|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 23 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Weekly update from the Tamil press The Tamil press that was congested with Nordic traffic the previous week, switched lanes last week with the arrival of Japan's special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi, the brewing SLMC crisis and the Indian election results. According to the Virakesari of Wednesday, LTTE political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvam has prevailed upon Akashi who met him at Kilonochchi, that the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) should be in place to rebuild the war ravaged Tamil homeland. In its editorial, the newspaper expressed frustration as to how the government could go ahead with the peace process since JVP's Wimal Weerawansa had stated in an interview to a newspaper that the LTTE is not the sole representatives of the Tamil people, the ISGA cannot be accepted and they don't have faith in Norway's role. The editorial did not mention to which paper Weerawansa had given the interview. According to the Thinakaran of the same day, Akashi has told Thamilselvan the pledged aid at the Tokyo donor parley will be made available only after the government and the LTTE reached an agreement on the peace proposals. From a Chennai datelined story, Thinakaran said that Jayalalitha, Tamil Nadu's chief minister, has immediately restored a plethora of concessions that were earlier granted to farmers and school children. These included free electricity and concessionary bus season tickets. Jayalalitha's ADMK got a thorough drubbing at the hustings losing all 40 Lok Sabah seats to the DMK and its allies. The Thinakkural on Wednesday quoted Thamilselvan as having said that since the President, Kadirgamar and the JVP have different views on the peace initiatives, the LTTE would decide on the next move only after receiving a concrete intimation from Norway. Wimal Weerawansa in a letter to the President states that during the two-year rule of the UNF, it afforded all facilities to the LTTE and the latter killed several intelligence operatives while the government showed a nelsonian eye. The JVP wanted the President to take action to change the situation. After meeting the LTTE, Akashi met with President Kumaratunga and assured Tokyo's fullest co-operation for the peace process and expressed his country was even prepared to host the peace negotiations in Tokyo. Quoting governmental sources Thinakkural said that from June the government team for the peace talks will be activated. Messrs Jayantha Dhanapala, Sarath Amunugama, Mangala Samaraweera and Nimal Siripala de Silva will hold discussions on this subject within the next few days. The Thinakkural on Thursday in a headline in the front page stated that "Tamil Parliamentarians with black bands and placards in the House and under the same headline said that CWC and UNF's Mano Ganeshan did not participate in the debate over the Kandapola incidents. The story adds that the TNA, UPF and the UNF's Maheswaran did participate in the debate. The paper reported the sick note campaign of government hospital employees in the North-East, North Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces demanding the pay increase granted by the previous government. Akashi at a press conference at the Colombo Hilton prior to his departure, has said that the aid pledged at the Tokyo donor parley will be effectively made available to the country only if the parties to the ethnic conflict directed their talks towards finding a peaceful solution. He also said that the change in the Indian government will not significantly affect Sri Lanka's peace process. Quoting Presidential Secretariat sources Thinakkural said that Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar called on the President and conveyed to her the discussions he had with high ranking US officials during his recent visit there. He also said that America assured their wholehearted support to the peace process. The paper said that the Army headquarters will provide special training to those military personnel selected to serve in the UN peace keeping forces. Action is now being taken to establish a training camp with foreign assistance at Kukuleganga in the Kalutara district. A Sri Lankan housemaid Ramalingam Sevanamma (28) has been stabbed to death in Riyadh by a Bangaladeshi about two weeks ago but her relatives endeavours to officials here to fly the remains to Colombo has been of no avail. The Thinakaran on Thursday said that M. Karunanidi, leader of the Tamil Nadu DMK, has accepted an invitation from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for his party to join the Cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Earlier, the DMK said it would support the government from outside. Chief Opposition Whip, Mahinda Samarasinghe, requested Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara to provide a seat for Deputy Chairman of Committees in the Opposition side. Replying, the Speaker said that there is some difficulty in finding a place for him in the Opposition. Murugan Satchidanandan was later seen seated next to Minister Ferial Ashraf in the government ranks. The Thinakkural on Friday quoted LTTE peace secretariat head Pulithevan as having said that the Tiger team for the peace talks will travel to a foreign country to consult its experts before proper talks could start. He has further said the date and venue for peace talks with the government team will be decided only after consulting Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim who is due here on Monday (tomorrow). The STF on Wednesday night arrested two LTTE cadres of the Karuna group at Akkaraipattu with a pistol, 20 rounds of ammunition and a hand grenade. The Thinakaran on Friday said SLMC parliamentarian Rishard Badiuddin and Innamullah, a member of the Sura Committee, told a press briefing that Kumari Cooray has in fact said that Rauf Hakeem had an illicit affair with her and added that they are prepared to swear on this in the holy precincts of Mekkah. Badiuddin said that they did not use Kumari against Hakeem but the latter conspire to bring discredit to their political career. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
