s election amid cries of ‘foul’ from opposition parties and independent organisations. The closest rival, the United National Party won 19 seats and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna got only three se-ats. The other four political parties and four independent groups in the fray failed to win a single seat. Gamini Athukorale, UNP General Secretary in a statement said that the election must be declared null and void because of widespread violence perpetrated by the PA which prevented the conduct of a free and fair election. He said there were numerous incidents of assault, shooting, attempted murder, murder and arson perpetrated by the People’s Alliance. The JVP also demanded the cancellation of the poll. It has also decided to stage a joint demonstration on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Lipton Circle in Colombo. Two political parties, which contested the poll without any success the New Left Front and the Muslim United Liberation Front will also join them in the demonstration, the JVP said. An organisation called the Women’s Collective Against Political Violence was the latest non-political organisation to join in the chorus of protests against the violence and the demand for cancellation of the election. "We are extremely perturbed by the reports received that women polling agents of the opposition parties — UNP and JVP were assaulted and physically driven out of polling booths, it said. The Peradeniya University Student’s Union said that the NWP election will ‘never be accepted as a fair election by us" and urged that the election be annulled and reconduct a democratic and free election. Independent monitoring groups declared that the poll was not free and fair and urged that the election should be scrapped. The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections which monitored the poll said: "We request that the elections be invalidated and that fresh elections be held after suitable remedial measures have been taken by the government to ensure a free and fair poll". Another monitoring group the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said: "The scale and magnitude of the violence was unprecedented for an election of its kind even in Sri Lanka’s troubled past". Sri Lanka NGO Forum which had their members monitoring the election along with the other groups also called for an annulment of the poll and the holding of a new election. The Commissioner General of Elections Dayananda Dissanayaka had a discussion with the General Secretaries of political parties and leaders of independent groups who contested the elections. Issuing a statement after the discussion the Elections Commissioner said that counting was done after excluding the votes cast in 221 polling booths in Kurunegala and Puttalam districts as the Returning Officers had complained of vote rigging and other malpractices as well as violations of election rules at these centres. He rejected the call for a fresh ballot saying there is no provision in election rules to cancel the polls. President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe had called on the Elections Commissioner to cancel the polls at polling stations where abuses have taken place. The elections commissioner addressing the media after the discussion with the General Secretaries of the political parties and the leaders of independent parties said that those who are not willing to accept these decisions can challenge it in courts. Answering a question by a mediaman the Commissioner said the vote rigging and other malpractices should be avoided by changing the present preferential voting system. He further stated that suggestions of political parties should be submitted to the Parliamentary Select Committee. The Election Department began releasing results after rejecting calls for fresh polls, political sources said. According to police and independent polls monitors there had been approximately 200 incidents, the majority involving gangs of persons identified as PA activists. The UNP started in a winning note by securing postal votes of both the districts. The UNP has obtained 7002 postal votes against PA’s 6951 votes. The JVP has managed just 637 votes. The PA has obtained 405,431 votes [56.16 percent] out of 961,240 registered voters in the Kurunegala district. The UNP has polled 273,892 votes [37.94 percent]. The PA and UNP have won 20 and 13 seats respectively in the Kurunegala district from where 35 members are elected to the 52 member NWP Provincial Council. The remaining two seats had been secured by the JVP. Contrary to expectations, the JVP has managed to poll only 31,221 votes [4.32 percent] According to figures released by the Elections Department, of the total number of registered votes, 721,956 [94.22 percent] had been valid in the Kurunegala district. A staggering 44,297 or 5.78 percent of the total polled had been rejected. The New Left Front [NLF], Muslim United Liberation Front [MULF], the Liberal Party [LP] and Independent Group 1 [IND] had polled 11,412 votes. However, both the UNP and JVP accused the PA of massive malpractices. A terror campaign organised by PA leaders paved the way for