Odds & Ends

The pithy Sinhala saying illan kewa can aptly describe what the Government got by organizing the International Conference on Countering Terrorism held in Colombo last week. If it was not enough that the keynote speaker Gerard Chaliand brought here with all expenses paid by the State turns around and delivers a slap to the very Government that invited him. There was even a person from a reputed Defence Weekly, another so-called expert writer, who was recently sacked by his magazine. The local media session had everyone other than media practitioners taking part. Then more importantly, a Sri Lankan terrorism expert who reportedly handpicked the foreign experts did not show up himself.

With such public humiliations one cannot blame people suspecting that President Rajapaksa missed two functions this week in which he was to be the chief guest, due to those reasons. Firstly there was no show by the President at the quality awards ceremony held at the BMICH on Tuesday, followed by the scholarship award ceremony of the Transport Ministry for children of its employees who had done exceptionally well at the last GCE Ordinary Level examination on Wednesday, also at the BMICH. While some were betting on Mr. Rajapaksa giving a miss to the opening of the longest bridge, built with Japanese aid at Manampitiya on Thursday, he roared back like a lion at this third public function since the devastating attack at Anuradhapura.

The continuing Government - Emirates talks on renewing the ten year management contract of the national carrier, SriLankan, which is due to expire next March is not all that hunky-dory as made out to be. On Friday a fresh round of talks were held between the two sides in Colombo after a previous round held few days earlier were said to have ended inconclusively. The Government is said to want to separate the ground handling and catering arms, both considered very profitable on their own, from the SriLankan in any fresh deal, but the West Asian carrier is adamant in having things as they are. However both sides are officially keeping mum on the discussions. The biggest question is why the UNP and the JVP are not making any inquiries even in Parliament as to the future of the national carrier. Once upon a time the greens threatened to rewrite the previous agreement, but mysteriously backed down without a hum. Surely comrades must be lily white or are they not?

Tiger mosquitoes continue to cause much embarrassment to a Government armed with supersonic birds and even state-of-the-art ack-acks. No wonder they have forgotten to order the search lights to spot them in the night sky. Each time they have struck they flew with their lights off.

Whoever spread the story recently that the former VVIP lady had already taken up permanent residency at the Horagolla family walauwa which is still under repair, is being mischievous. What apparently prompted the rumour was her staying there one or two days. She might very well take up residence there later into her retirement, but she is still very much at No. 27, Independence Avenue, to which the Supreme Court ruled on May 3 she is not entitled to occupy and she was officially asked to quit the premises in terms of the judgment by Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga in writing on September 20. Asked whether she will fight her eventual eviction if she fails to leave, one official close to her simply said it’s a lost cause already.

The Foreign Ministry is not without its share of blunders and bloomers. They sometimes don’t even spare the President in the process. This week, the Ministry issued a statement following the country securing a seat at UNESCO for Education Minister Susil Premjayantha saying this, inter-alia;"The victory underlines the continuous confidence placed by the international community on the foreign policy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa." Sri Lanka finished 3rd with 130 votes . Then, what can one say about Sri Lanka's previous victory in 2003 when we finished 1st securing 141 votes under Ranil Wickremasinghe's government?

We are now informed the Odds and Ends snippet headlined “Has brave warrior dug up his own skeletons?” and published last week, had been erroneous in suspecting that the unpaid for party election posters printed at the house by the lakewere done under the helm of the brave Wije, now spearheading a campaign to cleanse Parliament of some sleazy Ministers, who are confidence tricksters of the highest calibre. Sorry Wije.