• Price package prior to polls
• CBK intervenes in Vanitha row
• The privileged palate
• Balagalle Army commander soon
• Arms deal Czechmated

Price package prior to polls

All parties ready for general election

The apparent switch in priorities came as preparations for a general election got underway with the Department of Elections busy preparing poll cards.

Polls Chief Dayananda Dissanayake told The Sunday Times he was ready to hold an election at anytime.

Parliament will stand dissolved by August 25. Under the constitution after the presidential proclamation on holding the elections is gazetted, nominations should be called between 10 and 17 days.

Elections should be held between five and seven weeks after nominations close.

Amidst these moves, the government on Friday announced the package of economic relief for the hardpressed people.

A main component of this package was a reduction in the price of flour by three rupees a kilogramme. The retail price of a kilo of flour which now stands at Rs 18.15 has been brought down to Rs 15.15. 

The Government expects the price of flour based products, particularly bread, buns, string hoppers, hoppers and pittu, will come down. Bakers said the price of a loaf of bread would be reduced by one rupee — the amount they raised soon after cooking gas and diesel prices were increased. 

The reduction in flour prices will mean that the Government will subsidise the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), which holds the monopoly for flour imports. 

The decision to evolve a relief package follows protests made to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga by PA ministers and MPs. They had explained that it would be difficult for them to embark on election campaigns with living costs soaring to unexpected levels. 

The Presidential Secretariat in a statement after the cabinet meeting also announced a special allowance of Rs. 600 a month for public servants earning less than Rs. 12,000 and an allowance of Rs. 300 a month for pensioners drawing less than Rs. 6,000, while the Samurdhi allowance was also increased. For farmers, there will be an extra subsidy on fertilizer while more than 10,000 graduates holding temporary jobs will be given permanency.

Minister A. H. M. Fowzie, who is expected to play a key role in the PA's Colombo campaign, said yesterday talks were being held with PA constituent parties to finalise nominations for general elections.

The main opposition UNP is also finalising plans for elections with a five-member committee headed preparing the manifesto. 

On July 18, marking the anniversary of last year's attack on a party protest rally, the UNP is planning another mass rally to protest against the escalating cost of living. This is likely to be the main campaign slogan for the UNP.

A spokesman for the JVP said they had already finalised their nomination list for the forthcoming general elections and will be contesting in all electorates, except certain areas in north and east.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress reiterated its position to contest elections on its own despite requests from the PA to contest on a common list.

TULF Senior Vice President V .Anandasangari said they were hoping to contest in the entire north and east unlike in the last elections where they contested only in the east.

As the preparations by all parties went ahead, there is no consensus reached between the PA and the UNP on the setting up of an independent commission before the elections. The UNP has proposed the commission be set up before the polls but the government which has agreed to this in principle is insisting it could be introduced only with the package of constitutional reforms which may not come before the general elections.

CBK intervenes in Vanitha row

By Shelani de Silva

Minister Hema Ratnayake, president of the Seva Vanitha movement, told The Sunday Times that on President Kumaratunga's advice, a committee would be appointed to probe charges of corruption and misuse of funds.

The alleged corruption was centred around allegations of how a senior member had bought furniture which belonged to the movement. 

The furniture was to be auctioned but the senior member had allegedly called it off and bought it for a mere 10,000 rupees, though the estimated value was more than 200,000 rupees.

The controversy had led to the resignation of Seva Vanitha treasurer, Pamitha Jayakody, wife of Cultural Affairs Minister Lakshman Jayakody.

Ms. Ratnayake said a report would be submitted to the President within days while plans were also under way to hold the movement's annual general meeting on July 27.

The privileged palate

According to parliamentary sources, about seventy varieties are prepared by parliament cooks for the exclusive consumption of the country's legislators.

While these items are not separately priced, the entire meal costs a mere Rs. 15, and the skyrocketing prices outside appear to have little effect on the legislators' gastronomic delights.

For breakfast, parliamentarians are able to choose from three types of rice, bread, gram, string hoppers, toast with butter and omelettes and other supplementaries according to the chosen meal. In addition, tea, coffee, fresh fruit juice or kola kenda are other accompaniments the legislators may choose from.

According to the parliamentary kitchen staff, lunch is a heavy affair with three kinds of rice being available including fried rice, three types of meat, fish or egg with eight or more curries being served at the MPs' dining. Fish and meat are also prepared in various types to whet the appetite of members, while upon request, they can also get various others dishes also prepared to suit the individual palate. 

In the evening, the legislators are served tea with two varieties of cakes, cutlets, patties, pastries and several other baked items. Upon request, other food items also could be prepared by the kitchen staff. Other beneficiaries of the subsidized food include officials, executives, and parliament staff and media personnel. With the running cost of parliament for a day amounting to a colossal Rs. 1.2 million and a third of it used for the gastronomic delights of the members, it is also alleged that much of the food goes waste at a time when the people are being crushed under the burden of an ever-increasing cost of living.

Balagalle Army commander soon

By The Sunday Times Defence Correspondent

The present incumbent, Lt. Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya, whose extended term of office was to end on December 15, this year, is to be called upon to put in his papers for retirement early. He is being tipped for a diplomatic appointment, possibly Pakistan, whose military ruler General Pervaiz Musharaff, was his colleague at the Pakistan Military Academy.

As a prelude to Major General Balagalle's appointment as Commander of the Army, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is also Commander-in-Chief, has extended his term of office by six months. This was after Emergency Regulations promulgated on June 11, empowered her to retain in the same rank, the service of an officer presently holding the rank of a Brigadier or Major General. This is by extending the service of the officer, or by appointing him in his substantive rank, at the time of his retirement, beyond the age of 55. 

Maj. Gen. Balagalle reached his age of retirement on June 14, a day before his 55th birthday. He was Chief of Staff of the Army. The Ministry of Defence has informed him that his term of service has been extended until December 14, 2000 — the day the Emergency Regulations empowering the President to extend services of officers of armed forces will expire. 

Major General Balagalle has not been given a substantive post although he has been billed to become Deputy Army Commander until he is promoted. His office as Chief of Staff, until the extension of service was granted, has been taken over by Major General Janaka Perera. However, Maj. Gen. Balagalle has been officiating for the Commander of the Army carrying out various tasks entrusted to him including the chairing of tender and promotion boards. 

Although early last month it was decided to scrap the office of the Overall Operations Commander (North) and allow Major General Sarath Fonseka, Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, to direct all counter terrorist operations, the decision was changed just two days later. It was decided that the office of the OOC should remain and Major General Perera, in addition to his post as Chief of Staff, should continue. Soon after taking over as Chief of Staff at Army Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Perera flew to Jaffna and is operating from there. 

Maj. Gen. Balagalle's extension of service makes him currently the number two in the Army although the number two slot, the Chief of Staff, has been taken over by Maj. Gen. Perera. At Army Headquarters, only the name board of the Chief of Staff was changed. It was removed from Maj. Gen. Balagalle's office and fixed at Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera's office. Maj. Gen. Neil Dias, the Deputy Chief of Staff, who is Commandant, Volunteer Force, functions from his headquarters at Pelawatte. 

Arms deal Czechmated

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