The United National Party (UNP) which has run the Colombo Municipal Council unbroken for 65 years and now controls the central government as well, is being led by a new comer to politics but an architect and town planner, from whom the party expects much.

Prasanna Gunewardene, probably the least known son of the famous Gunewardene family, the CMC's work had been limited in many ways while functioning as an opposition run council but now with the baton change in the central government, a UNP-led CMC would be able to offer better services to the people and ensure that living in Colombo would be a health and pleasant experience.

Mr. Gunewardene said his priority would be a well-managed administration and a clean city where corruption was minimised and development maximised.
He identified areas such as sewerage systems, shanties and narrow roads which needed to be addressed.

Though the odds appeared to be heavily against a PA victory, the party's mayoral candidate M. Fazli Nizar said he had a good chance because the cost of living was going beyond control and the people were losing faith in the UNF government.
Prof. Fazli Nizar said the 65-year legacy of the UNP was filled with garbage and shanties.

Outlining some plans, he referred to providing the city with clean water at cheaper rates, proper sewage and garbage disposal systems and recycling projects even to create alternative energy.

Navy officer alleges ill-treatment
By Laila Nasry
A battle casualty Naval officer has petitioned the Supreme Court alleging that he has been subject to harassment in the hands of his superiors, who allegedly denied him medically recommended leave thereby preventing him from casting his vote and attending to his personal requirements.

Lieutenant M. S. N. de Costa in his fundamental rights petition to the Supreme Court states that having suffered several injuries, including impairment of vision of his right eye and impairment of hearing of his left ear, he was denied his fundamental rights while in hospital.

He says he was later warded at the Navy Hospital where he alleges he underwent more harassment.

Fungus cheese withdrawn
Stocks of a popular brand of cheese have been withdrawn from the market after public health inspectors found that some stocks were fungus infected.
Many of the supermarkets which were checked for these samples did not have the particular brand, the Colombo Municipality's Chief medical officer, Pradeep Kariyawasam said.

CP says no strains in PA
By Harinda Vidanage
The Communist party and the LSSP, two constituent parties of the PA skipped the protest rally organized by the SLFP on Thursday in Colombo, but a CP spokesman stressed they were still very much part of the PA.

CP spokesman Raja Collure said Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse had earlier spoken to trade union leaders regarding the protest campaign and requested their support. But in final preparations the opposition leader had not consulted the trade unions on the organization of the campaign.

The Joint trade union committee had taken a decision to boycott the protest rally and the CP had followed suit, he said. Mr. Collure said the protest campaign was based on three issues-the rising cost of living, government harassment of political opponents and the division of the country. He said the CP supported the SLFP on the first two issues. Mr. Collure said though there were differnces of opinion among there were strains in the relationship among the three main parties of the PA.

LSSP leader Batty Weerakoon was not so clear-cut on why his party kept out of the rally though it was invited by the SLFP. He would only say it was not a PA rally.

A9 bustling, airlines nosedive
By Nilika de Silva
Since the opening of the A9 highway, allowing thousands to travel by road to and from Jaffna, air and sea transportation services have run into losses.
Flights to Jaffna have seen a fifty percent drop in passenger travel, while ship travel has dropped to one third.

Lion Air spokesman Romesh Mendis said they earlier had about 300 passengers daily but now they have only 150. He said those still patronising the flights were mainly old people who apparently found road travel too tedious.

However a new domestic airline is waiting on the wings to start flight from July despite the drop in the number of passengers. Serendib Express Manager Marketing Darshana Guneratne said they would offer tickets at 20% less than the going rate.
AirLanka Travels director Shamendra Tilakasiri said they too were going ahead with plans for local flights and hoped that as the peace process was consolidated more people such as investors and businessmen would prefer air travel.

The ship City of Trinco which had been taking passengers to Jaffna thrice a week is now going only once a week. Meanwhile, thousands travel to and from Vavuniya to Jaffna daily by road. Captain Ilanga Rajapakse, stationed at the Omanthai check point said upto 3000 people went to Jaffna from Vavuniya daily by foot while about 255 came the other way.

In addition some 300 vehicles carried about 1500 people from Vavuniya to Jaffna daily while 250 vehicles came the other way.

Avoid areas prone to landslides
Areas in seven districts of Sri Lanka have been identified as vulnerable to landslides, but people are continuing to build houses or do cultivation in those areas," an expert said.

K. M S Bandara, Acting Head of the Land Slides and Studies Division of the National Building Research Organisation said certain areas in Badulla , Nuwara Eliya , Ratnapura, Kegalle , Kandy, Matale , and Kalutara districts were vulnerable to land slides. "People in these areas have been warned to be alert and evacuate places that are prone to land slides if there are signs of danger," he said. Sudden openings, progressive widening cracks and sudden appearance of water on a slope are some of these signs he said. "People are careless they build houses and cultivate in places which are vulnerable to landslides," Mr. Bandara said.

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