Sweeping powers for polls chief
AG confirms he can direct Rupavahini and SLBC, deploy police
and act against misuse of state property
By Laila Nasry
The Commissioner of Elections has been empowered to take over election
reporting of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting
Corporation if they do not conform to his guidelines on fair and balanced
reporting of the election campaign.
Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has also been empowered to take wide-ranging
steps, including deployment of police officers to maintain law and order
on election day.
The Attorney General has ruled that the Commissioner of Elections could
act under the powers vested in him under the 17th amendment to the constitution
.
The Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabayson has communicated his decision
to the Elections Commissioner in writing on Friday night, The Sunday Times
learns.
Amidst strong lobbying from political parties, civic organisations and
election observers, the Elections Commissioner had sought the AG's advice
on whether he could act under the 17th amendment, which had been passed
a fortnight before the dissolution of parliament.
With the AG's ruling, the Polls Chief will now have added powers to
act against any misuse of state property and state media during elections.
He will have the following powers:
* To give guidelines to state-owned and private print and electronic
media regarding fair and balanced publication of election news and propaganda
so as to ensure a free and fair election.
* If the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation or the Sri Lanka Rupavahini
Corporation does not adhere to the guidelines, the Commissioner is empowered
to appoint a Competent Authority to take over the broadcasting of election
news until the conclusion of the election.
* To give directions to heads of departments not to permit state property
such as vehicles to be used for election propaganda purposes.
* He can request the IGP to make available police cadre to enable him
to maintain law and order at polling stations and on election day. Earlier
the powers were with the IGP to deploy policemen at the polling booths,
but henceforth the Commissioner of Elections will have powers regarding
deployment of law enforcement officers.
Meanwhile political parties on Friday suggested a series of other measures
to ensure free and fair elections.
At a meeting with the Commissioner of Elections, they called on him
to take steps to suspend or prevent any political transfers of police or
other officers.
Political parties have also suggested that counting of votes should
take place the day after the voting, giving time for polls officials to
take a rest.
The polls chief said he would discuss this matter with his officials
but there might be logistical problems.
Opposition parties alleged that a series of transfer of police and other
government officers were on in an attempt to send in officials who would
favour the PA. The commissioner said he would consider whether to step
in and tell the government to defer these transfers.
US troops combat Taliban at close quarters
WASHINGTON/KABUL, Saturday (Reuters) - U.S. combat troops launched an in-and-out
raid into Afghanistan yesterday, marking a major new phase in the campaign
to crush the Taliban government and the al Qaeda network it is sheltering.
U.S. officials told Reuters more than 100 special forces troops took
part in the close-quarters attack on targets which have until now been
bombarded from the air for 13 straight days.
Two American soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in neighboring
Pakistan, the Pentagon said. They were not directly involved in the raid
into Afghanistan.
"A group of special forces, including Army Rangers, went into Afghanistan
today — overnight Afghanistan time — to conduct operations" in a mission
lasting a few hours, one official said. "As of right now, they are clear
of Afghan air space."
The officials refused to describe the mission further or say if there
were combat casualties. CBS News said the attack was aimed at a Taliban
target in southern Afghanistan.
"This is the first in what is expected to be an ongoing operations activity,"
another official said. The Pentagon was expected to hold a briefing on
the operation today.
There was no immediate comment on the U.S. raid from Kabul.
Glad tidings for Gladstone
The Sri Lankan Government has written to former British High Commissioner
to Colombo David Gladstone stating that he is no longer persona-non-grata,
and is free to visit the country and meet the country's political leaders.
Mr. Gladstone, a direct descendent of one-time British Prime Minister
with the identical name, was declared persona-non-grata by the late President
Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1992 for visiting a polling station in the southern
town of Dondra during local government elections.
President Premadasa accused him of interfering in the internal affairs
of the country and asked him to leave within a week. Britain did not send
a replacement for nearly six months.
Mr. Gladstone led a kind of Bohemian life-style while serving as Her
Majesty's envoy to Sri Lanka, and was often seen at the Colombo social
circuit where ganja,the local cannabis,was freely smoked.
On his return to England he joined his grandfather's Liberal Party and
was also posted to one of the ex-Soviet republics.
The incumbent British High Commissioner Linda Duffield has been informed
of the Colombo government's recent decision to communicate its decision
to reverse the order made on Gladstone back in 1992.
Import duty on hundreds of items lifted
By Chris Kamalendran and Tania Fernando
The import duty on more than 950 varieties of raw materials was lifted
from yesterday — but the government also increased the import duty on wheat
flour by 15, thereby giving a virtual monopoly to the Prima company here.
Accordingly, the duty on wheat flour which was 10 per cent has been
increased to 25 per cent thereby affecting the private flour importers
and biscuit companies importing flour. Customs Deputy Director General
Sarath Jayathilake said the increase in import duty would not have bearing
on flour and bread prices.
But other sources said the increase of the duty will give a virtual
monopoly to the Prima company which currently imports wheat grain and carries
out the milling of the flour at the Prima complex.
A few other companies including biscuit manufacturing companies and
other traders import flour. The increase of duty will affect these companies
compelling them to increase their prices.
According to the Food Commissioner W.G.Gunatillake the Maliban biscuit
company had imported 3000 metric tons from Dubai two weeks ago.
The Prima company took full control of flour milling and flour distribution
last month when the government sold the milling complex in Trinco to the
Prima company which was carrying out functions on a build own and operate
system.
Some of the items for which duty was lifted from yesterday were chemicals,
plastic raw material, yarn, steel, copper and tubing raw material.
Lanka in C'wealth anti-terror team
India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have been selected as the three Asian countries
in a high-powered ten-nation Commonwealth special committee to combat global
terrorism.
The Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon has selected the ten
countries to represent the 54 nation grouping of former British colonies
in a bid to join latest international efforts at stemming the upsurge of
world-wide terrorist movements.
The other seven countries named by Mr. McKinnon are Britain, Canada,
Australia, the Bahamas, Tonga, South Africa and Tanzania.
The committee is to be at senior ministerial level or with special representatives
by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for mid-November soon
after the UN General Assembly sessions conclude in New York.
The Commonwealth Secretariat in London had been caught off-gear when
the September 11 attacks took place in the United States. Mr. McKinnon
himself was in Colombo on the day and had asked the Sri Lankan Government
whether they "insisted" on having terrorism included in the final declaration
that was to be made at the conclusion of the Commonwealth leaders summit
that had then been scheduled for early October in Brisbane.
It later transpired that Mr. McKinnon's own report that was to be presented
at that summit had no mention on the subject of global terrorism.
Since September 11, however, the former Foreign Minister of New Zealand
had set about the task of galvanizing Commonwealth nations to pursue the
issue with extra vigour.
One of the tasks of this committee would be to study the latest UN resolution
on terrorism which makes it mandatory for member states to report on terrorism
in their own countries within six months.
The Commonwealth comprises one-third of the UN membership. |
