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What Marx and Engles, Leninism, Stalinism and Mao Tse-tung thought could not keep together may be re-united by the United States and its NATO allies. The meeting in Beijing of Russian Defence Minister Igor Rodionov and his Chinese counterpart, Chi Haotian, is the first clear signal that the two former communist countries, one the largest and the other the most populous, are ready to forget their bitter ideological quarrels of the recent past. And the territorial disputes, too. In the words of Chi Haotian, China and Russia wish to be "good neighbours, good partners, and good friends forever."
The Chinese who pick their words with utmost care on such important formal occasions, were certainly signalling a major change. The geo-political implications would be obvious to anybody who looks at the map.
Even the most diligent student of official Chinese documents, Foreign Ministry communiques and party journals would have expected a phrase that the Chinese Defence Minister used. He said that China was prepared to "push forward" the strategic cooperative partnership between our two countries. Surely the Marxist-Leninists and other dialecticians in both Moscow and Beijing would recognise this as a 'qualititative change' in what till quite recently was a fiercely antagonistic relationship?
The question now is whether this is a new Sino-Russian "pact"? Is it directed at a "third party"? The US for instance or even the European Union. The new Western alliance certainly has its eye on several former Warsaw Pact countries. Igor Rodionov was not ready to identify "target". Perhaps we must wait till President Jiang Zemin's visit to Moscow is over. Already mutual troops reduction on both sides of the Sino-Russian border seems a clear sign of a China-Russia rapprochement in a unipolar world.
The Sino-Russian rapprochement, a crucial external change, has paralleled an interesting domestic change. On the 130th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth, President Jiang Zemin spoke of "his rich legacy of patriotism revolutionary will, and an indomitable spirit". (Beijing Review December 8). But what lessons should the new generation learn from this great patriot? President Jiang Zemin mentioned patriotism, unification of China, and prosperity — all central concerns of what one could call "a normal state".
A fierce ideological quarrel between the two communist giants not only split the Communist camp but led quickly to acrimonious and divisive debates in nearly every communist party in the world. "Splittism" is what the rival camps called it in their quaint idiom. Sri Lanka was no exception. Ideology no longer determines China's foreign policy. Both former Communist titans approach external relations today from quite a different perspective.
Apart from American dominance, for instance, geo-politics argue strongly for closer China-Russia relations. And Washington's rather cavalier use of "the human rights" stick is a problem that both Beijing and Moscow recognise. Quite recently, Robert Manning, of the US Progressive Policy Institute told Frank Ching that America now needed "a new bipartisan consensus" to change the way Americans judge China. The danger, he added, is that the US would be tempted to create a "new Evil Empire", now that the Soviet Union is no more.
Already China may have observed the way that Washington treats it is quite different from the manner in which the US treated the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.
This is not to say that Washington has no reason to be concerned over Chinese behaviour. The main irritant is Taiwan. While China's policy is based on the simple proposition that Taiwan is part of China, the US is not ready to yield on Taiwan's independence.
"Relations with Taiwan are China's internal affair, and do not need interference from international forces" says Foreign Office spokesman Cui Tiankais.
Taiwan cannot, he adds, be discussed at international occasions. Taiwan is a province and an "inalienable part of China."
Russia's response to the aggressive American diplomacy invites serious study if only because this triangular contest American, Russia and China will not only determine the global balance in the post-Cold War world but will have a strong impact on the politics and foreign policies of all Asian Countries.
(Recent Indian initiatives as well as high-level diplomatic missions certainly prove that the policy-makers in Delhi are quite aware of current trends and the likely consequences for Indian foreign policy).
Since Indira Gandhi's India, despite its status as the authentic founder of N.A.M. (Nehru was smart enough to allow Tito the spotlight) signed an Indo-Soviet Treaty (1971 India has been the first "Third World" country to reconstruct its foreign policy in a radically altered global-regional context.
Delhi, in my view, will concentrate on strengthening its ties with Russia, a steadfast ally, and China the emerging Asian titan.... despite India's border disputes and the "wars" these tensions provoked.
