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| Sunday, 29 February 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Prime Minister's dream... The Battle of the Diyawanna While one Cabinet minister has already accepted defeat at the elections, the UNP Central Bureau also found another way to express its uncertainty of winning the elections claiming that President Kumaratunga's decision to take over the Development Lottery Board would enable the new alliance to use DLB funds on its election campaign. It shows their duplicity as well as their unwillingness to accept the reality behind the decision of taking over the DLB that came in the wake of several malpractices reported there. According to political analysts they were looking for reasons to generalize their clean defeat at the elections instead of finding the ways of winning the game. The Prime Minister's dream of becoming the Executive President in the country was echoed by Government spokesman G.L. Peiris last week. The UNF which has no courage to give any promise to the public since they were unable to keep its promises given at the last general election wants even the Alliance not to give promises. The UPFA's promise to abolish the Executive Presidency was criticized by the Cabinet spokesman "Is this all not about the political future of one person?" However, he was not clever enough to hide from the media personnel that the UNP leader was not in such a need. Further, the spokesman shamelessly said that the Alliance had no vision of the future or of development or what it plans to do if it becomes the government. An alliance member who answered the allegation said that they need not waste time on childish remarks by opportunistic politicians. However, he reminded that the Alliance had promised the general public a peaceful and developed country based on five major points. He also added that the UNF will be blinded when they read their election manifesto which is to be released within two-three days. EPRLF again stressed that Tamil speaking people should reject the LTTE's status as so-called `sole representative' of the Tamil people. They have also explained that the TNA which promotes the Tigers should be defeated at the elections and also vowed that the LTTE would not allow for a free and fair election in the North and East. The EPRLF which is mobilizing all forces based on the platform of democracy, human rights and pluralism at this election claimed the Tigers would not allow anyone who are against their ideology to engage in politics in the North and East. One minister who once had won repute as a teacher has failed a history lesson while he was making a remark over the JVP's past. His own party members at the Maha Induruwa meeting had laughed at the Minister over his inability to understand the JVP's realistic entrance into democratic politics more than a decade ago. However, the minister was flustered when one in the meeting said that "this fellow might have not gone to the South to see what has been done by the JVP". The emergence of Buddhist monks into the political fray was much talked of throughout last week. Truly, if they are to cleanse the corrupt, anti-national and anti-Buddhist politics, it could be accepted. But, the majority of Buddhists in the country anyhow, don't want to bear witness that they were dragged by the power of corrupt politics. The most important message to the Maha Sangha is that the venerable bhikkhus are being used by a group of selfish politicians for an ulterior motive, the decision of the Buddhists on April 2 will not be favourable to them. Once national newspaper editors warned foreign media personnel over unnecessary involvement in the country's national problem. This time Media Minister Lakshman Kadiragamar had to say `shut your mouth' to the British Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien, when he urged to ensure a free and fair election in the Island and not to undermine the peace process. The minister has rejected his `unsolicited advice' and has reminded him that we have been voting for over 7 decades and are not foolish as to needlessly undermine the peace process. The Sri Lanka Administrative Officers Union (SLAOU) has attacked the UNF's decision to allow three politicians from Kalutara, Ratnapura and Western Province who are under investigation for alleged threat, intimidation or assault of public service officials recently under the UNF banner, to contest the election. The trade union has questioned the Prime Minister on how he was going to implement the promised good governance in the country with these alleged criminals. The Union has also reminded the PM that they are unable to accept the findings of the committee appointed by the party to probe the alleged assaults. JVP front-liner Wimal Weerawansha also questioned the Prime Minister on his appointment as the LTTE spokesman last Friday in a highly attended media briefing in Colombo. The Premier's remark at Kandy on Thursday that the LTTE would go for a war again if anyone tries to amend the MoU which they signed with the Government was attacked by a young JVPer who said that the public need not follow blanket documents forever. |
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