Monday’s victory, a UNP Working Committee member told ‘The Island’. The UNP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Gamini Jayawickreme Perera lost his electorate, Katugampola. The PA has obtained 30,539 votes [54.30 percent] against UNP’s 22,713[40.39 percent]. The PA Chief Ministerial candidate, S. B. Navinna has secured his electorate, Wariyapola with a majority of 9,043 votes. The entire district comprised Yapahuwa, Wariyapola, Hiriyala, Mawathagama, Katugampola, Kurunegala, Dodangaslanda, Dambadeniya, Galgamuwa, Panduwasnuwara, Nikaweratiya, Kuliyapitiya, Polgahawela , and Bingiriya has been secured. Ruling party politicians rejected UNP’s claims that wide-spread violence helped them to win the province easily. The entire Puttalam district comprised Puttalam, Nattandiya, Wennappuwa, Anamaduwa and Chilaw electoral divisions too fell to the PA. The UNP’s campaign in the province was led by Messrs. Ronnie de Mel, P. Dayaratne, Dharmadasa Banda, Renuka Herath, Joseph Michael Perera and John Amaratunga. The PA’s campaign in the Puttalam district was conducted by the PA’s General Secretary D. M. Jayaratne while ministers Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Dharmasiri Senanayake were responsible for Kurunegala. At the time this edition went to press the results of the Wennappuwa electoral division poll were not available. Some 1.4 million voters were eligible to vote at 1,160 polling stations to elect 32 members to the Provincial Council. Seven political parties and four independent groups were in the fray. UNP wants NWP polls declared null and void The UNP, in a statement yesterday described incidents of widespread violence at the elections and called that it be declared null and void. Gamini Athukorale, the UNP General Secretary in the statement said: "The nation has witnessed the worst election held in this country since universal adult franchise was introduced in 1931. The fact that the Chandrika Kumaratunga government singled out North Western Province whilst postponing elections which were overdue. In the other five provinces where the councils stood dissolved earlier is clear evidence of their Mala Fide and corrupt intention. The campaigns of the opposition parties were disrupted from the commencement by force and thuggery with state patronage. Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance realizing their disastrous record of government and well knowing that they would be totally rejected at a free and fair elections used every form of violence against the United National Party’s workers and supporters. Numerous incidents of assault, shooting, attempted murder, murder and arson were perpetrated by the People’s Alliance. United National Party and other opposition party meetings were disrupted and supporters prevented from attending them by open intimidation. Even the residences of our supporters were attacked and burnt and women folk stripped and humiliated. Post offices were raided and poll cards robbed. On election eve convoys of government and corporation vehicles full of PA armed thugs brandishing roamed from electorate to electorate intimidating the voters and creating an atmosphere of complete fear. On polling date roadblocks were created, gangs of armed PA supporters obstructed voters supporting opposition parties. Vehicles were burnt and an environment of great fear, terror and tension dominated the area. At a conference of the general secretaries of the contesting parties summoned by the Commissioner of Elections today, the Commissioner himself admitted that according to official reports made to him 212 polling stations had been invaded by armed gangs who forcibly stuffed the ballot boxes. Further more nine ballot boxes from other polling stations were burnt and did not reach the counting centres. This admission by the Commissioner itself establishes that no free and fair elections took place. The election must therefore necessarily be declared null and void. Statistics available to the United National Party however reveal that more than 600 polling stations out of a total of 1160 were severely affected. This is an election where every known election law and the laws of the land had been openly and grossly violated with impunity, where all accepted moral and ethical standards have been flouted, and where a total mockery has been made of the entire democratic process. Therefore United National Party joins the people of Wayamba in totally rejecting the results of this election. We are convinced that the people of Sri Lanka endorse our call to a total rejection of this verdict. The Ministry of Defence last night announced that for internal security purposes a curfew was declared from 11 p.m. last night until 5 a.m. today in the Administrative districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam where elections were held on Monday for the North Western Provincial Council election. A curfew that was enforced at 11 p.m. Monday night in the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts after the polling closed was lifted yesterday. Joint protest demanding cancellation of NWP polls A joint protest campaign demanding the cancellation of the results of the North Western Provincial Council elections will be staged by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, New Left Front and the Muslim Eksath Vimukthi Peramuna on Thursday (28) at 10.00 a.m. at Lipton Circus, Colombo states a press release by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Peace efforts of business leaders
