Vaccine in time keeps measles away

A majority of those affected by the present measles epidemic are those who have failed to take the anti measlesvaccine introduced some 15 years ago, a top health official said.

Epidemiological Unit Director Dr. W.S. Jayakuru told a news conference that about 2000 cases of measles had been reported in the past few months and that about 60% of those infected were over 15 years and had not received the vaccine given in 1984. A large number of cases have been reported from the Colombo Municipal area, with Gampaha coming second, she said.

She said the vaccine was now being given to children under 10 years and parents were advised to take their children to the nearest dispensary or hospital.

Pregnant mothers were also advised to take the vaccine. Ms. Jayakuru also said the Health Ministry would probably launch a second round of the vaccination in March. Meanwhile a medical Officer at the Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital said over 550 cases with measles had been admitted to the hospital

When The Sunday Times contacted the Director of the Epidemiological Unit to get an update on the latest situation, she told to get a written letter from the Ministry, apprehensive of the recent government announcement that the Establishment Code governing state officials contacts with the media would be strictly enforced.

Jaffna fishermen protest

By S.S.Selvanayagam

Jaffna fishermen will stage a protest march tomorrow demanding that the ban on fishing in the Jaffna lagoon be lifted.

The fishermen will begin their march from Main Street, carrying a petition highlighting the hardships of some 2,000 fisher families from Gurunagar, Pashaiyoor, Colombuthurai and Ariyalai as a result of the ban imposed in December last year.

The petition will be handed over to the Jaffna Government Agent at the Divisional Secretariat. Former EPDP parliamentarian R. Rameshwaran told The Sunday Times that the ban on fishing was preventing the fishermen even going to sea to retrieve their nets valued at 25 million rupees.

TULF parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah who has taken up the matter with Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse also said that the fishermen should at least be allowed to retrieve their fishing nets. Mr. Senathirajah said he asked the minister to consider compensation payments and relief to the fishermen.

Ministers on collision course over bus deal

By Shelani de Silva

A dispute over import of buses from India has set Transport Minister A. H. M. Fowzie and Labour Minister John Seneviratne on a collision course.

Mr. Fowzie said he was going ahead with plans to import buses from India as a price of an Indian bus was Rs. 400,000 less than the price of a local bus. But Mr. Seneviratne said if the minister went ahead with the Indian deal, it would mean loss of employment for thousands of Sri Lankans at local assembly plants.

"The import of buses from India does not mean we are going to stop buying from local companies. But we cannot pay Rs. 400,000 more for locally-built buses. We can only compromise to pay ten percent more of the price difference — about 40,000 — to the local bus manufacturer and nothing more," he said.Mr. Fowzie said the import of buses should go ahead because the country's transport service had to be improved urgently.

The decision to buy buses from India has put the fate of some thousands of employees in a balance. Last week newspaper reports said a local bus-building company which employs 7,000 workers was making retrenchment plans in view of lack of orders from the government.

Labour Minister John Seneviratne told The Sunday Times he met trade union leaders from the bus companies to discuss the issue and would take up the matter with the President after a special committee which was going through the matter submitted its report.

The committee appointed by President Kumaratunga consists of officials from the Treasury, the Attorney General's Department and the Labour Ministry.

Tampoe tells WB:

'Socialism the answer'

By Chamintha Thilakarathne

The socialist economic system may have crashed in eastern Europe and elsewhere, but it is very much a goal of a veteran Sri Lankan trade union leader who recently gave two world bank officials a lesson in socialism.

When two World Bank officials — Paul Mitchelle, Chief Regional Operations, External Affairs and Zita Lichtnberg, External Affairs, South Asia— met Bala Tampoe, leader of the Ceylon Mercantile Union, to get his union's support for the proposed privatisation programme of the Jaye Container Terminal, they were told socialism was still the answer to all the economic ills.

"They spoke of privatisation of the only container terminal now in the hands of the Ports Authority under the pretext of further development.

"When I told them I was against privatisation, they wanted to know my alternative solution to the global capitalist system. I answered global socialist system," Mr. Tampoe said.