As for Russia, Bruce Clark, the British analyst, his surely read the Russian mind correctly when he argues that Russia's problems have been aggravated by its failure to convert the Commonwealth of Independent States-all republics in the old U.S.S.R-into, "an affective strategic alliance" and thus a strong counterweight to an expanded NATO. As it is, NATO is picking former Soviet allies (known as 'satellites' in Cold War lingo) as prospective NATO members.
It is in this context that Russian strategists have decided to emphasise the country's Asian personality. It was just the other day that President Boris Yeltsin "reminded the world of Russia's status as an Asian power. He has entertained influential policy-makers from India and China. And sent Sergei Shakrai" one of his most trusted advisers, to Japan. And so Russia's forward policy planners look east.
If China's policy is somewhat more subtle and complex, the reason is quite obvious. Its own periods of turmoil and uncertainty — partly on account of inner-party struggles and sharp policy differences-are over. That was Deng Xiaoping's exceptional service to a country which had been in near-total turmoil under Chairman Mao, the unrepentant revolutionary.
The current challenge in international relations, according to President Jiang Zemin, is how to analyse and deal with the profound changes following the end of the Cold War. Does he mean the challenges of unipolarity? Of course he would not use that term. In the idiom popularised by Mao Ze Dong, revolutionary, poet and national-builder, he would probably speak of American hegem-onism.
Churchill lost but Truman won after the Second World War. Ironically both were unequivocal war heroes. Why was this indifference to Sir Winston Churchill? The pollsters were negative with Harry Truman even if he won his battle.
Now what about John Major? Major is bound to lose according to all the pollsters. Then what does Major hope to gain by engaging in a gruelling campaign at British elections due on May? May be he has his eyes not on his winning but the next elections when, under his successor, the Tory party will win again.
Will John Major be content to listen to pollsters and play it down? Certainly not! He might throw their forcasts away as rubbish. He is definitely focussing all his pluses at the moment towards a Tory landslide.
True democratic leadership not only concerns fighting for power. It's equally important to safeguard the great and invaluable traditions essentially attributed to democracy. That is freedom of speech, religion and political opinion. It should uphold the rule of law and majority rule that respects the rights of minorities. Therefore, each and every contender is equally honoured and dignified in the light of this glorious event, irrespective of their victory or loss.
Individuals are not important. But the game and its rules are supreme above all. Individuals or parties are there to obey the rules and play the game to the satisfaction of the masses at this glorious event.
A former national leader of a British colony openly remarks that, "The colonizing power was essentially democratic. We were free to criticize the government and all its work as strongly as we liked."
Even though idealism has no place in modern politics, I believe a genuine attempt to keep up with the highest traditions will set an example to others who lag behind.
J. Seneviratne,
Kengalla.
London - An elec tion in Britain cannot be complete without something crazy, and the Monster Raving Loony Party has made that official.
The party was founded in the early eighties by Lord Sutch after he dissolved his earlier Go To Blazes Party.
Lord Sutch says his is the only official party in Britain that is supported through elections by about 25 per cent of the voters.
"The results that appear in the media of Loony contested elections are often distorted by the inability of our supporters to get down to the polling station," says the party manifesto titled As Sutch.
The party has claimed victory in every election and celebrated it at a party the day before polling. "Unfortunately since many of our supporters go to official Monster Raving Loony parties the night before, they wake up late with enormous hangovers and forget where the polling booths are until its all over."
But not all. Lord Sutch won 1,114 votes in the Rotherham by- election in 1994, getting 4.1 per cent of the official, or as he says, the unofficial vote. Lord Sutch has secured a total of 16,000 votes in 33 years of contesting elections.
"If only we could get all the votes together in the same place on the same day he would win a seat in Parliament easily," the party manifesto says.
But in the real world the party has six elected councillors and one Deputy Lord Mayor in Devon in South-West England.
What Madan Lal Dhartipakar has been to an Indian election, "screaming Lord Sutch" is to an election in Britain. But Dhartipakar who contested against most Presidential and Prime ministerial candidates with only a bell in hand to attract attention to himself could never manage the pre-poll victory parties Lord Sutch throws.
Lord Sutch says the "steadfast refusal of the establishment to accept the people's verdict" has led him to try other approaches to Parliament like turning up at Westminster last year in a 12-tonne armoured personnel carrier.
