The LTTE ceremonially commissioned one more of their brand new police stations in Palugamam in the East on Tuesday. That sort of thing may not be news anymore in this land, but what was different during this ceremonial inauguration was that the Government's Additional District Secretary was present at this LTTE opening ceremony. If that was not unusual enough, the Norwegian umpires from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission also paid a courtesy call shortly thereafter.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told many sanguine things to the Asia Society in New York recently. He said:

"Of course, there are risks in negotiations and we have to be aware of them. Violations have to be monitored and verification is critical. Concessions have to be fair and balanced, and this is what we are trying to do, and in these efforts, international monitoring teams are active.

"For my part, the Sri Lanka of my vision is a land which gives a fair deal to all its people, a land where all communities can move around in safety, a land in which violence is restricted, but opportunity is unrestricted. These are, of course, broad generalities, but they are the overall guidelines that must underwrite any national compact. There will be no secret pacts, no under-the-table transactions, and no hanky-panky.''

Coming so soon after round two of the peace talks in Thailand, is this not "hanky - panky" by the LTTE?

With our government's negotiators globe-trotting (Milinda Moragoda in USA, G.L. Peiris in Australia) drumming up support in a frenzy for this month's Oslo meeting which seeks to reconstruct the war-ravaged north and east - and the Government's Additional District Secretary going for the opening of an LTTE police station, cannot one be excused for asking, Quo Vadis, the unitary state of Sri Lanka?

Grin and bear-for some
The citizenry were all told that the economy is improving, but that they had to grin and bear a little longer while the peace dividend accrues. Hours before the budget, the prices of gas and bread were raised.

Grin and bear would be palatable - if the leadership of the country took the lead. While the public service of the country is streamlined to look leaner and meaner, the Cabinet keeps expanding. MPs are given laissez-faire to import duty-free vehicles. The number of overseas jaunts by Cabinet Ministers are a gross wastage of public funds, and the Finance Minister Mr. Choksy will himself testify to this.

There can be no artificially induced tightening of belts. If the spirit of extravagance pervades the political leadership, then there will be an inevitable 'trickle down' in the form of more useless spending by the public sector as well.

Besides, if the people are made to suffer during times of war as well as times of peace, there will be a quick discontent with the promised peace dividend. Even though it is acknowledged that the peace dividend takes time to accrue, there does not seem to be a rationale for adding to the substantial burden that is already being carried by the people.- by wastage at the highest levels of leadership.

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