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| Sunday, 28 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Elect clean candidates - Dr. Sarath Amunugama : UPFA Govt. to eradicate bribery, corruption, political thuggery
A scholar, administrator, media expert and author turned politician he crossed over from the United National Party which he represented in parliament leaving behind perhaps those he is exhorting the voter to weed out. Dr. Amunugama holds a Sociology honours degree from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, and Master's degree and Ph.D in Communication from Canada. He entered the Civil Service in 1962. He was an Assistant Government Agent and the Government Agent, Matale. He is an old boy of Trinity College, Kandy. He was Director of Information in 1978, when a code of ethics for journalists was gazetted. In 1982 he prematurely retired from public service and joined the Asia Mass Communication Information Centre (AMIC), Singapore as its Secretary General. Later he left AMIC to join the UNDP as a Consultant for Asia on the development information network project. He worked as a Director of the Paris based UNESCO. He was the founder Chairman of the Film Corporation and was for a time Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. He has worked in the Oslo based Worldview International, Lanka Puwath - Sri Lanka's national news agency - as a Director and at the Association Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., as its Chairman and Managing Director. He founded the evening daily Colombo Puvath. He started his political career winning a seat in the Central Provincial Council under the Democratic United National Front banner in 1993. He entered parliament in 1994 on the UNP ticket and joined the People's Alliance with others in 1999. His comments on fellow politicos dovetail with the public perception of most of them. "More than anytime before, people of this country have a vital duty to perform at the forthcoming election by exercising their votes in a wise and pragmatic manner to ensure that only candidates with a clean past record are elected to Parliament" said Deputy President of the Freedom Alliance Presidential Advisor and Alliance candidate for the Kandy District Dr. Sarath Amunugama. He said this while addressing a series of Freedom Alliance election propaganda rallies in the Udu Nuwara and Yatinuwara electorates recently. Dr. Amunugama said Sri Lankans who have stepped into the 21st century today could not for a moment think that the 50 year journey of Post Independent Sri Lanka had done anything positive for their well being when compared to the course of history of countries such as India, China and Malaysia. The unfortunate plight which had be fallen us was most tragic and heart rending when we look at the massive progress achieved by our counterparts in Asia after the 1950s. Petty minded politicians who ruled us should be blamed for the present plight which had befallen our country. A majority of politicians had secretly acted in a prejudicial manner and amassed wealth for themselves at the expense of the people after showing a good face to them. They had not only built luxury homes and purchased limousines but sent their children abroad for education after squandering public wealth. The irony is that some of these people had been paupers before they entered politics. Today people treated such politicians with abhorrence. Therefore people should exercise their votes wisely at the forthcoming election to ensure that only a set of clean candidates were elected to Parliament to serve them. Dr. Amunugama said the Freedom Alliance Government would introduce a new political culture to this country which would protect national assets and eradicate bribery corruption and political thuggery. It would also lay emphasis on ensuring proper financial management and discipline while launching development projects in keeping with social needs. The prime objective of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the rest of the Freedom Alliance leadership is to bequeath a peaceful and prosperous nation to the future generation, Dr. Amunugama said. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Deputy President of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and
Presidential Advisor Dr. Sarath Amunugama in the thick of his election
campaign in Kandy district has issued this statement exhorting the voters
to exercise their right on April 2 discerningly weeding out the corrupt
and self-aggrandising elements that have strutted the political stage and
brought ruination to the country.
