• Strikers' fast gathers strength
• Bribery boom at hospital gate
• Smooth mail for festive season
• Sacked or resigned?
• Media guidelines still in the air
• Disgusted of being in PA-angry Samurdhi workers
• Phony scandal cuts Batti lines
• Lobbying begins for two posts
• Maligawatte tense after killing of MMC
• Death of a top civil servant
• Mothers gun for absent GN
• General still waits for inquiry - Right of reply
• Three children allegedly abused
• Do justice to Tribunal
• Shuttle diplomacy by peace makers
• Sex case goes to High Court
• UNP's Wayamba plans pop off - From the Blue Corner
• Greens beat the Blues in House at Diyawanna
• The Sunday Times speaks to the PA and UNP Chief Ministerial candidates for Wayamba
• For an Asian Human Rights mechanism
• Sharing a scary thought

Strikers' fast gathers strength

Sick of false promises, they vow to continue to the bitter end

By Shelani de Silva

More than ten July strikers, including a 65-year-old diabetic patient are continuing with a fast unto death despite urgent moves by President Kumaratunga and Labour Minister John Seneviratne to settle their grievances.

P. Amaradivakara, a spokesman for thousands of strikers who claims justice has not been given to them 18 years after the infamous dispute said the death fast would continue until concrete results were obtained.

He said the strikers were fed up of false promises given by most politicians including PA leaders and were this time determined to continue with the death fast they began on Universal Human Rights Day last Thursday.

Some thousand strike victims held a Sathyagraha outside the Fort Railway Station and five representatives began a fast unto death.

They were joined by seven others on Friday and the spokesman said more would do so during the weekend.

Minister Seneviratne appeared to be equally determined to find a negotiated solution. He told The Sunday Times President Kumaratunga had personally intervened last Monday and sought a full report which he and already given to her.

He said he would communicate with the President over the weekend and try to find a just solution.

But the strikers were not impressed. They said that in addition to the fast, a big public meeting would also be held tomorrow to demand action instead of mere promises.

Bribery boom at hospital gate

By Faraza Farook

Police have been called in to probe bribery and other irregular practices involving visitors, attendants and labourers at the National Hospital in Colombo.

Acting Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said they were aware that the rule of only two visitors for a patient was being observed largely in the breach because most people were entering by giving a bribe of about Rs. 20 to an attendant or a labourer.

"It is the fault of the people. By bribing the minor staff, they are encouraging malpractices and causing problems both to the hospital and to the patients," he said.

Visitors interviewed by The Sunday Times said that when accompanied by an attendant, the security at the gate never bothered to question or check the visitors.

Dr.Weerasinghe said minor employees had been warned but since the transaction took place secretly, the matter had been handed over to the police.

Another malpractice is in the hiring of attendants. When a family wishes to keep a paid attendant to take care of a patient, the attendants charge at least Rs. 250 for a shift, depending on the condition of the patient.

Dr. Weerasinghe said retired attendants were available for this purpose. "The hospital has fixed charges for them. If anyone wishes to hire an attendant he should write or speak to the Director," he said.

Smooth mail for festive season

As usual, a special Christmas mail will be delivered by the Postal Department on Christmas day.

Deputy Post Master General K .A. S. Senadheera told The Sunday Times that while offering this special Christmas day facility, they were advising the people to post their Christmas mail early.

He said there was no pile up at present but cooperation by the people would help prevent any delays.The Postal Department this year has been plagued by strikes and go-slows over demands for overtime payments and other issues including plans to turn the department into a corporation and privatise it.

Sacked or resigned?

SLMC leader M.H.M. Ashraff says he sacked the party's National Organiser M.M. Mustapha, but Mr. Mustapha claims he resigned much earlier.

Mr. Mustapha told The Sunday Times he had resigned as the SLMC's national organiser nine months ago and from the party last Saturday due to what he described as the "the dictatorial attitude of the leadership."

He charged there was discontent in the party and many members were unhappy with the leadership.

During the past two weeks, three leading members have been dismissed for various reasons, Mr. Mustapha said.

Abdul Rashad , Former Vice-Chairman of the Kalmunai Pradeshiya Sabha, said he would be filing action against the party challenging his dismissal.

SLMC General Secretary Rauf Hakeem defending the party's decision said, Mr. Mustapha was expelled because they had reliable information that he was having talks with political forces opposed to the SLMC to form an independent group.

"We don't harbour elements who when they are in the party try to work against it. It is diabolical. Mr. Mustapha could not show any cause as to why he should not be sacked," Mr. Hakeem said.

