Parliament time not party time – Ravi

By Chamintha Thilakarathna

United Lalith Front (ULF) member Ravi Karunanayake has challenged the PA's decision to take disciplinary action against him for using opposition time to speak in the televised debate on the AirLanka Emirates deal on Tuesday.

"It is against the PA constitution to take disciplinary action against me.

The People's Alliance constitution states that the Central Executive Committee shall have no power to take any decision in regard to disciplinary action against any individual member of the Alliance," Mr. Karunanayake said.

He said he had used the Parliament time to make his speech and that as an MP he could not be deprived of that privilege.

"Be it of the Government or of the Opposition, its parliament time that I am using and I am willing to take any amount of time given to me to speak by anyone," he said.

Mr. Karunanayke said he was considering what action to take regarding statements made by Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle which he felt were 'misleading' and baseless.'

Minister Fernandopulle accused Mr. Karunanayake of having vested personal interests in the AirLanka deal.

He said that since Mr. Karunanayake had used main opposition United National Party time to speak, he should no longer be a member of the Government parliamentary group.

Government Chief Whip Richard Pathirana said Mr. Karunanayake had on several occasions spoken against the Government on the AirLanka issue. That was why he decided not to give Mr. Karunanayke time to speak during Tuesday's debate

Meanwhile LSSP MP, Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that he believes that he too was not permitted to speak on the grounds that he would not make a 'pro-government speech.' Mr. Nanayakkara is known to be an outspoken critic of privatisation.

Relatives fined for harbouring deserters

The father and grandmother of two deserter- soldiers were fined by courts in separate cases while another soldier who did not want to return to service placed his leg before a moving train.

The grandmother was fined Rs. 600 by the Badulla Magistrate, M.C.B.S. Moreas for harbouring her grandson without surrendering her grandson who had deserted from the Monkey Bridge camp.

The soldier had been residing with his grandmother since he deserted the army in November last year

The grandmother pleaded guilty to the offence. Earlier the father of a deserter-soldier was fined Rs. 500 for the failure to surrender him. The fine was imposed by the Theldeniya Magistrate, D.M. Siriwardena.

In Badulla a 21 year old soldier who deserted the army placed his leg before a moving train.The soldier's leg was amputated at the Badulla hospital.

The deserter, Chaminda Priyadarshana told 'The Sunday Times' he joined the security forces due to poverty, but left due to problems.

"I was making a living of selling lottery tickets and I was the breadwinner for my family. The day of the incident I saw two persons with handcuffs and knew they would arrest me. I ran to the rail track and wanted to end my life, but again thought to there would be no one look after my parents. I placed my leg under the last compartments of the train," he said.

"I can still sell lottery tickets and look after my mother and father', he added.

Meanwhile a special amnesty for deserter soldiers to return without any punishment would be effective today.

A lady gentle and kind is no more

By Hussain Packir Saibo

The funeral for Sujatha Jayawardena took place at Kanatte yesterday, the final journey of a fine lady in every sense of the word, from her Coniston Place, Colombo 7 home.

There were people from all walks of life at a well attended funeral ceremony. It was only to be expected in view of her fame as a prominent media personality, her immersion in cultural and religious pursuits and her dedicated devotion to social and charitable couses that only equalled her devotion to her family.

Already much has been said of all this and more perhaps will be by those who knew her throughout her extremely rich and rewarding life as a mother and wife to Stanley Jayawardena who is well known in his own right.

She was the daughter of the famous journalist turned auctioneer the late D. N. W. De Silva and his affectionate wife, the late Ms. D. N. W. De Silva, who helped him throughout in his work in their flourishing home cum auction house at No.9, Asoka Gardens, Colombo 4.

It was here also that the late Sampath Sri Nandalochana their eldest son who retired from the Police to become the General Manager of Elephant House, lived. Sidath Sri Nandalochana the younger brother is a well known lawyer.

They were all of them a family full of grace, charm and kindness and Sujatha was of that same mould.

Death is in the end a summing up of what we have been in life and the memories we have of those who have gone ahead of us from this mortal world of ours into other worlds is a summing up of what they had been to us. Of Sujatha, it is of a lady of the kindest and gentlest disposition. May she be blessed.

World Bank probes at UNP's request

AirLanka Emirates deal

By Frederica Jansz

World Bank President James Wolfensohn has requested clarification from a well known airline industry advisory company on the controversial AirLanka/Emirates transaction.

Following a threat by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, to abrogate, what he says, is a corrupt agreement, and his formal note to Mr.Wolfensohn that a future UNP government will not honour the present partnership between AirLanka and Emirates Airlines, the World Bank has sought details of the controversial deal.

Uli Baur, head of the NewYork based advisory company S H & E, in a letter to the World Bank dated May 14, says he headed the S H & E team which evaluated the privatization of AirLanka. Mr. Baur says it took three years to complete this mandate. Commenting on the fleet modernization issue -the UNP's main grievance - Mr. Baur says Emirates has obtained an excellant package for AirLanka in buying the aircraft.