thwarted as PA-UNP relations turn more sour The UNP believes that PA’s alleged involvement in some of Monday’s poll related violence in the NWP will seriously affect efforts made by the Business Leaders to explore the possibility of implementing the Liam Fox agreement for bi-partisan approach between the two main parties. Matara district MP Ronnie de Mel said yesterday that the Businss Leaders will find it difficult to bring the two sides together particularly in view of the government sponsored violence directed against the UNP. He is a member of the UNP delegation assigned to conduct talks with the National Council for Peace and Economic Development. Mr. de Mel who returned to Colombo early yesterday from NWP told The Island that it is the duty of the government to ensure free and fair elections. "The poll in the NWP was a non-election," he said blaming the ruling party for serious malpractices. In such a climate it will be difficult even for the Business Community led by their Co-ordinating Chairman Mr. Lalith Kotaeawela to bring about any type of national consensus on the ethnic problem and other key issues. The Business Leaders this month sought to arrange a meeting between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ahead of Monday’s poll. "Now there was no possibility in arranging a meeting even after the poll," another political source said pointing out that the relationship between the two parties has been seriously affected. However, Kandy district MP A. C. S Hameed another member of the UNP delegation involved in talks with the Business Leaders said that the party is committed to finding a political solution which would satisfy the aspirations of all concerned. "The UNP will work towards that goal," he told The Island yesterday. Mr. Hameed said that it was too early to comment on possible results of Monday’s NWP poll. Political sources described the situation caused by polls violence another setback to Business Leaders initiative. Earlier UNP’s call to Business Leaders to secure government’s support for the Fox initiative and Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris’s position that the devolution package cannot be excluded from the scope of the April 1997 Fox agreement hampered the business community. Susil to push for electoral reforms Amidst charges and counter charges over Monday’s controversial conduct of the poll in the NWP UNP’s Working Committee member and Colombo district MP Mr. Susil Moonesinghe yesterday told The Island that he will push for key changes in the country’s electoral system. Mr. Moonesinghe believes that he will get the backing of his colleagues. "The present system is responsible for much of the violence," he said blaming the PA for serious malpractices during the wide-spread incidents of violence in the NWP comprising Puttalam and Kurunegala districts. "What they did in NWP was wrong," he said pointing out that there was no point in harping on UNP’s past mistakes. Mr. Moonesinghe said that he will move a resolution during Working Committee sessions that the party should seek changes in both the present electoral system and the way of campaigning. He said that he is determined to see an end to ongoing violence linked with all levels of elections. Elections to five more Provincial Councils will take place before middle of this year, according to political sources. Mr. Moonesinghe was among several politicians who said that the government has a duty to ensure free and fair elections for the, next rounds of polls. Political parties, he said must use the print and electronic media without continuing with the old system of pasting posters and decorating streets and towns with flags. He indicated that there has been a steady increase in polls related incidents during the campaigns and the elections day since the change of the election system. "Today candidates representing one party fight each other for preferences," he said. Minister Alavi Moulana on Monday admitted that there were incidents in the NWP on Monday. However, he pointed out that whatever the incidents that occurred in the province, were not serious enough to change the people’s verdict. Moulana said that when in the opposition the UNP had been involved in a series of incidents. He reminded that over one third of the complaints lodged with independent polls monitors were against the UNP. JVP’s Wimal Weerawansa accused the PA of continuing with UNP’s policies aimed at crippling the party. He said that Monday’s poll was marred by PA sponsored violence. While police remained inactive. Police acted the same way they did when successive UNP administrations engaged in mass scale malpractices, he said. Kelaniya Duruthu Maha Perahera from tomorrow The Annual Kelaniya Duruthu Maha Perahera will be held on 28th, 29th and 30th January 1999. The Historic