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| Sunday, 12 September 2004 |
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CWC back in the govt. fold Weekly Newscan by Ajarath Ceylon Workers Congress Leader Arumugam Thondaman was in the lime light, when he broke his silence on joining the UPFA government last week. He announced the unconditional support of the CWC to the government. He said the confidence that his party had with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Minister Mangala Samaraweera was the reason for the support. He also added that his party would press the government to commence talks on the Interim Self-Government Authority. However, Arumugam Thondaman came under criticism from various quarters for his decision. TNA condemns The Tamil National Alliance said the unconditional support extended to the government by CWC would only retard the peace process, instead of furthering it. TNA Parliamentarians Gajan Ponnampalam and N. Raviraj were of the view that the decision taken by the CWC, only hurts the sentiments of the Tamils of North and East as Thondaman's decision will not help the North-East Tamils from achieving what they want. SLFP anniversary President Kumaratunga, with a sigh of relief as she was able to bring the CWC within her wings, attended the 53rd anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party held in Galle. She said the country was moving positively towards peace. She added that there were no setbacks to the peace process and there were positive signs for resuming talks with the LTTE. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said changing the existing electoral system to reflect public opinion is the responsibility of the government and the most appropriate time for a new electoral system has come. UNP convention The UNP flock, losing eight CWC birds to the UPFA, had its 58th Convention at Sri Kotha. Leader of the Opposition and the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe pledged that a UNP government would be formed again to restore the country from the present economic morass and rebuild it according to the Party's vision. Ranil Wickremesinghe said that had the UNP been in office today, the people of the country would have been granted much relief and the world oil price hike would not have affected them as the UNP would have maintained the Rupee at Rs. 90 against the US dollar. Street children A Presidential Scholarship, Nena Sarana Rekawaranaya, to help educate parentless street children, was officially launched. The scheme helps 150 street children to have education and shelter. These children have been selected from the plantation sector, and the coastal area of Kataragama, Ratnapura and Colombo, which have the highest number of children living on the streets. Self-determination While the government was concentrating on the sheltering of street children, a new Muslim political party has demanded a homeland for Muslims. Leader of the newly formed United Muslim Ummah (UMU) Dr. Al M. Jaleel demanded that self-determination of the North-East Muslims be ensured and the North-East be recognised as a traditional homeland of Muslims. Negotiate peace The US Ambassador at Large on Counter-Terrorism, J. Cofer Black said at a press conference in Colombo that the policy of the US government was that the LTTE must negotiate with the government of Sri Lanka in good faith and not just negotiate. It has to, in good faith, renounce terrorism in word and deed. Kadir's plea Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was in Japan urged that country to provide promised aid to Sri Lanka now, rather than wait for peace talks with the LTTE to resume . Kadirgamar said a drive was on to re-start peace talks with the LTTE after a 17-month impasse. Meeting of rivals President Kumaratunga met Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for informal talks on matters of national interest. The President explained to the Opposition Leader the government's proposal for initiating a National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation with the objective of establishing a consultative process, with political parties as well as with religious dignitaries and civil society groups. The Opposition Leader indicated that he would discuss the proposal with his party and keep the President informed. Overhauling bus companies President Kumaratunga has set up a special committee to restructure the State-owned Cluster Bus Companies. President will chair the committee. The other members are Transport Minister Felix Perera and Chairman of the Strategic Enterprises Management Agency Mano Tittawella. The National Transport Commission headed by Professor Amal Kumarage will implement timetables for the buses of cluster bus companies integrated with private bus operations by December 15. Halt to pyramid schemes President Kumaratunga has endorsed the action taken by the Central Bank and the Customs authorities and the proposal to introduce legislation to halt the operation of any pyramid scheme in the future. The President came out strongly against pyramid schemes which are in operation under different names such as Referral and Network Marketing Schemes. They have created a major drain on the country's foreign reserves by exploiting the public. Pyramid schemes have drained out US$ 50 million. New Minister The alliance of the Ceylon Workers Congress with the UPFA government was sealed with the swearing-in of two parliamentarians of that Party as Minister and Deputy Minister. Muthu Sivalingam, a former Deputy Minister, was sworn in as Minister of Estate Housing, Infrastructure and Community Development M.S. Sellasamy, a former State Minister under the Premadasa government, has become the Deputy Minister. |
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