Envoy recalled to handle talks
The government has recalled one of the Sri Lanka's senior diplomats to
exclusively co-ordinate upcoming negotiations with the LTTE.
Bernard Gunathillake, who was serving as ambassador in Beijing after
an outstanding diplomatic performance in Geneva, has been hand-picked by
the new United National Front government to liaise negotiations with the
rebels through third-party facilitation by the Norwegian government. Mr.
Gunathillake will function from the Foreign Ministry and co-ordinate the
run-up to the peace talks with the others involved in the peace process.
The move came as the government worked out modalities to resume talks
with the LTTE.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the media earlier this week
on his return from an official visit to India that he hoped talks with
the LTTE would begin with Norway's help some time in March.
Mr. Gunathillake earned a reputation for his negotiating skills when
he served at the United Nations in Geneva as Sri Lanka's envoy during a
particularly difficult time in the 1980s and early 1990s. At the time Sri
Lanka was at the receiving end of a strong India-backed pro-LTTE lobby
complaining about human rights excesses by government security forces.
At present, both the government and the LTTE are observing a month-long
truce, running from Christmas eve to January 24. Mr. Wickremesinghe has
said he expected the truce to continue thereafter as a confidence-building
measure ahead of talks.
The truce itself is holding for the moment, five days after both sides
agreed to hold their fire, but not without encountering difficulties.
In one such area of possible friction, the Special Task Force (STF)
has decided not to allow what it called "recognised LTTE cadres" in the
East to enter into security forces-controlled areas.
STF Chief Nimal Gunathillake told The Sunday Times yesterday that orders
had been issued to STF checkpoints in the Batticaloa district not to allow
LTTE cadres to enter Government-controlled areas.
Taking advantage of a month-long cessation of hostilities between the
government and the LTTE, some LTTE cadres on Wednesday crossed the STF
checkpoint at Pattirippu.
Two of the four entry points from the uncleared areas in the Batticaloa
district are manned by the STF.
LTTE cadres wearing cyanide capsules and identification tags and some
carrying walkie talkies entered the Batticaloa district through a checkpoint
manned by the police at the Pattirippu bridge bridge on Wednesday, marking
the first visit of an LTTE group into an army-controlled area since the
truce came into effect.
The group led by Thurai, known to be in charge of the LTTE's dissemination
division in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts, was allowed to pass the
checkpoint and visit some of the villages where they spoke to the villagers.
The cadres said they had come to look into the welfare of the villagers
and the people welcomed them with biscuits and soft drinks.
On the following day, 19 more LTTE cadres entered the army-controlled
areas through the same check point. The group arrived on motorcycles and
was allowed to pass the check point manned by the STF.
The group had lunch at a popular restaurant in Batticaloa and on their
return, they were briefly detained by the army.
Batticaloa District TULF parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham had
contacted Defence Secretary Austin Fernando and got the LTTE cadres released.
Meanwhile the government was yesterday working out modalities for resuming
talks with the LTTE.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen said his government
was having initial contacts with both sides to ascertain the basis on which
talks could resume.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe telephoned his Norwegian
counterpart Kjell Magne Bondevik to officially request Oslo to resume its
facilitation role.
CEB to short-circuit cut
By Shelani Perera
With a little more rain and a lot of new thinking, the Ceylon Electricity
Board may not go ahead with the three-to-four-hour power cuts it wanted
to impose in the New Year.
Power and Energy Ministry Secretary K. K. Y. W. Perera said emergency
power supplies though expensive would be purchased from the private sector
and two large thermal power plants repaired in a bid to avoid the longer
power cuts.
Prof. Perera said more investors were coming in now and the ministry
believed that every thing possible should be done to avoid disruptive power
cuts.
Earlier this month, the Ministry had issued a statement saying water-levels
in hydropower reservoirs had gone down and that one-hour power cuts were
being enforced till the festive season and the GCE O/L exams ended. After
that, it said the power cuts would be extended to three to four hours daily.
Prof. Perera said yesterday the one-hour power cut would be continued
for a few months though the water levels in the reservoirs had gone up
with heavy rain over the past few days.
X'mas in Portugal
London-Colombo-Kathmandu for CB
From Neville de Silva in London
President Chandrika Kumaratunga who arrived in London on December 22 spent
Christmas in Portugal with her children Yasodara and Vimukti, well informed
sources said.
There was some speculation that the president would visit Paris before
returning to London, but there was no confirmation of this.
She is expected to return to London over the weekend and will spend
the New Year here before flying back to Colombo to attend the SAARC summit
in Kathmandu in the first week of January.
The president is staying at the residence of High Commissioner Mangala
Moonesinghe who has been unwell in recent weeks, having had to undergo
surgery in November.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources here are expecting Foreign Minister Tyronne
Fernando to participate in the ministerial meeting of the Commonwealth
on combating terrorism.
The 10-nation-ad hoc group, of which Sri Lanka is a member, set up by
Commonwealth Secretary- General Don McKinnon, is due to meet in London
on January 29-30.
The experts of the committee have already met and worked out modalities
which will now be put to the ministerial meeting for discussion.
The report of the ministerial committee will then be presented to the
Heads of Government meeting in Queensland in Australia in early March.
Open media policy
PM to meet editors every month
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet editors of national newspapers
once-a-month to brief them on the new Government's policies and initiatives
in an effort to keep the country properly informed and to act as a sounding-board
to public criticism, The Sunday Times has been informed.
Mr. Wickremesinghe who has agreed to implement media law reforms has
already decided to repeal criminal defamation laws by February next year.
"He will be following an open-media policy," the newspaper was told
in addition to having a continuing dialogue with all political parties
and groups in and outside Parliament especially on the northern insurgency.
Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and G.L. Peiris have been designated to keep
all parties, including the Tamil National Alliance and groups like the
Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya led by S. L. Gunasekera briefed from time-to-time
about developments in the new Government's bid to end the 20-year northern
insurgency.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will also be joining these discussions
to seek the views of different parties and groups.
Ministers pass the buck
Bread prices up: bakers have no pity
By Faraza Farook
Though still baking on old flour stocks, bakers yesterday increased the
price of bread by at least Rs. 1. 50 in Colombo and Rs. 2 in other areas
while prices of other flour-based prices were also going up.
This came after the monopoly Prima company increased the price of flour
from Rs. 17 to Rs. 20 a kilo.
Big-time bakers like Little Lion and Sumanadisi said there would be
no immediate hike because they still had old stock of flour and they revise
prices from this week.
But scores of small bakeries were apparently not prepared to give even
a few days' grace to the consumer and the price of bread was raised yesterday.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reportedly told the cabinet meeting
on Wednesday the government had no control over the Prima company. But
he promised that when large stocks of wheat flour were received from India
under a trade deal he worked out last week, the government would be able
to revise prices around February.
Consumer Affairs and Commerce Minister Ravi Karunanayake told The Sunday
Times flour prices did not come within his purview and he told us to contact
Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda. But Mr. Moragoda said a statement
would be made by cabinet spokesman G. L. Peiris.
Meanwhile, a Food Department official said wheat flour prices might
go up further unless the government made direct imports or provided a subsidy.
Bakers said the price of buns would go up by about 50 cents while hoppers,
string hoppers and other flour-based items were also up for a hike. |
