Outside Politics

27th September 1998

Just can't stop lovin you

It happened on a good summer day in a celebrated star class hotel in London.

The politician, an elder citizen, had finished his African tour and arrived straight into the arms of his girl friend in London. The lady had arrived there three days earlier to a diplomatic reception, completed her shopping chores and waited for the darling man.

Those who know about the rendezvous say it was certainly safegrounds.

The last time they did it in Colombo, the lady with stronger claims was forced to use her slipper on the girl friend. This time, they slipped away from everything. The duo have now asked their friends not to rat (or rather rattle) on them.

In a mess

CID's Acting Direc tor, G.D.D. Perera (Sena), declined to cast his vote when his boss, DIG Punya de Silva, moved a resolution at a meeting of Senior Gazetted Officers at the Police Mess on Thursday.

The resolution related to the on- going drama over the arrest of Judge Mahanama Tillekeratne.

An old hand at the CID, well versed with not only administration but also surveillance and related work, Sena sure knew what he did !!

Imitation and the real Sheikh

The local Sheikh look alike-from Paradise met the real Sheik from the desert oasis who took over the airline he once handed over. According to insiders the local man has been silenced and now things are going smoothly at board and management level. What a sell-out !

But its not all that smooth despite the new management it seems. All hell has broken loose among local hoteliers and travel agents and tour operators in Old Blighty what with Air Lanka announcing a weekly Friday night direct London-Colombo flight - the 6th scheduled non-stop flight from London, but sans the slot in Heathrow for landing rights. A case of the plane before the bull ? What a bull indeed .

This Friday bright night was to begin on 11 December. Scores of Britishers who take their X'mas vacations very seriously have been asked to cancel and re-schedule. Some of these passengers are using not the Queen's English but Alec Stewart's English on hapless tour operators who have had to cancel block bookings.

Doesn't speak much for new management with the world's No. 1 airline. And, we thought at least now, with a Middle Eastern airline, the birds of Paradise could keep to dates!

Jungle Telegraph

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