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| Sunday, 12 October 2003 |
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Foreign trips freeze for UNP politicos by Don Asoka Wijewardena The United National Party (UNP) has decided to cancel all foreign trips of Cabinet Ministers, MPs and provincial council members with immediate effect. According to senior officials, the overseas travel ban will be imposed for an indefinite period. They also said that party members will be asked to remain in their respective constituencies, unless needed in Colombo, and that permission for foreign travel will only be granted by the Prime Minister in the future. Political observers believe that the upcoming budget presentation and debate would have also influenced the ban, as all party votes will be required in the event the coalition partners withhold their support for the UNP budget. However, party sources said the travel ban was part of a series of changes introduced by the UNP Working Committee to revitalise the party structure. Reliable government sources told the Sunday Observer that the UNP Working Committee,which met on Wednesday had decided to implement an extensive assessment programme and evaluate the overall developmental activities of the past two years. All ministers actively engaged in promoting the ministerial achievements had been advised the motive of the government was to achieve the expected national goal,that and not individual goals. Sources also said that a High Powered Committee comprising Employment and Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Mass Communication Minister Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Minister of Samurdhi, Agriculture and Livestock S. B. Dissanayaka, had been appointed to assess work completed, work in progress and future plans of the government. UNP President Malick Samarawickrema and Ivan Weerakkodi have been appointed to assist the Committee. Another Committee comprising Minister Tilak Marapana, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Karu Jayasuriya, Vajira Abyewardena, Gamini Lokuge and Rajitha Senaratne has also been appointed to look into problems of public sector trade unions and take necessary measures to solve the problems as far as possible. Minister of Public Administration, Management and Reforms, Vajira Abyewardena said that the Committee would convene a meeting with all trade unions under his ministry on October 16th and added that it would go ahead and meet all trade unions of the public sector respectively. Sources said that the Prime Minister had requested the Secretary of the Committee to convene the Committee every week to have more opportunities for policy formulations and their effective implementation in achieving the party's future objectives. Minister of Power and Energy Karu Jayasuriya MP, Minister of Defence, Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation Tilak Marapana MP, Minister of Finance K. N. Choksy MP, Minister of Public Administration, Management and Reforms Vajira Abyewardena MP, Minister of Lands Rajitha Senaratne MP, Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare P. Dayaratne MP, Minister of Western Region Development M. H. Mohammad, Minister of Southern Region Development Ananda Kularatne, Minister of Central Region Development Tissa Attanayaka and Minister of Rural Economy and Deputy Minister of Finance Bandula Gunawardena participated in the Working Committee meeting. President off to Singapore President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will deliver the keynote address at the World Economic Summit on Asia to be held in Singapore on October 14. The Summit which is due to commence today will continue till October 14 issues pertaining to economic development in the Asian region, new economic treaties, peace in the region and transportation. |
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