What will be will be
Former People's Alliance strongman whose phenomenal rise in a "military (or is it political) career" from Lieutenant Colonel" to "General" is a world first, the father of many lost battles, lost lives and depleted armouries, AnuruddhaRatwatte, was at his best again last Wednesday.

Not that he was getting ready to launch another military offensive in these days of peace. As many of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) colleagues thought, he was setting the stage for a come back, perhaps to run the military machine should there be a change of Government.

He was among the many speakers at the marathon session of SLFP parliamentarians held at the Janadipathi Mandiraya. He pooh poohed reports of security threats to the east, particularly the Tiger guerrilla build up around the strategic port of Trincomalee. They were all nonsense, according to the former Deputy Minister of Defence, the "principal share holder" for all the military debacles during the seven year long PA rule.

The "dividends" of most of his actions, in the form of bitter criticism, a former PA minister says "is still being reaped by President Kumaratunga."

"General" Ratwatte said Colombo would be finished should war break out again. The guerrillas would target electricity and water systems among others when they cause havoc, he warned. He said the President should order the re-introduction of security barriers in the City.

Even without such havoc, the former Deputy Defence Minister, who presided over a Power and Energy Ministry saw frequent blackouts that devastated the economy.
It is not only SLFP stalwarts who are asking whether the "General" who wore uniforms of the Army, Navy and Air Force during the conduct of the separatist war under PA, would make a come back. There were also a few in the Security Forces.
As the former Minister replied, its "que sera sera" or whatever will be will be.

Better watch out
Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, may be coming in for a lot of flak over the management of the defence establishment under his United National Front.
Yet, he showed last week that he was going out of the way curb kick backs and commissions on defence procurements - a bane for successive governments. Juicy stories about how files are held back until backroom deals are first concluded are reminiscent of the seven year PA rule. Sums run into millions of dollars or billions of rupees!!

He has named Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and K.N. Choksy to assist Defence Minister, Tilak Marapana, in this task. Now it will be the threesome that will keep an eye.

All good things must end
Sivaratnam Prabhagaran alias Pulithevan, the head of the Peace Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has sure developed a penchant for good things in life.

If his comrades in arms ate berries of the Wanni wilds, he preferred luscious apples. Even Defence Secretary, Austin Fernando, went with a bagful when he was receiving treatment at a Colombo nursing home protected by Army commandos. That was when they were in talking terms.

If living in the crummy lodges in the City and suburbs was the frugal life for other guerrillas, it was not for Mr. Pulithevan. He opted for the luxury of five star hotels or super luxury apartments.

He even gave the slip to his commando bodyguards to sample the City's night life. He apologised later when there was a threat to withdraw security.

What has Mr. Pulithevan got which other tougher guerrillas with cyanide capsules on the ready to die do not - only a little knowledge of English. With that he has tried many a time to overshadow even the guerrilla ideologue and chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham. But he found there were other very strong contenders.

And just two weeks ago, Mr. Pulithevan discovered that the "open general licence" he had enjoyed to do what he wishes in Colombo is getting restricted. When he arrived from Switzerland with two female colleagues and 14 packages, orders went out from the highest levels of the UNF leadership to check them thoroughly.

It came to light that his cargo included non fat yoghurt. That was meant for the political wing boss S.P. Tamilselvan. Among the other items were spare parts for computer printers, a large amount of books, paper rolls and a pedestal for a musical instrument.

Despite the checks, he still had something more for his liking on that occasion - a helicopter ride to Wanni with his female colleagues. Insiders say the UNF now wants to regularise procedures for air travel of guerrilla leaders.

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