Odds and Ends

It is a well known practice that high level visits to a foreign country do not take place when that country is about to have an election, unless there are issues of an urgent nature that have to be sorted out by two countries. Of course a country undergoing a closely fought election may want to ‘receive’ friendly foreign visitors, the news of which is good food for public consumption. But our FM, having not had the opportunity to travel officially for nearly two months, was particularly eager to take wing to Pakistan no matter what. Obviously he wanted to show his critics in Sri Lanka that he ‘took the right position’ at the last Commonwealth sessions at which Pakistan was suspended. So he ensured that his team of spin doctors were taken along to relay the message back home.Immediately after the meeting with President Musharaf, the official news release of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry simply stated that: “The President (of Pakistan) appreciated the principled position adopted by the Sri Lankan government at the Commonwealth.”

However, the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka in its media release after the same meeting added the following to the above: “The President said he was particularly grateful to Minister Bogollagama, who had strongly argued against Pakistan’s suspension from the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).”

Was it ‘spinning’ or a mere ‘adding-in’ to the already issued Pakistani version?

Readers can check it out for themselves by logging on to the respective websites of the two Foreign Ministries.

http://www.mfa.gov.pk/Press_Releases/2008/Jan/PR_020_08.htm

http://www.slmfa.gov.lk//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1126&Itemid=1

In order to fill in the FM’s programme in Pakistan, since elections and the security situation did not provide for a thorough set of engagements, the Minister himself ordered for some international media exposures. The BBC was happy to do it for him and a live interview was scheduled. The FM was ready to wax eloquent about the greatness of the APRC proposals when minutes before the scheduled interview the Akashi quote was reported. The BBC picked up on that and grilled the FM for a response. As the FM had come prepared to face a conventional bowling attack, he was virtually flummoxed by the BBC anchor’s doosra. One unhappy viewer of the episode was none other than the big boss of the land who was to chip in later: “Aiyo.eyata bariwunaane ehwalata hariyata uththara denna. Eyage kayya may ape evun ekka vitharai…”

Full stop to liquor lot of hot air

The Government’s much publicized policy is to put a full stop to liquor (Mathata thitha), but its practice appears to be otherwise. JHU Urban Councillor Ven. Molamure Nandarama Thera revealed at the monthly meeting of the Maharagama Urban Council last week of attempts to open two new taverns at Pannipitiya and Mahalwarawa junctions. He charged that one of the taverns is being opened with a licence originally issued to a tavern in Vavuniya.

Things at an important Commission set up through special laws passed in Parliament to fight two major vices afflicting this country, has virtually come to a standstill with two of the commissioners virtually challenging the alleged dictatorial behaviour of its chairman.

It is alleged that for the whole of last year there had only been three meetings of the Commission, where all three met and decided on matters before the Commission. It all points to the matter being taken to higher levels. If the President does not resolve the issue soon, the highest court in the land may be moved to resolve the matter once and for all.

The Prez was very very angry when he heard the Akashi pronouncement. Having seen a dismal performance by his FM on the BBC immediately after the Akashi quote, the Prez summoned his senior staffers and SFA and was in an animated discussion on our continued foreign policy mishandlings (obviously referred to the Pakistan issue at Commonwealth since he knew that FM was already in Islamabad). He wanted some political input into the foreign policy dynamic and was furious when he found that both the Minister and the Deputy Bhaila, were out of the same country at the same time.

Insiders say that MR was in the angriest mood since the beginning of this year. He raised his voice and thundered, “Mun dennama eka welaawata kohay yanawada? Kavuruwath act karanna oney kiyala hithan nedda? Nivaadu yanakota okkomalla eka digata sathi gaanak yanawa. Hondai balamuko. Ara Jeyaraj ta enna kiyanawa. Eya thamai maykata sudusuma kena. Wena kaata hari dunnoth araya (FM) andai.” After JF swears in, MR tells him, “Dan oya waadiwela may weda tika hariyata karala daamu.”

Thereafter MR, along with the acting minister JF and the senior staffers of the MFA and the Presidential Secretariat, cordially proceeded to finalize some decisions including some pending appointments in the foreign ministry held up by the FM although presidential nod had been given. Once the work finished, MR was in a more relaxed mood and remarked, “Onna, appointment karanna dan puluwan. Araya (FM) promote karanne ithin eyaage ne-da-yoi (relations) boru sobana daala katha karana ayai nay.”