• C'wealth Chief's report dodges terrorism
• 'Missing' Mendis special in cabinet politics
• JVP spreads union wings
• Expensive power offer turned down
• Survey reveals poor literacy of students 
• Rural hospitals in crisis sans light
• Rains to ease daily agony?
• Galle Face reopens
• CJ: If we can't make sense of this, how can the people?
• PSD man ordered out of Maligawa
• Peace initiative to continue 
• Speaker writes to ex-Speaker
• New president Editors' Guild
• LTTE area leader killed
• Media control clauses to be dropped
• Who knows? Only the kitchen cabinet
• Lanka skyline also in crisis and confusion
• Economic decline worms way into books
• SSP claims promotion blocked by politics
• Commissions: a quantum leap or a small step for Sri Lankans?
• What the draft bill says...
• Independence not through legislation alone
• People kept in the dark
• Constitutional Council should be free from politics
• A healthy process
• Independent Police Commission necessary
• People of integrity needed
• Females finally win the race
• Where art thou, ye human rights crusaders?
• A test for JVP's sincerity
• Twin towers - the numerological explanation
• World News

C'wealth Chief's report dodges terrorism

From Neville de Silva in London

Launching his first report as secretary general, Mr. McKinnon referred to the terrorist attacks on the United States and said these tragic events would be in the minds of all Commonwealth leaders.

"Terrorism has always been addressed at Commonwealth meetings.... Terrorism is global terrorism," Mr. McKinnon said addressing Commonwealth diplomats and journalists on Wednesday at Marlborough House, the headquarters of the organisation. Asked by The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) why his two-year report did not mention terrorism even in passing, if it is considered such a major issue in which the Commonwealth is in "a position to play a role", to use his words, the secretary general said the report was published before the devastating terrorist strike against the US.

He said that though no reference was made to terrorism in the report, press statements condemning terrorism had been issued from time to time.

Mr. McKinnon said today there was a very real feeling of the vulnerability of people and he was certain it would be raised by several Commonwealth leaders at the forthcoming summit.

"Sri Lanka knows what terrorism is all about. President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who I met in Colombo recently, knows what it is all about."

However, not all were convinced by Mr. McKinnon's lukewarm response on why the report avoided mention of terrorism.

"I don't think his answer was valid," a Commonwealth diplomat told me later. "He was implying that had the attack on the US taken place before the report was published, terrorism would have figured in the report. The US is not even a member of the Commonwealth. Are we to wait until some powerful nation outside the Commonwealth is the subject of terrorist attack before we accept its seriousness."

"Two Commonwealth nations in Africa became victims of terrorism when US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed two years ago. So many Africans died. Don't those deaths count," asked another from of a Commonwealth country.

Rejecting the secretary- general's answer, an Asian journalist said that issuing press statements did not absolve the Commonwealth Secretary General's Office from carrying some message on terrorism in the report to the heads of government meeting.

"Mr. McKinnon says the report addresses issues like democracy and good governance. These core values which the Commonwealth is promoting can be destroyed by the phenomenon of terrorism," another Commonwealth diplomat said.

"It seems that neither Mr. McKinnon nor his close advisers on political issues can spare enough time to mention terrorism even once. No wonder there are many people who continue to believe the Commonwealth Secretariat is a cosy little club and however much leaders might shout their concerns, they enter through one collective ear of the secretariat and passes through the other. One would think there is nothing in between to stop it," added a journalist cynically.

Last week The Sunday Times exclusively reported how Mr. McKinnon, a former Foreign Minister of New Zealand had asked Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar whether Sri Lanka 'insisted' in having a reference to global terrorism included in the final declaration of Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Brisbane next month, hardly 24 hours before the attacks in New York and Washington.

When Mr. Kadirgamar had said 'yes' that Sri Lanka did insist on the inclusion of the subjects, the Commonwealth Secretary General had made a face and nodded.

'Missing' Mendis special in cabinet politics

By Nilika de Silva

Mr. Mendis, the disputed leader of the UNP 'alternative group, was quietly sworn in last Saturday as number 21 in a cabinet that had to be restricted to 20. By the next day, he was reportedly under pressure to quit because Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Arumugam Thondaman also had to be sworn in with the JVP insisting that 20 is 20 in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding. On Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Mendis' aides were insisting he was still in the cabinet while PA leaders said he was out. 

On Tuesday, the Presidential Secretariat sent a list of the new cabinet to the Parliamentary Secretary General and Mr. Mendis was out. 

Mr. Mendis has not been available for any comments since his swearing in. His colleague in the UNP alternative group, Minister Sarath Amunugama told The Sunday Times that cabinet appointments were solely the prerogative of the President and he did not wish to comment further.

Repeated attempts by The Sunday Times to contact Mr. Mendis failed, as various reasons were given by staff and family members that he was away, not contactable, busy at work, and even that he had gone to the ministry.

Amidst this mystery the latest report suggested that there might be a compromise with Mr. Mendis be appointed as a governor.

JVP spreads union wings

By Chandani Kirinde

The JVP's trade union wing known as the 'Socialist Labour Organisation' has decided to form a trade union federation encompassing the JVP unions in the state sector.

The move is aimed at collectively campaigning for demands of workers in the state sector, according to the SLO National Organiser K. D. Lalkantha.

