Ratnapura UNP leaders take Premadasa to task

It seems that the United National Party leaders are more interested in washing dirty linen in public than winning elections.

The Ratnapura regional leaders of the UNP launched their campaign last week with the intention of ironing out differences among party stalwarts and strengthening the party's campaign for the forthcoming Provincial Council election.

Several UNP regional politicians from Ratnapura spoke in a responsible manner with the intention of bringing their party seniors under one umbrella. However, when it came to deputy leader Sajith Premadasa's turn to speak, he ruined all the good work by highlighting the internal dispute of the party at the meeting presided over by Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Premadasa made a lengthy speech as usual, alleging that he got several raw deals from the party leadership. He also said that he never gave his consent to the recent UNP working committee decision to extend the terms of office of senior party leaders to six years without facing any elections.

It turned out to be a heated argument when UNP seniors sat for dinner at a residence of a provincial leader in Ratnapura.

Angered by the unwarranted remarks of Premadasa, several UNP Ratnapura leaders openly criticised the disgraceful conduct of Premadasa. If not for the timely intervention by the UNP leader, Premadasa would have become a physical target of former UNP Provincial Council members from Ratnapura.

Another Ranil-Sajith bout was witnessed in Galigamuwa last Thursday as a commotion was created when UNP Deputy Leader Premadasa entered the premises while Wickremesinghe was addressing an election rally in support of UNP candidates in the Kegalle district.

UNP supporters, who appeared to have come with the UNP deputy leader, cheered, when Premadasa entered while Wickremesinghe was addressing. Wickremasinghe was allegedly irked.

The UNP leader had then ordered the supporters to be silent, but the people had not obeyed his order and continued to shout 'jayawewa' at Premadasa.

As a result, Wickremesinghe who appeared to be angered said. "We came here not to shout like rioters. If anyone wants to shout turn unruly, they could do so after they leave this premises."

When Premadasa addressed the gathering subsequently, he said that the UNP should abide by public opinion to push the party towards victory and if the supporters want him to go home he will do so obeying public opinion. However, Premadasa attempted to put the blame on the media for their faults and childish conduct saying that the purported fisticuffs between two groups were "only a creation by certain media personnel".

"There are certain people who work for money and liquor. Their motive was to slay my character. I feel the Colombo-based dirty tricks department personnel would have been inspired to create a scene of an exchange of fisticuffs by a comment made by a UNP Chief Organiser," he said hinting at Mangala Samaraweera's propaganda wing.

Kurunegala District UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara has said that the party will never be able to progress by extending the leadership tenure by six years.

In sharp contrast, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is conducting its Provincial Council election campaign in an examplary manner.

The SLFP last week announced that it would not support any person within the party fold who violates election regulations during the Provincial Council election campaign.

According to SLFP senior vice president and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, the SLFP will not protect polls law violators or safeguard anyone who violates election laws.

He said the party would take stern action against such persons.

Speaking at a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre, Minister de Silva said the SLFP General Secretary had issued a final announcement to all former members in the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern Provincial Councils to hand over government assets used by them when they were in office. He said the SLFP- led United People's Freedom Alliance had no reservations over its imminent victory at the upcoming Provincial Council election.

The minister said that the party's aim is to achieve a democratic victory by effectively facing the baseless allegations levelled by the forces against the government.

Minister Silva said that the SLFP has drawn up comprehensive plans to effectively face the Sabargamauwa, North Central and Eastern Provincial Council elections. "The party executive committee chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to discuss this plan extensively and ensure the government's victory with the support of party members and the leaders at grass roots level," the Minister said.

There seem to be an interesting contest at the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections. The SLMC's decision to go solo in the East and contest North Central PC along with the UPFA has disturbed both the UNP and the TNA, which seem to be over dependent on their fast deteriorating vote bases.

Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan said that if persons incapable of understanding their political responsibilities become Chief Ministers, the welfare of the people would be seriously affected.

He was speaking at a media briefing recently at the Subaraj Hotel, Batticaloa, when the minister introduced the UPFA nominees for the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council election.

Of the 11 to be elected at least five would be from the UPFA and there is possibility of a sixth person being elected and out of this six at least three would be Tamils.

Of the 14 names submitted five are from TMVP - Sivaneshadurai Chandrakanthan, former PC member Edvin Krishnanantharajah, Nagalingam Thiraviyam, P. Pirachanthan and Kanapathipillai Mohan and the others are from UPFA are Amir Ali Shakapdeen, Ali Shahir Mowlana, Batticaloa district women's organiser Ruthramalar Gnanabaskaran, Vinayagamoorthy Sritharan, Bravo Handy, Abdul Shareet Subair, Abdul Farook Mohamed Hakeem, Batticaloa UPFA organizer Rajanathan Mylvaganam and Mohamed Hanifa Momamed Hakeem.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week inspected the renovation activities of the Maligawatte Housing Scheme. The housing scheme is being renovated after a lapse of 39 years under the Janasevana and Nagamu Puravara programme of the Mahinda Chinthana policy to ensure better living standards for the people.