Kelaniya Duruthu Maha Perahera had its origins in the year 1927, due largely to the efforts of that great Philanthropist Don Walter Wijewardene. This pageant has evolved over the years to a permanent position as the country’s most elaborate and grandest low country pageant in its category. On a national scale, the Kelaniya Perahera is only comparable with Kandy Esela Maha Perahera. The Dayake Sabha has made elaborate arrangements to ensure the success of this Historic Religious Pageant much revered by all Sri Lankans. Meticulous attention has been paid to all details with the objective of perpetuating the traditional rites, ritual and customs long associated with this magnificent pageant including the participation of traditional dancers, caprisoned elephants and colourful parades, which have always made this event a night of all nights. The Annual Pageant beings with the Udamaluwa Perahera on January 28th it will conclude with the Maha Perahera on January 30th. The Perahera will commence with the handing over the relics casket to Chief Basnayake Nilame, Shalitha Wijesundera by the Viharadhipathi, Ven. Dr. Kollupitiye Sangharakkita Nayake Thero. The relic casket will be carried 3 rounds around the temple by Basnayake Nilame’s Shalitha Wijesundera and Dhammika Attygalle on first day and second day of the Perahera. The Perahera will commence daily at 9.00 pm. This year a special effort is being made to focus on Tourists eager to acquaint themselves with the majesty and splendour of Sri Lanka’s cultural facets such as this Historic Perahera. Upali Travels Ltd. will handle all arrangements to ensure proper facilities for tourists viewing the Perahera including special enclosures with maximum security and convenience. LTTE terrorists raise funds by selling narcotics BATAPOLA: It is evident that the terrorists have made use of narcotics to raise funds for the ongoing ethnic war. A country can easily be destroyed by compelling the youngsters to be drug-addicts. Our country too is going on the same path. Society is fast changing day by day. And the young ones will have to face the situation without any ideas about ulterior motives in the society. Therefore it is the bounden duty of parents to be vigilant about the behaviour of their off-springs with the aim of protecting the future generation, said the Secretary to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Andrew de Silva when he addressed a meeting at Hegalle MV, Kosgoda to launch the book Jeewithalokaya’ by Ven. Kosgoda Siriwimala Thera of Sirinivesaramaya, Kosgoda. The Maha Nayaka of the Amarapura Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, Ven. Pandit, Kosgoda Jinalankara Maha Nayake Thera presided. Mr. de Silva added that knowledge should be achieved together with sorting out what is good and bad. Otherwise the trend towards getting used to habits of narcotics drinking and racing is very easy. It is easy to correct the village but not the men there. As Sinhala Buddhists we are blessed with very precious habits and religious rituals which have done immense help in moulding our lives. If these valuable cultural habits are to be deteriorated Sinhala Buddhists too would suffer the same fate. Therefore it is very vital that our elders should be vigilant over the matters in the present day society. But it is disheartening to note that the present day writers have abandoned that motive when publishing their books. In this situation, the book, ‘Jeewithalokaya’ is a step on the correct path. Ven. Kosgoda Jinalankara Nayake thera, Ven. Ahungalle Wimalananditissa Nayake thera, Vice Chairman, Balapitiya PS, Ven. Walagedera Amerawansa thera, Pariwenadhipathy of Shissalankara Pirivena, Ven. Ahugalle Siwaka thera, Ven. Kosgoda Siriwimala thera, General Manager of ‘Nidahasa’ Group of Newspapers, Captain, Thilak Senanayake and Asitha Thotawatte also spoke. Request to register property, plans and deeds KALUTARA: A request has been made by the public that their property plans be registered or else they may vanish following the death of their respective surveyors. Following the death of a surveyor, the client will not have any opportunity of obtaining a certified copy of the said plan from any institution. In the case of a plan prepared for a partition case by a surveyor, the same will remain even after the death of the surveyor as the original plan will be available at least in the case record. But the public has pointed out that in the case of a private plan drawn by a surveyor, a certified copy could be obtained only from the surveyor who prepared the document. Once the surveyor who prepared the private plan dies, the client will face a problem in obtaining a certified copy of it. In the case of deed being attested by a Nortary Public, it is a requirement of the notary to prepare 3 copies of the said document of the said documents the first copy will remain with the notory, the second copy (duplicate) will remain at the Relevant Land Registry while the third copy after due registration will be handed over to the purchaser. When the original is lost or when a copy is wanted of a particular deed, copies could be obtained from the notary who attested the