The JVP unions in the state sector will meet on Wednesday to form the federation from where the party wants to begin its campaign for demands of the state sector workers.

"JVP trade unions in the private sector are strong and we have carried out successful campaigns and we want to do the same in the state sector," a union spokesman said.

He said among the key issues to be discussed would be the Government's privatisation programme, cost of living and salary increments for public servants.

In addition to this, a major demonstration has been organised by the JVP's trade union wing in the private sector, calling on the government to protect the jobs of hotel sector worker. 

The Inter Company Employees Union plans to bring hotel workers from all parts of the country for the protest outside the Labour Secretariat.

A spokesman for the union said that at least 10,000 workers in the hotel sector were facing harsh times with many of their employers using the recent attacks on the Katunayake airport and now the attacks in the USA to lay off staff and withhold their allowances and bonuses.

He said many of the workers employed on a contract basis had been sacked and hence one of their demands was that no worker in the trade be employed on contract basis in the future.

They also demand that their minimum salary be increased to Rs. 8,000 from Rs. 2,500.

The spokesman said their protest action did not contravene the PA-JVP MoU, in which the party had pledged not to launch any action that would destabilise the economy.

Expensive power offer turned down

By Shelani de Silva

The American based company Infrastructure Development and Investment Ltd., had forwarded a proposal to the Treasury to supply 200 MW of power for a total payment of 216 million US dollars per year. The cost per unit would be Rs. 12. The Treasury which rejected the proposal last week sent a letter informing the company that it was not interested in the offer due to the high cost. 

The company's subsequent proposal that the contract be given for three months was also rejected since a unit would cost Rs. 23 .

The Sunday Times learns that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake's pledge a few weeks back to do away with the power cuts, was based on expectations that this transaction would go through. 

However a CEB official told The Sunday Times that it was not possible to completely do away with power cuts with an additional 200 MW of power. It would only help reduce the power cuts by a few hours. Further if the contract materialised it would have taken at least five weeks for it to get off the ground.

It is learnt that the country needs at least another 1000 MW to completely do away with power cuts.

Survey reveals poor literacy of students 

By Faraza Farook

An assessment in 1994 had showed that less than 20 percent of students completing five years of education achieved mastery in numeracy, literacy and life skills and a repeat assessment in 1999 showed virtually no improvement.

"Even at university level, there are students who can't express themselves verbally or in writing," says Prof. S.T. Hettige, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo adding, "Even if they have passed their Ordinary Level examination, there is no guarantee that they are functionally literate".

The other reason behind children failing to acquire skills in numeracy and literacy is the automatic transfer promotion. Thus the child is pushed from one class to another whether or not he had mastered these skills. These children, eventually, fail their exams unable to keep up with the other pupils.

The lack of a stimulating environment which would encourage a child to study is also important and this factor is absent in many rural areas. Poverty has deprived education to a number of children, as their parents want them to help them in their work. The extensive expansion of Sri Lanka's educational system to ensure that all have access to this basic right has contributed to the poor standards. "With such a monstrous system you can only maintain minimum standards, Prof. Hettige pointed out. Untrained teachers, the curriculum, poor school facilities, ineffective school management and a lack of family and community support are foremost reasons for this situation, he noted.

A disparity in the distribution of facilities has resulted in a hierarchy of schools. According to Prof. Hettige, 30% of the schools are reasonably well equipped and produce 80% of students who are at the highest level, who also enjoy the opportunity to enter the most competitive fields in employment.

On the other hand, the lack of trained teachers and their uneven distribution contributes largely to the poor quality of education, especially in the rural sector. Prof. Hettige said that a deficiency in qualified teachers for Maths and English, has become a bottleneck as a pass in these subjects is insisted upon for higher studies or employment. 

The recent education reforms have further aggravated the problem with teachers finding that these changes demand acquisition of new skills and training.

Implementation of the reforms is still fraught with difficulties. According to Prof. Hettige one reason for the tapered knowledge we see in children today is that the curriculum has been changed in such a way as to confine the child to a specific field.

The lack of library facilities in many rural schools has confined children to their text books. As a result, a vast majority of students don't acquire communication skills and their understanding of the world is very limited, Prof. Hettige noted.

Rural hospitals in crisis sans light

The rural hospitals seemed to be worst affected and doctors reported that they were unable to engage in case studies due to the power cuts. Last Thursday night the generators at the Colombo National Hospital failed to function plunging the entire hospital into darkness. Except for the operating theatres, all other units were said to be without power for at least one and a half hours.

The Mirigama hospital, is unable to provide power to the doctors quarters and the operating theatre, hospital sources said. However, the theatre has not been functioning due to lack of facilities and is being used to dress minor wounds.

Though the hospital is equipped with a generator, technical problems have limited the power supply only to wards. "Each ward has only one light," said a medical officer, adding that doctors had no time to even iron their clothes due to the inconvenient timing of the power cuts.

Rains to ease daily agony?

However the CEB will continue with the power cuts, with only a reduction in hours. 

A CEB official told The Sunday Times that the power situation was not satisfactory and thus it would not be able to do away with the power cuts. 'We are still planning to hire generators at a low cost from private companies .The Board has decided to hire generators capable of providing 10 to 50 MW of power to the grid' he said.

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