The party is fielding about a dozen candidates in the election called says its manifesto, after John Major consulted the removal men. Lord Sutch,.the manifesto boasts, is the "longest serving party leader in the country."
During his 33 years as leader the Tories have had five leaders, Labour six and the Liberal Democrats seven. "How can they decide what's best for Britain when they can't decide what's best for themselves?"
The manifesto says: "The other leaders are too scared to put any real policies forward in case the opinion polls don't like them. So instead they just tinker with the edges of the economy, slag off their opponents and hope that no one notices their impotence."
The official Monster Raving Loony Party has clearly formulated policies on foreign affairs, the economy and other domestic issues. Some of them:
We believe that we are citizens of the world. Loonyism is not limited by national barriers; it's a state of mind."
A minimum wage fixed at 100 per cent of MPs salaries.
The same for pensions which will be denied to retired politicians who have already bled the country dry.
A department for superstitions. "All new houses will be built with an accessible piece of wood in each room for touching. Mirrors will be made of unbreakable glass."
A luxury hotel to be built inside Parliament House where members can sleep officially.
Simplify the present timekeeping system which is too confusing especially if you are hung over. There will be 100 seconds to a minute, 100 minutes to an hour, 10 hours per day, 10 days per week, five weeks per month and 10 months in the year. January and February will be abolished.
A Ministry of Pets that will create a Dangerous Politicians Act. "Certain politicians will not be allowed out unless on a lead and muzzled."
In the field of education, promote the four R's - reading, writing, and rock and roll.
Unemployment remains frightening with people still forming long dole queues. "We will make everybody stand closer together."
"The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is quite fond of the Royal Family, since they all seem to be loony as well."
"We believe that a British man can win the singles title at Wimbledon - provided his opponent is blindfolded and Cliff Richard doesn't show up."
Set up a Ministry of Nostalgia to "remind people of how good things used to be".
Jerusalem—Israeli police have recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for fraud and breach of trust in the appointment of a political crony as attorney general, the public security minister said Wednesday.
The minister, Avigdor Kahalani, whose duties include responsibility for the police, said on Israel Radio that the police had recommended bringing charges.
The state prosecutor, however, could decide to ignore the recommendation. The prosecutor, Edna Arbel, has said she will make an announcement before the start of the Passover holiday on Monday evening.
The prime minister's lawyer, Yaakov Weinroth, said on Israel TV that the state attorney's office had told him that ''the recommendation is now on the table, is now being examined, that there are doubts about whether they will adopt it whether they will approve it."
"There are differences of opinion about it," he said. A cabinet minister close to Mr. Netanyahu said the country may be forced to hold elections if prosecutors accept the recommendation to indict. Asked what would happen if prosecutors pressed charges, Health Minister Yehoshua Matza told Israel Radio: ''Perhaps it will be to go back to elections."
When the police concluded the investigation on Tuesday, initial reports said investigators recommended indictments of three people—Mr. Netanyahu's top aide, his justice minister and a political ally.
The reports also said the police inquiry found that Mr. Netanyahu "did some puzzling things" in connection with the affair, but that the police chose to let the state attorney's office make its own recommendation.
Mr. Netanyahu's spokesman, Shai Bazak, said that the police were trying to influence Ms. Arbel's decision by leaking information from a report that was meant to be secret. "The investigating team, by means of these leaks, is trying to put pressure perhaps, by means of public opinion, on the state attorney's office to take this or that decision,'' he said. After the reports, Ms. Arbel ordered that the police recommendations be made public.
Whatever Ms. Arbel's decision, it could undermine the stability of Mr. Netanyahu's government, with several allies having hinted they may leave the ruling coalition, depriving Mr. Netanyahu of his majority in Parliament. The coalition now has 66 of 120 seats.
Indictments would also diminish chances that the opposition Labour Party would join Mr. Netanyahu's government to try to save the disintegrating Middle East peace process, a possibility widely discussed until now. Labour officials have said they would shy away from such a partnership if a criminal shadow was hanging over the government. On Tuesday, the police completed a 12-week investigation into accusations by Israel TV that senior government officials conspired to appoint Roni Bar-On as attorney general.
