• Asgirya for third party mediation
• MPs' to get judges' salary
• Athas Journalist of the Year
• Tourist Board going private
• Speaker tells CBK to wake them up
• Top Lankan envoys on Jaffna tour
• Susanthika races to Osaka glory

Asgirya for third party mediation

By Shane Seneviratne and J.A.L. Jayasinghe

Sri Lanka's top Buddhist prelate in a significant change of stand has called on the Government to initiate peace talks making use of third party mediation to end the war in the north-east.

The Mahanayaka thera of the Asgiriya Chapter, Ven Palipane Sri Chandananda Thera, made the call for mediation to end the conflict when the newly-elected Western province Chief Minister Susil Premjayanth paid a courtesy call on him yesterday.

"The Government should discuss how to end the war. For the benefit of the future generation even the assistance of third party foreign country should be sought to bring an end to the war," the prelate said.

He said that in a war, nobody won and it brought about only destruction on all sides..

The Mahanayaka also called for an end to political violence and for unity among political parties which should put national interest before party or personal gains.

The Mahanayake of the Malwatta Chapter, Venerable Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi Nayake Thera who met the Chief Minister earlier said that it was time to put political thuggery to an end.

MPs' to get judges' salary

The proposed salary increase for parliamentarians bringing them on par with members of the judiciary is to come into effect in August.

It is tabled as item no.29 which is to be carried without debate.

The salary revision will seek to pay the Speaker and Cabinet ministers a consolidated salary of Rs. 29,815 a month on par with Supreme Court judges with an entertainment allowance of Rs.2, 500.

The deputy ministers, the deputy speaker and the deputy chairman of committees will receive Rs. 28,750 with an entertainment allowance of Rs. 2,000.

Members of parliament according to the proposed revision will be paid a salary equivalent to high court judges and will receive Rs. 22,100.

Meanwhile, their fuel allowance has been increased from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000 and the driver's allowance from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,500 while they will also qualify to receive Rs. 1,000 for entertainment expenses.

Athas Journalist of the Year

Iqbal Athas, Consultant Editor and Defence Correspondent of The Sunday Times was named Journalist of the Year 1998 at the Editor's Guild of Sri Lanka awards ceremony held at the Trans Asia Hotel last Tuesday.

The award was presented to Mr. Athas by Mervyn de Silva, the first President of the Guild and one time Editor of the Daily News.

See also Plus section for full report and photographs of the Awards Night held at Trans Asia Hotel.

Tourist Board going private

The private sector is to be allowed a bigger role to promote Sri Lanka's tourism with the creation of a Tourism Authority. This Authority will replace the fully state-run Tourist Board and will include both state and private sector representatives.

The establishment of the Authority comes on recommendations made by a Presidential Task Force.

A Tourist Board Official said that under the plan they hoped to bring in representatives of the travel trade, hotel trade and other tourism related trades into the Authority. However the controlling powers would be held by the Tourism Minister who would be appointing the Chairman of the Authority.

Speaker tells CBK to wake them up

Following The Sunday Times exposure on the non-functioning of Parliamentary consultative committees, Speaker K.B. Ratnayake has written to President Kumaratunga to direct ministers to reactivate them.

The Speaker has told ministers to ensure the regular meetings of the committees which are vitally important for the effective conduct of parliamentary business.

Meanwhile, the Consultative Committees secretary, K.W. Sunil, has informed the Speaker that out of the existing 31 such committees, only 14 have met this year.

Several MPs have also criticised the lack of interest shown by ministers in answering their questions.

Top Lankan envoys on Jaffna tour

By Chris Kamalendran

The government in a new attempt to counter LTTE propaganda abroad sent six of its diplomats accompanied by two Foreign Ministry officials to Jaffna yesterday.

According to reports from Jaffna the six envoys had a high level discussion at the Jaffna Secretariat with departmental heads and several local organisations and foreign NGOs.

Soon after they landed at Palaly they were welcomed by the army and had discussions with the Jaffna Security Forces Commander Lohan Gunawardene about the security situation in the peninsula.

This is the first time the government had made such a move of taking its envoys to the North. The aim was to give them a first hand experience of what was happening there so that they could project a proper picture in the countries they were stationed in and counter LTTE propaganda.

Those who went to Jaffna were Sri Lanka's envoys A.C. Gunasekera (Canada) S.B. Atugoda (Germany), W. C. M. Zavahir (Netherlands) N. Sri Kantha (Russia), H. N. G. S. Palihakkara (Geneva) and C.S.Poobalasingham (Austria).

Susanthika races to Osaka glory

Sri Lanka's supersprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe — spurned and hunted by sports VIPs in her own country — raced to fame again yesterday when she won the main sprint event in an Asian record time at the international Japan Grand Prix in Osaka.

Ms. Jayasinghe who has been embroiled in sexual harassment and steroids controversies won the 100 metres in a time of 11.17 seconds, with Sevatheda Fynes of Bahamas finishing second and Philomena Mensah of Canada third.

Her timing betters the Asian Games record of 11.27 seconds set by Chinese sprinter Ziamoei Liu of China. The world record of 10.7 seconds was set by the legendary Florence Griffith Joyner who died recently.

After winning a silver medal at the World Games in Athens in 1997, the village star has won medals at several international events and emerged as Sri Lanka's main hope for a gold medal at next year's Olympics. She now lives in the United states where she is being given special training after she complained that VIPs or officials in Sri Lanka were plotting to ruin her image and career.

Ms. Jayasinghe's prize money for yesterday's victory at the Japan Grand Prix was believed to be at least US $ 10,000.

Amidst the jubilation over Ms. Jayasinghe's latest triumph yesterday, a leading local athletics official told The Sunday Times that because of the continuing problem and unfriendly attitude she faced here, it was now likely that she might consider the prospect or possibility of settling down in the United States.