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13th January 2002

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Prime Minister and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and the party's new chairman, Malik Samarawickrema, seconding a proposal at the party convention yesterday at the Colombo Town Hall. Pic by Gemunu Wellage.
Prime Minister and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and the party's new chairman, Malik Samarawickrema, seconding a proposal at the party convention yesterday at the Colombo Town Hall. Pic by Gemunu Wellage.
Contents

Peace talks in Tiger-held Madhu?

The Government is considering Madhu as the venue for the preliminary round of peace talks between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is said to be in favour of this venue, home for the church of our Lady of Lanka, venerated by Catholics. Madhu is located in the "uncontrolled" or LTTE dominated area. Hence, its leaders will find it easy to attend the preliminary rounds of talks, UNF government officials said.

Norwegian facilitators have indicated that they would like the preliminary talks be held in their capital, Oslo – a move intended to give the peace talks the widest possible international attention.

The LTTE has said that it preferred a location in a Southern Indian city either in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Although media reports attributed a venue in Southern India for the talks, an official Indian Government spokesman has declared in New Delhi that no formal or informal request has been received by the government.

The Sunday Times learns the Government's wish to make Madhu the venue may materialize. UNF sources say talks would begin in May, this year soon after formalities are cleared with the help of Norwegian facilitators.

As part of preparations for the upcoming talks, the government has decided to strengthen the Special Secretariat which will function under Premier Wickremesinghe. Bernard Gunatillake, Sri Lanka's ambassador in China, was recalled to Colombo to head this Secretariat. And now, Sri Lanka's ambassador in Thailand, K.S. Palihakkara, has been asked to join the Secretariat.

Early this week, visiting Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen, expressed cautious optimism about the process of finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

A statement from the Royal Norwegian embassy said Mr. Helgessen met LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham in London on January 4 and briefed the Government on the outcome of this meeting during his visit to Colombo 10-11 January. In Colombo he had discussions with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando and representatives of Muslim and Tamil political parties.

The discussions have shown that there is an increased level of confidence between the parties. "We are convinced that there are opportunities to move further step by step towards negotiations," Mr. Helgessen said. He, however, underlined that the process would be challenging and both parties would face difficulties. 


IMF team here next month

By M. Ismeth and Chris Kamalendran
A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will arrive in Sri Lanka next month to determine future aid commitments, Finance Minister K.N. Choksy said last night.

He said he was hopeful of an enhanced commitment than previous years since the United National Front government had development programmes ready on hand for implementation.

Mr. Choksy lamented that of the US$ 700 million development aid the country received, the previous PA Government had been able to utilise only US$ 400 million. "This was because it did not have proper plans or projects on hand," he said.

Sri Lanka was entitled for US$ 700 million annually for development projects. The growth rate last year was 0.6 percent minus.

"To improve the country's economy, we are looking into areas where local and foreign investors could be attracted by revising the customs, tariff and other taxes," Mr. Choksy said.

He said the Government had assured the IMF that it would closely monitor the use of funds on the projects with the Treasury monitoring closely practical improvements suggested by the IMF in project management.

The Finance Ministry is also examining the enormous burdens on the economy as a result of subsidies on petroleum products and wheat flour. These subsidies would be gradually reduced over a period of time without placing any burden on the ordinary people, Mr. Choksy said.

He said the loss incurring public corporations like the CWE, the Transport Board and the Railways would be restructured.

In the event of the peace talks being successful, the money saved on defence expenditure would be utilised on development projects, he said. "In this event, the IMF and other donor agencies are likely to give us a greater aid package," he added.

The Minister also said the Government would appeal to the World Bank to assist Sri Lanka with its poverty alleviation programmes.


Rain manthras —CEB goes mystic

By Shelani Perera
In a desperate attempt to overcome the power crisis, the CEB is now going for mystic powers.

Officials said the CEB had commissioned a Buddhist monk from Kataragama to visit the hydropower reservoir areas and chant "Mantrams" for more rain.

The monk has been given a luxury vehicle with a CEB welfare officer accompanying him to the sites on a full time basis.

The first visit was to the Victoria on January 4, then to Lakshapana and Randenigala with others on the cards later. The manthra move comes amidst efforts by Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya to solve the power crisis within 180 days.

The CEB said last week that the situation was still bleak and it might have to impose longer power cuts if consumers did not cooperate by substantially reducing consumption. 


CBK relates holiday story

From Neville de Silva in London
"I had no commitments and felt I wanted to go mad," President Chan–drika Kumaratunga said when she was interviewed for a travel article by the London Sunday Times.

The article appeared in the back pages of the "Travel" section of the paper. The President related the story of how she spent her holidays — it was six months after she was bombed by those Tiger fellows, and it was the best holiday since becoming president.

"I rang some friends and we headed for Camden market. I didn't tell British security, the driver was new and he didn't understand security protocols. When we got there, British security arrived and I convinced them there were no guerrillas lurking. I had a ball walking around, buying knick-knacks," she said candidly.

Then comes the piece de resistance of her holiday story: "Then we headed for Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was so small the security people couldn't get in. They complained that I was different from other VIPs. Their bosses pick up their restaurant tabs while guarding me, so they'd sooner have gone somewhere a bit classier. 'Let's hope she dines in a decent place tonight', they said, 'Like the Ritz'".

Until she became president, holidays were "fun times", confesses Ms. Kumaratunga, "shared with friends."

"I was free to walk among ordinary people in the street. But because of the threats on my life, that's impossible now."

Despite all the holidays spent in Athens, watching the Acropolis dining in a little tavern and listening to music, her favourite holiday was going to Horagolla.

"I simply loved it. There were vast estates and a beautiful old feudal house. It was typical Sri Lankan. We had lots of garden space and orchards and we played with the village children.

"This was actually very unusual. Unfortunately we had a caste-and class-system here. My paternal grandfather was very feudal and would not allow anybody that wasn't from the top echelon to come to his table.

"But my father threw all that out. He took the lowest caste of people to his table - people whom grandfather wouldn't allow beyond the gate. He went to their homes, ate with them and encouraged us children to do the same. He was a real revolutionary. Those carefree holidays with the village children, playing under the mango trees, were very special," she says, oozing with nostalgia. 

See --> Those holidays in the good ole' days


Foreign witnesses to testify in missing painting case

By Laila Nasry
Five key foreign witnesses are scheduled to fly down to assist the prosecution in the case related to the missing Mulkirigala painting which once adorned the President's House.

When the case came up before the Colombo High Court recently, State Counsel P. P. Surasena moved for further time on the grounds that the foreign witnesses who were scheduled to be in the country could only make themselves available in February. High Court Judge Kumar Ekaratne granted the prosecution time until February 21. 

The prime suspect in this case, Rohan Jayakody, son-in-law of former President R. Premadasa, was indicted last year in this connection.

The foreign witnesses include Scotland Yard officers and officials from Spink and Leger Pictures of Kings Street London, to whom the painting was alleged to have been sold. In addition former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to England, Chandra Monerawala, has also been listed as a state witness.

The court earlier relaxed an order requiring Mr. Jayakody to present himself at the CID headquarters every month, after it was pointed out he was residing in England. The historical painting which went missing from the President's House in 1993, later surfaced at Christies, the popular auction house in London. The painting has now been recovered by the CID and is back at the President's House. 


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