 It was one of the stormiest sessions where the protagonists roared against each other with anger and candour. With two more elections lost, this time for Provincial Councils in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa, a perceived Government victory in the ongoing separatist war projected as imminent, what does the country's oldest political party in Opposition do? Can it go beyond its own internal crisis for a change in leadership, or would that imbroglio serve as the beginning of the end for the United National Party (UNP)? |
The most decisive phase of Eelam War IV began this week. The Security Forces and Tiger guerrillas fought some of the bitterest battles on Monday and Tuesday. Guns have fallen silent since then. Both sides are reviewing their options. The worst fighting was in the western flank of the Wanni. Troops that had re-captured vast chunks of territory further north and east of Mannar in the past many months and weeks are now on the doorsteps of guerrilla strongholds. They are meeting with stiff resistance on two important fronts.
Increasing local production of milk has become important since milk prices increased several fold and created hardships to many people. The Marga Institute was the venue for a seminar last week on the dairy industry. This seminar was of national significance as the ideas brought out at this seminar require feeding into policy issues on dairy development. Further discussion of these ideas could provide the basis for a national dairy development policy. The point of departure at this conference was that increase in international prices for milk and milk products had at last removed a serious constraint and obstacle to dairy development.