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Lankan groups raise voice against war

Representatives from more than 50 movements held a peaceful demonstration outside the Fort railway station in Colombo yesterday to protest against the imminent US attack on Iraq.

As top Washington officials indicated that the war had virtually started though the UN Security Council is still bitterly divided, the anti-war groups in Sri Lanka joined millions of people who were holding protests in more than 500 cities throughout the world yesterday.

The Colombo protest yesterday was coordinated by the Alliance for the Protection of Natural Resources and Human Rights, and taking part were major trade unions, civic action movements, women's, farmers’ and fishermen's groups and religious leaders.
Sarath Fernando, a spokesman for the alliance, said that nearly 20% of the world's untapped energy resources were known to be in the Persian Gulf area, and it was apparent that the hidden agenda of the US establishment in attacking Afghanistan and now Iraq was to gain control over that important area.

Mr. Fernando, a non-party social justice activist, also said it was the United States which had produced most of the weapons of mass destruction and if such weapons in Iraq needed to be destroyed, such weapons in the US also must be destroyed.

The main organizer of yesterday's protest was the Ven. Mahamankadawala Piyaratana Nayaka Thera, a social justice crusader better known as Eppawela Hamuduruwo. Other prominent figures at yesterday's anti-Bush protest in Colombo included the Ven. Samitha Thera, Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda, Fr. Yohan Devananda, Fr Reid Shelton and Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

Beefing up powers of Parliament

The government has submitted a set of far reaching proposals to party leaders aimed at strengthening Parliament.

The new proposals are aimed at getting away from the confrontational politics that has plagued Parliament in recent years and getting all parties involved in the various committees of the House.

The appointment of sectoral committees by the Committee of Selection at the commencement of a Parliament will be among the changes suggested to Standing Orders. The sectoral committees headed by a chairman who will be a member of the opposition, will deal with sixteen subjects.

They will deal with the subjects of environment, national integration and human rights, public accounts, public enterprises, state revenue, parliamentary petitions, foreign affairs and security, economic development, agriculture and fisheries, commerce and labour, human settlements, tourism, aviation and shipping, justice, human development, human welfare, mass communication and technology and public management.

The other proposals include the establishment of a National Audit Commission, which will assist the Public Accounts Committees, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and a new committee on revenue to be set up.

N-E Muslim MPs want meeting with LTTE

By Nilika Kasturisinghe
A delegation of Muslim MPs from the North and East are to meet on Tuesday afternoon in the Parliamentary complex to discuss the arranging of a meeting with the LTTE.

The delegation comprises 15 Muslim parliamentarians from different political parties who have united to protect the interests of the Muslims in their areas.

When the delegation met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday and called upon him to accommodate a separate Muslim delegation at the peace talks, he is reported to have said the delegation should also maintain a dialogue with the LTTE.
While acknowledging the fact that a Muslim delegation should participate at the talks, he had stated the government would have to work out with the LTTE the modalities of the participation.

The seven parliamentarians who met the Prime Minister are Ministers Rauff Hakeem and Noordeen Mashoor and MPs Ferial Ashraff M.L.A.M. Hisbullah, M.H. Thowfeek, M.H.M. Harees and Dr. Haffrath.

Earlier this week the delegation had held discussions with the Norwegian ambassador.

"We told the facilitator that Muslims should be accommodated as one party at the seventh round of talks," Mr. Hisbullah told The Sunday Times.

Meanwhile, the Ashraff Congress, launched on February 25 and registered under the Societies Ordinance held its first news conference at the Galadari Hotel on Tuesday and introduced its office bearers.

The National Organiser of the Congress M.J.M. Muzzamil said the organisation was not a political party. "This is a people's movement to win the people their political rights. It can be a political movement, but a political party and a political movement are two different things," he said.

However, Mrs. Ferial Ashraff is learnt to have expressed disapproval at the establishing of the organisation.

MEP convention today

The MEP is to hold its 18th convention today (Sunday) at the New Town Hall at 9.30 a.m.

Opposition party leaders are expected to attend this year's convention which is focused on forming a broader alliance to safeguard the nation.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunewardena said that issues such as terrorism, separatism, CoL and security of the state will be discussed.

"A resolution will be adopted to form a broader patriotic alliance. We feel that the country is facing a crucial point where opposition parties have to get together' he said.

Fare hike on track

By Shanika Udawatte
Senior Railway officials are preparing a report for an increase in fares, an official said.
While Railway Chief Priyal de Silva declined to comment on this, the official said the fares-hike report would be submitted to the Minister and the Cabinet.

He said rail fares had not been increased since 1996 when a litre of diesel cost Rs. 12.80 compared to Rs. 30 today.

The official said the Railway needed extra funds urgently to improve services and for maintenance.

No response yet from Govt. and LTTE on missing persons issue

By Shelani Perera
The ICRC is yet to get a response from the Government and the LTTE on its proposal to form a committee on missing persons.

The ICRC handed over a set of proposals at the fifth round of peace talks to both parties on the forming of a joint committee or commission on missing persons. However both parties did not take up the issue at the talks.

The decision to form a commission was taken at the third round of peace talks where both parties agreed that the ICRC should formulate a set of proposals, after which the Government and the LTTE would come to a joint agreement.

ICRC Spokesperson Sukumar Rockwood told The Sunday Times that the ICRC will not be in the committee which would be a joint committee between the Government and the LTTE.

"We will take the role of advisor.

The technical aspects of setting up such a committee are dealt with in the proposals. Although we have not officially inquired from both parties as to the delay we have spoken to them whenever we meet them on visits" he said.

Meanwhile the association of war affected women and parents of servicemen missing in action has appealed to the Government to expedite the forming of the committee.

Mrs. Visaka Dharmadasa of the association told The Sunday Times that she has appealed to the Government to include members from the association in the committee.

"We also want a retired judge to be appointed. We have also asked both parties to take this issue at the next round of talks. This issue is very important when it comes to the question of human rights" she said.

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