Debate
without end
More on the happenings at the national television station but this
time it is not the bickering staff but a reprimand from the top
lady of the land. A newly introduced programme called "Juriya
Obei" that came about as part of the new code of ethics introduced
to Rupavahini by Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera has been on
air for several weeks. Last week those on the panel consisted of
Deputy Sports Minister Sripathi Sooriayarachchi, former Minister
Jayalath Jayawardena, JVP's Sunil Handunetti and TNA Gajendra Kumar
Ponnambalam. As the debate got under way, Dr. Jayawardena criticised
the government for its many broken election promises only to have
the deputy minister counter argue but not very effectively. Suddenly,
the producer received a message from the control room asking to
connect an important call to Mr. Sooriyaarachchi. As the programme
was being aired live, the producer informed the moderator to interrupt
the programme and go for a commercial break.The deputy minister
rushed to the control room during the break to answer the call and
on line was none other than the President herself. It was not to
congratulate the deputy minister but to slam him for his poor performance.
However,
Mr. Sooriayarachchi assured the President he had the necessary ammunition
to tackle the situation and got back to the show. But things did
not end there. Once the show was over, the two were seen arguing
away in the lobby area of the Rupavahini Corporation.
Why
target supermarkets?
It was only recently that the JHU parliamentarian Aturaliye
Rathana Thero raised a matter of public importance in Parliament
and asked that the sale of liquor in supermarkets be stopped.It
was not clear what the logic behind such a call was when there are
plenty of liquor outlets adjoining supermarkets in almost very town
but logic apart Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle seized
on the chance to state that the government would ban the sale of
liquor in supermarkets. The next day he went on to bring a copy
of a gazette in which the Former Finance Minister K.N.Choksy has
made regulations to allow such sales.
Anyway
almost a month since the announcement that such a ban would take
place, any visitor to a supermarket can see that liquor shelves
are as full as ever and none other than in the Sathosa outlet which
have the most varieties on display. Maybe the monks should be more
convincing as to why it is bad to buy liquor from a supermarket
and consume it and not so bad where other liquor outlets are concerned.
After all the precept on non-consumption on alcoholic beverages
does not discriminate between where one purchases the liquor.
Anxious
moment
There was some anxiety among security personnel in Parliament
when a envelope that had come in the name of a Cabinet Minister
passed through the X-ray machine last week and the machine operators
noticed something unusual. The bomb disposal squad was called in
and on close examination it was discovered it was no letter bomb
as suspected but a musical card.
Family
trait
Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike arrived late at Thursday's
press conference to launch the Tourism Plan for 2005, but he apologised
for the delay saying that delays seemed to be 'catching on in the
family'. |