Media guidelines still in the air

The Elections Department says it has sent guidelines to the Media Ministry regarding coverage of the North Western Provincial elections campaign on state TV and radio, but the media chiefs say they have not yet received any such guidelines.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said he had sent the guidelines, but the heads of Rupavahini, ITN and the SLBC said they were still in the dark.

Rupavahini Chairman D E W Gunasekera said several political parties had asked for TV time as given under election laws.

He said as far as he was aware such laws of giving equal time for each party applied only for general elections and he was awaiting guidelines. The heads of ITN and the SLBC also said they were in a similar position.

Disgusted of being in PA-angry Samurdhi workers

Disgusted and angry Samurdhi officers have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga to probe the human rights day attack on their fasting colleagues allegedly by thugs with government backing.

The Samurdhi animators were conducting a protest fast campaign opposite the Samurdhi Authority at Battaramulla, demanding the reinstatement of four officers, who had been dismissed earlier, when the attack took place at 2.a. m. on Thursday, the third day of their protest.

In a strongly-worded letter to President Kumaratunga, the protesters said they were disgusted of being members of the PA. They alleged that such politically instigated attacks would only go to prove the deteriorating democratic values under this government.

"On the day of the attack, we felt there would be some trouble when we found the police who were guarding us were withdrawn," Jagath Kumara, one of the sacked Samurdhi officers and the secretary of the Samurdhi Animators Association said.

The officers have decided to carry out a week long work to rule beginning on Monday with the participation of some 1500 samurdhi officers.

Phony scandal cuts Batti lines

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

A huge phony scandal has emerged in Batticaloa with allegations that a top politician used funds meant for upgrading telephone facilities to build a luxury party office.

The party office has allegedly been constructed by the PA politician from the Eastern Province at a cost of Rs. 2.8 million by misusing part of a Swiss grant for the improvement of telecom services in Batticaloa, informed sources said.

This has triggered off a wave of protests, culminating in a politically motivated transfer of a senior and qualified Telecom officer who was initiating the project, they alleged.

The grant was for the project to provide more loops and telephone lines for subscribers in the district and build five TelecoZm offices.

While the Batticaloa office was completed, the Kakthankudi office was allegedly built at double the allocated amount and the politician had allegedly constructed an additional building at Rs. 2.8 million for party or private use.

Sources alleged that the office was luxuriously built with a mural depicting the party symbol which alone had cost Rs. 200,000 and was used for political work. Building of the other three offices were abandoned without showing cause, they alleged.

An inquiry was launched by the Ministry of Telecommunications on a directive from the Presidential Secretariat. But again political pressure was brought to bear on it.

Now however, Sri Lanka Telecom Chief Executive Officer has promised to resume construction of the three district telecom offices.

But the politician is said to be opposing it though he is citing security considerations.

Lobbying begins for two posts

Two vacancies have arisen for deputy ministers and as usual lobbying and speculation are underway.

Deputy Minister Y. P. de Silva died recently and Deputy Minister Sarath Nawinna resigned last week to lead the PA team for the North Western provincial elections. PA backbench activists Dallas Alahapperuma and Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra were believed to be among the frontrunners but some sources said Mr. Silva's vacancy would be filled by a member from his own Sri Lanka Mahajana Party.

Maligawatte tense after killing of MMC

Gangs of the slain Municipal Councillor M.M. Imtiaz, allegedly went on a rampage stabbing three persons including one of the eyewitnesses and badly damaging the house of a suspected rival as the Police were yet to make a breakthrough in identifying the assassins.

An eyewitness, the cashier of a shop close to where the incident occurred was stabbed after he reportedly said that the MMC deserved what he got. Two Muslim youths were stabbed at Central Road, Pettah on Thursday night while an apartment in a flat was damaged.

Police said supporters of Mr. Imitiaz were obviously hunting for the persons who carried out the killing near Ananda College on Wednesday and left Maligawatte gripped with tension and fear.

The gangs have allegedly threatened rival groups whom they suspected were involved in the killing.

Meanwhile a Cabinet Minister who attended Mr. Imtiaz's funeral has accused the Maradana Police of failing to provide protection to the MMC.

More News/Comment  *  Death of a top civil servant  *  Mothers gun for absent GN  *  General still waits for inquiry - Right of reply -  *  Three children allegedly abused  *  Do justice to Tribunal  *  Shuttle diplomacy by peace makers  *  Sex case goes to High Court

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