deed or from the particular land registry where the deed was registered. M. J. M. Muzniey (attorney-at-law) Kalutara, and ex-chairman UC Kalutara said that the lack of proper arrangements to preserve or register a private plan in any institution has caused a hardship to land owners. There are instances where the original plan is lost or copies wanted for so many matters, but the land owner is unable to obtain a copy of a plan. Therefore it is incumbent that some action be taken to safeguard the interest of the public. At least the authorities issuing licences to the surveyors shall call for registration of the plan prepared by them in some department and preserve copies for the convenience of the public. Land surrounding Maligatenna kovil to be acquired DERANIYAGALA: Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education and Chief SLFP Organiser for the Deraniyagala electorate Prof. W. A. Wiswa Warnapala has assured a deputation from Deraniyagala Saiva Paripalana Sabai that action would be taken to acquire the land surrounding the Hindu kovil at Maligatenne with the concurrence of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. "This land which was bought at an auction and earmarked for a kovil and had been sold under questionable circumstances," the Sabai had alleged. "An approximate area of 64.10 perches, the Sabai claims is required to develop the existing Sri Muttu Mariamman Kovil which is the only place for common worship for about 50,000 Hindus in the area," the Sabai had pointed out to the Deputy Minister. Professor Warnapala said that the expansion of the present kovil was an urgent necessity, and as such he would request the President to acquire the land suggested by the Sabai. The Sabai also told the Deputy Minister that the Deraniyagala Pradesiya Sabha had recently cut a large drain on the access road to the kovil thus blocking the entrance, which in their opinion is an insult to the Hindus of the area. VCs of seven SAARC open varsities form
forum to improve open education A Forum of Vice- Chancellors of the Open Universities of the seven SAARC countries was launched in Colombo on Monday, established following a decision of the Heads of State or Government at the Tenth SAARC Summit in Colombo last year. The Summit Declaration said "SAARC should establish a Forum of Vice- Chancellors of open Universities in order to build on the substantial expertise already existent in the region, in the field of Open Education". According to the SAARC Summit Declaration, the leaders said that "illiteracy was a major impediment to economic and social development and that concepts of Open Learning and Distance Education could help substantially towards equal opportunities and access to knowledge". The Declaration further urged that the Forum "spearhead the development of Distance Education outside the Open University system as well as drawing on the advances in information technology to reach out to the remote and under privileged sections". The Forum hosted by the Open University of Sri Lanka under the Foreign Ministry noted that ‘while South Asia contains a little over one fifth of the world’s polulation, it also contains nearly a half of the world’s illiterate people’. Universal literacy and primary education have, therefore, to be given high priority in the national agenda of each member state of SAARC. Among other matters relating to achieving the goals stated in the Declaration of the SAARC Summit were, joint development of programmes and courses, the evolving mechanisms for credit transfer, accumulation and accreditation, the sharing of information technology to reach out to the remote and under — privileged sections were the main objectives of the Forum. The strategies proposed at the opening session on Monday included facilitating the development and updating of a database which should include available programmes and courses consisting adaptation rights, to be made available with the member states, identification of programmes that could be shared and providers of such courses and the working out and implementing of strategies for obtaining material and adaptation if required, and evolving mechanisms for joint development of programmes and production of material in areas where needs and priorities have been identified. Other proposed strategies include identification of the types of communication technologies that could be shared for the benefit of the region and exploring the feasibility of sharing and developing of such technologies in the member states as well as identifying sources of funding. A Policy Formulating body, and Academic body as well as an Accreditation and Validation body were also to be constituted at the Forum which would meet on a regular basis in the process of follow- up to the inaugural session. Three delegates from the Open universities and Education Departments of Bangladesh, two from Bhutan, four from India, two from Maldives, three from Nepal as well as one Vice-Chancellor of Pakistan participated in the Forum on Monday. The Forum also included 16 local education specialists from the various Universities and Education Departments of Sri Lanka. Among them were