Mr. Baur syas the A 330 is the ideal sistership to AirLanka's present A 340 fleet. Except for the engines the two aircraft model share a commonality resulting in significant operating cost savings. From cockpit crew to all major systems and airframe components the A340/A330 are virtually identical aircraft. In addition he says, the seating and cargo capacity and its sector performance are perfectly suited for the aging L - 1011 replacement and for AirLanka's modernization and expansion.

Mr. Baur says Emirates fleet decisions are frequently emulated by other carriers. This leadership position bestows special power to Emirates in its negotiation with airframe and engine manufacturers.

In the A330 acquisition these purchasing benefits are passed on, to AirLanka .According to S H & E in the present tight demand for aircraft, AirLanka could never obtain the concessions secured by Emirates.

Mr. Baur says that Emirates was the only potential investor with the capability and resources to provide Sri Lanka with a modern air transport system essential to the country's economic recovery.

Amidst allegations that Emirates has secured a commission on the 12 engines being bought by AirLanka from Rolls Royce. Emirates officals said US$ 10 milion for each engine was negotiated as a support service for the engines. After the guarantee period on the engines is over. Rolls Royce, according to the Purchase Agreement, is required to pay that money to AirLanka within one working day. If not, a 3% interest rate per day will be charged and paid to AirLanka.

Since Emirates negotiated the purchase of the engines for AirLanka the money will be paid to Emirates Air Lines and then reimbursed to AirLanka.

Tim Clark, Chief Executive Officer for Emirates Airlines, told 'The Sunday Times' the allegation made by ULF member Ravi Karunanayake, that the six A330 - 200 aircraft was ordered in January this year was not true.

Mr. Clark says Emirates began negotiating aircraft rates with Airbus Industries in January this year. However the order for the six new aicraft was placed only after the agreement with AirLanka was signed on March 31.

Mr. Clark says there is no document from either Airbus or Emirates Airlines to support Mr. Karunanayake's claims that the purchase of the aircraft was finalised before the agreement was signed with AirLanka.

Mr Karunanayake says the letter from Airbus Industries dated April 20 is authentic. It gives all new orders for this year. The letter Mr. Karunanayake says states that Emirates placed the order for the six A 330 - 200 for AirLanka in January this year and not March 31, as stated by Mr. Clark.

David Bonderman of the Texas Pacific Group, in June last year showed an interest to purchase 51% equity in Air Lanka.

The present agreement between AirLanka and Emirates airlines states specifically that at any given time no foreign investor can own more than a 40% equity in AirLanka. Neither can a foreign shareholder engage in a joint share venture for a bigger stake in AirLanka holdings. After the divestiture of 9% equity to AirLanka employees, the government will retain a 51% share equity. Emirates officials say, AirLanka will possibly be placed on the market after the present 10 year agreement between Emirates Airlines and AirLanka is complete.

Senior Emirates officials expressed disapointment over the UNP threat to abrogate the partnership. They say the UNP claimed that the deal is corrupt casts aspersions on the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is the only shareholder of Emirates Airlines.

Mangala gives clue for story

Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the weekly post Cabinet press briefing told journalists that the legal fees of the two suspects involved in the intimidations, harassment and alleged threat on the life of the defence correspondent of The Sunday Times Mr. Iqbal Athas had been paid by an arms dealer.

He said the arms dealer hopes to publish a Sinhala newspaper shortly in collaboration with the publishers of an English weekly.

Journalists doing investigative journalism could take a clue from what he said and could do their own investigations he added.

CBK moves to stamp out nepotism

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

No two members of the same family will be given PA nominations at the July Provincial Council elections.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has taken this step to stamp out nepotism in politics.

The President who met the PA's grassroots level organisations on several occasions to brief them on the forthcoming polls and the necessity to ensure victory through renewed campaigning and improved organisation, has expressed the desire to introduce new people to mainstream politics through the party founded by her father.

Meanwhile, the PA has already decided on the chief ministerial candidates for the provincial council elections. PA General Secretary and Minister D.M. Jayaratne, Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, S.B. Nawinna, Berty Premalal Dissanayake and Deputy Minister Athauda Seneviratene will contest the polls for the highest slot in each of the provinces, once their candidacy is ratified by PA's executive Committee, political sources said.

Cooray cries over Kataragama

The sacred places at Kataragama have fallen into a deplorable condition according to former UNP general secretary Sirisena Cooray who recently led a group of Premadasa loyalists in a shramadana there. Mr Cooray told The Sunday Times "it was a great shock to us and those of the family and friends to see this sacred place in pitiful state of negligence."

A one day shramadana was organsied and some two thousand two hundred people joined. Some came in as early as four in the morning. "From morning till late evening we painted fences bordering the roads, filled up pot holes and cleaned roads at the former Gam Udawa site," he said.

"We all felt that shramadana was something he would have appreciated in cleaning up with voluntary participation of the people.

I think we will do more of shramadana work in his memory in the future", Mr Cooray said.

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