Under the alleged deal, Mr. Bar-On was to end the corruption trial of Aryeh Deri, leader of the religious Shas Party. Mr. Deri, in turn, was to make sure that the two Shas government ministers would provide Mr. Netanyahu with the necessary majority in the cabinet for the Israeli troop pull-back from most of the West Bank town of Hebron. Mr. Bar-On resigned after one day in office, before the accusations arose, amid criticism that he was chosen for his political connections.
"The JVP which joined mainstream politics in 1994, is not without enemies. Thanks to the blessings of forces in sympathy with our aim to restore democracy, we were able to counter the propaganda directed against us by the government and their goons", says a statement issued to the news media by JVP's General Secretary, Tilvin Silva.
"The government which failed to discredit us, has resorted to other means to undermine the JVP. But these efforts have been rebuffed by the stunning victory we received recently."
The government is monitoring our activities abroad and attempting to show that the JVP is hand in glove with the LTTE, which is a blatant lie, says the statement.
"We have never had any connections and we never will, with such a separatist group like the LTTE who want to divide this country.We do not believe in the use of arms for the sake of achieving political victory. This being so, the attempts by the government to discredit us, is a demonstration of its political instability", says the statement.
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Manawaduge
Lalitha Ranjani Gunawardene retired teacher of Sangamitta Balika in Galle
and Sri Sumangala at Panadura seeks help for a kidney operation which according
to her physician Prof. Rizvy Sheriff can be done here.
A sister of hers will donate a kidney, but she lacks the finances required
for the operation. Those willing to help her may send in money to A/c.
no. 9884330 of the Kottawa branch of Seylan Bank. She lives at No.1385,
Bogahawatta Road, Pannipitiya. This request is made by her son Channa Manoj
Wijeweera an old boy of Mahinda College Galle.
Nine Sri Lankan Tamils have been detained at the international airport in Kenya for failing to produce proper travel documents.
The Sri Lanka High Commission in Kenya has requested their relatives to arrange funds required for their repatriation to Sri Lanka.
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An
Irish mother, Joan Ratnam has won part of her legal battle for the custody
of her son.The Court of Appeal has issued an interim order that her son
Joshua Ratnam be handed over to her during the week-ends.
Mrs. Ratnam told "The Sunday Times" that she was glad that her son could be with her in the week-ends. The mother has been in Sri Lanka for nearly four months fighting her legal battles.
Joan of East Belfast met her husband Ravikanth David Ratnam in England in early 1980s. They married and separated after eight years.
The interim order was issued by the Court of Appeal comprising Justices Hector Yapa and Asoka de Silva. Messrs Shibly Aziz PC, and Hussain Ahmed instructed by Mrs. Gowri Shangary appeared for the petitioners and Messrs Faiz Mustapha, PC. and Hemasiri Vithanarachchi for the respondent.
Meanwhile she has demanded Rs 50 lakhs for conciliation in response to the divorce case filed by her husband. She has filed a maintenance case too against her husband demanding Rs 50,000 per month from him in Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court through her lawyer K.V. Thavarasa.
A communication gap and lop-sided arrangements resulted in journalists being stranded and harassed for more than six hours on a tour of the North arranged by the Information Department on Monday.
When the journalists arrived at Ratmalana airport around 6.30 a.m. Airforce officers claimed they knew nothing about a media tour to the North. The journalists were compelled to wait till around 10.30 a.m. till a fax message was received from the Defence Ministry giving a list of the media people to take the flight.
But the problems did not end there. On arrival at Palaly airport the journalists found that military officers there also had not been informed of the tour. So they had to wait there for several hours till security checks were complete with the Defence Ministry.
After that the Army took the journalists on a tour of Jaffna and the outskirts. But again, since no proper arrangements had been made by the Information Department, many journalists had to pay for their meals and lodging.
Kandy's Mayor Harindra Dunuwilla and Council members were interrupted at the opening session by a slogan shouting crowd.
Nearly 50 people, mostly young men and women, led by ex Justice Minister Shelton Ranaraja closed on the Town Hall waving placards demanding a clean administration.
One wanted a ban on liquor bars around schools and temples; a second wanted the mayor, as the first citizen to safeguard the property of the people; and third wanted the public market cleaned up.