Residents of Maligawatte Flats came in their numbers to greet the President and told him their grievances. The President promised to renovate the flats and offer them better living conditions. The project includes renovation of housing units, sewerage system, carpeting road in the housing scheme and reconstruction of the drainage system.

The housing scheme will also get a children's park and herbal garden under this project.

The National Housing Development Authority has allocated Rs. 280 million for the project and the construction is being carried out by the Engineering Corporation under the supervision of NHDA. Over ten thousand people live in this housing scheme, which consists of 86 buildings and 1,520 housing units.

The President was accompanied by Construction, Engineering Services, and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa , Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Ministry Secretary P.H.L.W Perera and Colombo Mayor Mohammed Muzammil.

Meanwhile, three persons, including a candidate at the upcoming Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province, were arrested by the CID in connection with a mega human smuggling racket where more than Rs. 25 million had been swindled from unsuspecting people who sought asylum in other countries

The main suspects, who were arrested, had been directly involved in smuggling 82 persons in two vessels on July 11 and another 53 persons on July 20 to Christmas Islands. Investigations reveal that the suspects had charged between Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 1,200,000 from each person.

The main suspect in the human smuggling racket was a member of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and a candidate at the local council elections in the East scheduled for September. Those arrested in connection with human smuggling will not be granted bail and will be produced in Court under the Immigration and Emigration Act No 45.

Disgruntled Opposition politicians have been attempting to gain petty political mileage over unruly incidents in Mannar. But President Rajapaksa declared that the Government's intention is to uphold the independence of the judiciary.

He said that the ruling UPFA Government, under his leadership, has always valued the independence of the judiciary and will work towards its protection. "We can't allow the law to be mocked at.

A country cannot be governed without the rule of law. The government is committed to protect the law to the maximum," the President said at the National Farmers' Week exhibition at the agriculture complex in Gannoruwa.

The President recalled the incident where stones were pelted at the home of a judge who ruled in favour of Mrs Vivienne Gunawardena in a human rights case, adding this was the manner in which democracy was protected at that time.

He also recalled the time when the Court houses were padlocked, following the promulgation of the new constitution in 1978 that required judges who had earlier taken their oaths before the Governor General to once again be sworn in before the President. "I am a lawyer by profession. The lawyers work very cordially with the judiciary," he said.

Another propaganda which the Opposition has embarked on was that the Government planned to increase the prices of fuel.

But that gossip was effective by shot down when the Petroleum Ministry announced that fuel prices would not be increased due to the price hike in Iranian crude oil.

Petroleum Ministry Secretary Dr. H.M.S. Samaratunge said the increase in global fuel prices was not as high as that was experienced a few months back and assured there would not be an immediate increase in local fuel prices. He observed that the rising tension in the Middle East and Syria would not have an impact on the global fuel prices. He has noted that an energy sub committee is currently working on an 'energy mix' programme to be applied locally and it would be completed within next four months. According to Petroleum Industries Ministry sources, fuel and crude oil prices in the world market had increased again in the past three weeks. The Petroleum Industries Ministry states that Iranian crude oil imported by Sri Lanka had gone up by US$ 10 per barrel.

Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha also said fuel prices would not be increased again as a result of the latest price hike. According to ministry sources, the price of a barrel of Iranian lite crude oil increased by US $ 10 and the prices of several petroleum products, such as, diesel, petrol and kerosene oil increased by US $ 16 during the last three weeks.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil increased by US $ 9 and simultaneously the price of a barrel of Iranian crude oil and WTI crude oil increased by US $ 7 during the same period. Accordingly, a barrel of Brent crude oil increased to US $ 108.58 from US $ 96.38 and the price of a WTI crude oil barrel increased to US $ 92.66 from US$ 83.99. Many world leaders are now in London to witness the XXXth summer Olympic Games which began on Friday.

The Sri Lanka contingent arrived in London on Tuesday. Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage is in the British capital to witness the Lankan sportsmen and women in action. Though Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne was expected to represent the Sri Lanka Government at the opening ceremony, presided over by Queen Elizabeth II, he was unable to make it due to personal reasons.

Queen Elizabeth declared the Games open, in the company of British Prime Minister David Cameron and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge. Many world leaders and VVIPs were among the distinguished gathering at the opening ceremony.