Andrew de Silva, Secretary, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Prof. S. Tilakaratna, Chairman, University Grants Commission, Prof. N. R. Arthenayake, Vice- Chancellor, Open University of Sri Lanka, Prof. Swarna Jayaweera and Emaritus Professor of Education. Suresh Pradhan, Director, SAARC Secretariat was also present at the meeting. "The number of students who enter higher education (in Sri Lanka), has increased from about 8,000 to 12,000 during the past few years, while the number of Universities have grown from eight to twelve", said Richard Pathirana, Minister of Education and Higher Education in a message at the inauguration of the Forum. The Minister, who was Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the Forum, further said in his message that "bottlenecks at university entrance, created by lack of infrastructure or by inadequate facilities produce an unhealthy level of competition." " Although competitiveness and productiveness are desirable, unhealthy competition could become a source of suppressing the potential talents of any nation," he said. The Minister said that the Forum was one way in which the educational needs of the region could be nourished. In accordance with the statements under the subject of Education and Literacy, of the Tenth SAARC Summit Declaration, the Forum is expected to report to the Standing Committee on a continuous basis of its progress. The concluding session which would be held on the final day of the Forum, January 27, would be chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka. Occupational Health — a hand book for doctors to be launched The book, Occupational Health – a handbook for doctors will be launched at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo on January 28, 1999 at 11.00 a. m. This is the outcome of a collaborative effort of the Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo and the Ministry of Health for which funds were provided by the World Health Organisation. Projections have shown that by the turn of the century, about a nine million people in Sri Lanka will be at work. The working population will continue to increase well into the 21st century. Tremendous advances in technology are also likely to take place. These will affect the workers employed in industry and agriculture who will be exposed to a multitude of hazards at work. Occupational injuries and diseases will probably increase as a consequence of these changes. Clinicians are therefore, likely to see more patients with occupational injuries and diseases in the coming years. It is in view of this likelihood that it was considered appropriate to prepare a manual in occupational health to be used by clinicians in the wards. Experts in varying clinical specialities and those engaged in the practice of occupational health and safety have contributed to the book. The book is in two sections. Section I deals with common clinical conditions related to the occupation and Section II includes information regarding prevention, notification legislation etc, in relation to occupational diseases. The editors have made all efforts to make this book user friendly. It contains a great deal about Occupational Health care workers to be more vigilant, competent and caring about a work force whose good health is of paramount importance to the nation’s development. Repairs to bomb devastated Central Bank
almost complete Over 90% of the repair work on concrete of the bomb damaged Central Bank building in fort have now been completed according to the Project Engineer of the German Company Ed Zublin AG who have undertaken to carry out the repair work on it. He revealed this during a public lecture organized by the Institute of Engineers to discuss the damage and repair work done on the building. The same company also built the 52m building originally in 1960 and has been contracted to do the repair work. This is mainly due to their experience in this type of engineering work, carried out by them else where in the world especially during world war two. The Central Bank officials remain tight lipped as to the cost of the damages to the building but informed sources estimate that the cost will be around to Rs. 1.5 Billion. These sources also revealed that the building will come in to use within 3-4 months time. The tragic incident where many innocent lives perished was not without a certain element of luck. Because if the ill-fated terrorist vehicle had come any closer then the damage to the building especially the foundation would have led even to its demolition. Mr. Shrank said "luckily the foundation was not effected by the blast." The Central Bank was blasted by terrorists on the 31st January 1996. Apart from the blast the fire that preceded it burned the building severely with temperatures soaring upto 800 C at which the glass melted. This was revealed by Engineer Sahabandu of the Ceylon Engineering Consultancy Bureau. According to him the fire lasted for a while with the building being effected by heat as well. The temperature did not reach the melting point of copper which stands at 1310oC he further said. |
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