Ven Udawatte Nanda Thero alleged that the previous Council was corrupt and there were charges of bribery. Mr. Ranaraja charged that some members had owned municipal lands illegally and called for a clean administration.
NEW DELHI, Saturday - India's United Frontcoalition on Saturday named Inder Kumar Gujral, a 77-year-old scholar with strong experience in foreign policy, as its leader to head a new centre-left government. Caretaker Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda told reporters the 15-party coalitionÕs decision-making Steering Committee unanimously chose Gujral, foreign minister in the outgoing government, to lead the alliance and become prime minister.
"The United Front Steering Committee has taken a decision to elect Mr I.K. Gujral as leader of the party," said Deve Gowda, whose 10-month-old government was defeated in a vote of confidence in parliament on April 11.
The Congress party, which provoked Deve Gowda's downfall by withdrawing its parliamentary support, said on Friday that it would back a new United Front leader at the head of a centre-left government.
Neither the United Front nor Congress want mid-term elections which opinion surveys show could put the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within striking distance of power.
Their common opposition to the BJP, more than shared principles, has kept the United Front and Congress from rupturing ties despite mounting acrimony which resulted in Deve Gowda's downfall.
The choice of Gujral, who enjoys a spotless reputation, ended a three-week crisis that had shaken financial markets and threatened to lead to India's second general election in a year. "I bow my head to the people of India," Gujral told reporters after the decision was announced. "I promise them to the best of my capacity to give a clean government, a government that serves them."
Deve Gowda said a delegation of leaders from the coalition's 15 parties would go to the presidential palace on Sunday to convey the decision to President Shankar Dayal Sharma.
Gujral served as foreign minister from 1989 to 1990 under then prime minister V.P. Singh, and was again named to the post when Deve Gowda took office at the head of a minority government last June.
United Front officials said strong support for Gujral as a candidate without political enemies built up during the day as alliance leaders held hectic talks to end the crisis.
He has held seven ministerial portfolios dating back to 1967, and served as ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1980.
Gujral is widely respected but has little political base considered an advantage in the current highly politicised atmosphere.
Chandrababu Naidu, the convenor of the United Front's Steering Committee who spearheaded the talks to find a leader, said he eventually persuaded the alliance's many contenders for the prime ministership to throw their weight behind Gujral.
"My job was to have a consensus and I.K. Gujral's choice was by consensus," Naidu told reporters. "There were some political parties with their proposals. After interacting, we arrived at the name of the prime minister."
Asked if the United Front had agreed to name a deputy prime minister, Naidu said: "Nothing has been decided yet. It may be taken up tomorrow."
A printing press where thousands of copies of well known local books including school texts were illegally printed, has been found by police at a mansion in Kohuwela.
Police said they tracked down and raided the big book pirate after a complaint was made by author Chandrasoma Perera who reported that thousands of copies of his grade five scholarship exam text "Sahara" were being illegally printed and sold.
Police said this clandestine press had been illegally printing books for several years and selling them at cheap rates without obtaining any copyright from the author.
Among the books thus printed and sold through this big racket were Ediriweera Sarachchandra's "Maname" and Samaranayake's "English with a smile".
Detectives of the Nugegoda vice squad that carried out the raid said they had seized more than 10,000 different books valued at around Rs 700,000 and were hunting for the gang of book racketeers.
Avurudu celebrations in Trincomalee were marred by a shooting incident in which two men were injured. They were among people watching a musical show in Abeypura.
The shooting, it is alleged, was a sequel to a sports event, a tug-of- war in which the police were tugged out by civilians. An argument ensued which ended in fisticuffs between the victors and the vanquished. The exchanges were even with two constables and two civilians being warded.
A senior police officer said the incident will be fully investigated. Meanwhile four T 56 automatics have been taken into custody. ASP Uppuveli, Rohan Fernando is conducting inquiries.
Glen Steuart a veteran reader in journalism, died in a road accident recently and was laid to rest after a quiet and simple ceremony in Kanatte.
Glen worked at the "Times" and at the "Sun" group of newspapers where his command of the English language and his fine sense of humour were widely appreciated.
Though plagued by health problems, Glen was often full of joy and laughter, bringing sunshine amidst the clouds. May he rest in peace
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