The Jaye terminal is one of three container terminals in the Colombo port. The other two terminals have been handed over to foreign companies on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

Recalling the government's pledge not to privatise the Jaye Terminal, Mr. Tampoe warned that the trade union would not keep quiet on the matter as they saw the privatisation would leave hundreds unemployed and affect the revenue flow to the Ports Authority.

Freedom lost

For residents in the city's north-eastern sector, Independence Day dawned to the sounds of filth and the erratic banging of musical instruments.

A new millionaire, thanks to the ongoing separatist war, chose to have a party for 500 guests to mark the dawn of the 52nd anniversary of independence. In addition, whether it had anything to do with the latest multi- million dollar deal is not known.

As midnight approached, the guests were in good spirits with most of them imbibing Chivas and the choicest of wines. That is when the filthy songs, some with reference to politicians, came in. The band took a break and the buddies who had access to the party played on the instruments.

Part of the jarring noise reached a neighbouring cemetery. There would have been those turning in their graves so to say. But there were hundreds who were rolling in their beds with no sleep. So much for social consciousness and public responsibility. It's a case of have money, will have fun. Who cares?

Vanquished presidential hopefuls gang up

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Shelani de Silva

Eight defeated presidential candidates, including UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, have banded together to launch an agitation campaign demanding the invalidation of the presidential poll results and calling for fresh polls.

The defeated candidates met last week in Colombo to discuss joint action to ensure free and fair polls. The Sunday Times learns that Hudson Samarasinghe, Kamal Karunadasa and Alwis Weerakkody were not invited to participate at the initial discussion while Rajiva Wijesinha, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Nandana Gunethileke did not attend the discussion.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Wickremesinghe, Harischandra Wijetunge, Ariyawansa Dissanayake, Abdul Rasool, Tennyson Edirisooriya and Mahiman Ranjith.

JVP spokesperson Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times that the party decided not to join the group because it did not want to join any programme involving the UNP. "The UNP has no moral ground to call for fresh elections as it too had involved in election malpractices when in office," he said.

Mr. Nanayakkara who contested the presidential polls as a common left candidate said he did not want to join the group because some of those candidates supported President Kumaratunga.

He said the left alliance would launch its own campaign with the participation of people.

Ariyawansa Dissanayake, the spokesman for the defeated candidates, said they would strictly stick to issues concerning the protests and not any internal politics.

"As candidates we felt that we have to come forward to inform the public of the poll rigging and the violence.

We will carry out our protests by having public meetings and by using posters," he said.

The group issued a joint statement calling pressure groups, trade unions, media and artiste organisations to join forces in a march towards democracy.

UNP General Secretary Gamini Atukorale said it was mandatory for the UNP as the main opposition party to take the initiative and come into an understanding with other political parties to work for the preservation of democracy.

Sri Lankan Muslim Katchi candidate Abdul Rasool said democracy had become seriously undermined in the recent past and as presidential candidates, they felt obliged to try their best to create a more positive political climate.

Independent candidate Mahiman Ranjith said the recent election could only be compared to a highway robbery where people did not stand a chance of exercising the ballot which was subverted by the bullet.

NE docs to strike again

By Faraza Farook

With risk allowances and other payments still unpaid, doctors working in the North and East have decided to take trade union action this week.

Dr. V. Philip Rajanathan, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Batticaloa branch Secretary said that in spite of several reminders, the Health Ministry had failed to pay the risk allowance to doctors in war areas since July last year. He said according to a recent circular a 'special mission allowance' would be paid only to non-resident doctors in the North and East. But they would demand that this payment be paid to all the doctors. "All doctors in the north and east face the same risk. Being a resident in the north and east doesn't mean that they can escape the dangers of war," he said.

Varma elected to lead FCA

K. J. M. Varma of the Press Trust of India has been elected president of the Foreign Correspondents' Association at the annual general meeting.

Others elected to office are: General Secretary - Suzy Price of BBC, Treasurer - Dilshika Jayamaha of Associate Press, Executive Committee members - Dalton de Silva of Hindu Business Line and Dilip Ganguly of Associate Press.