• UNP calls special convention
• Adopting different strategies
• Cooray says he will wait and see
• 250,000 in northeast lose basic right
• 'Street demos if polls rigged'
• Protective custody for bad hats
• President seeks mandate to end ethnic war
• Saying it with 30 roses
• Maverick Vasu in the wings
• SLMC to lobby for President in East
• No decision yet, says Deva
• Thonda firmly behind CBK
• MEP to decide this week
• Death penalty hangs in balance
• NMAT denounces Anura B
• Govt. to give relief
• Dr. Hudson Silva dead
• Kadawatha killing: wife in custody
• Deputy Minister seeks Police backing
• Last post for the postal bill
• Senaka falls by the wayside
• Court orders head count in mosque
• In Brief:
• VOA agrees to swallow its toxic trash
• Hello, this is Radio Sri Lanka!
• 'Save my grandchild'
• Doctors still missing: strike looms
• Passport boss stamps down on touts
• Guard for guards
• The issue is polls - not abolition of presidency - Presidency
• Anura's pedigree match and no-ball deliveries - PARLIAMENT
• Never forget those 'disposable sacrifices' - POLICE PROBLEMS
• Throwing the good out with the bad - Focus on Rights
• Bill that boosts Eelam plan

UNP calls special convention

As required by the party constitution, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will seek the stamp of approval from the vast majority of party members for his candidature at the forthcoming presidential polls, at a special party convention on October 31 at Hyde Park.

The UNP which called for an emergency Working Committee session on Thursday evening suspended the decision-making body and appointed a fifteen-member nomination board headed by party chairman Karu Jayasuriya.

The committee comprised Karu Jayasuriya, Gamini Atukorale, Ronnie de Mel, W.J.M. Lokubandara, M.H. Mohamed, P.Dayaratne, Anura Bandaranaike, Imtiaz Bakeer Marker, John Amaratunga, Joseph Michael Perera, Ananda Kularatne, V.Putrasigamani and R.M. Pulendran, who was the only absentee.

When party chairman Jayasuriya formally announced to the Working Committee the nomination board's decision, there were cheers and congratulations. General Secretary Atukorale, Mr. Bandaranaike and Prof. Stanley Kalpage known to be a Wickremesinghe critic spoke in favour of the decision and pledged support.

Mr. Wickremesinghe in an acceptance speech promised a better life for the people and good governance.

"Here is the moment we all waited for, to make that vital change in the political fabric of our country. I shall seize the moment and strive to fulfill my pledges to the people of my country for which I seek all your support," he said.

On Friday morning, the UNP General Secretary convened a special UNP group meeting to announce the candidature and seek the endorsement of the parliamentarians. A motion by John Amaratunge was unanimously approved.

Lakshman Seneviratne urged Mr. Wickremesinghe to challenge President Kumaratunga to a public debate - possibly over national television. This was endorsed by most MPs.

Adopting different strategies

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The main opposition UNP has decided to launch its party campaign in two phases — one up to the nomination date and the second, soon afterwards.

The UNP has advanced its party convention, generally held in December to October 31, where the UNP leader is expected to announce a comprehensive policy plan to the nation.

The UNP constitution requires a presidential candidate of the party to receive an endorsement of the working committee decision at a party convention. The Convention will also be the launch pad of the UNP campaign .

To spearhead the presidential campaign, the UNP has appointed Charitha Ratwatte, former Director General of Janasaviya. Media co-ordination and several other aspects of the presidential campaign will be handled by Phoenix Advertising chief Irwin Weerakkody.

The Working Committee also decided to appoint a committee comprising party bigwigs to co-ordinate the campaign.

General Secretary Gamini Atukorale said that up to the nomination date, MPs, provincial councillors, local government members and organizers would carry out an intensified house-to-house campaign.

"From November 1, we will expand the campaign which is still being planned," he said.

He said that each district would be handled differently, and the UNP would focus more on areas where it is supposedly weak, with several MPs and organizers handling the campaigns in such areas.

The UNP leader addressing the parliamentary group on Friday said that the party should work as a collective force with a common objective in mind.

He told members to refrain from giving interviews specially to the state media without party authorization to avoid confusing signals being sent to the public.

Cooray says he will wait and see

By Roshan Peiris

Amid widespread speculation, former UNP strongman Sirisena Cooray told The Sunday Times he would not support the UNP as long as Ranil Wickremesinghe was the leader.

"Why should I give my support to Mr. Wickremesinghe, when he in many ways for the past few years has shown he does not want me in the party.

"My position is that I support a party only if it wants me. If it is shown that I am not wanted I leave the person or the party alone," Mr. Cooray said.

Asked whether he would support the PA, he said, "No I will not support her either."

"I will support at the Presidential elections anyone who comes as an independent candidate on a common programme acceptable to me, which will redress the plight of the people who are now unquestionably burdened with the rising cost of living and unemployment among other hardships.

"But up to now I have not decided what to do. In politics it is the maxim that there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.

"I will perhaps support the UNP of which I have been a member from my youth if another candidate and not Mr. Wickremesinghe comes forward for the elections.

"Just now my position with regard to the Presidential elections is to wait and see," he said.

250,000 in northeast lose basic right

By Shelani de Silva

An estimated 250,000 North-east voters living in uncleared areas will not be able to cast their votes at the Presidential elections.

Some 70 percent of them are in the Jaffna district and 30 percent in the Batticaloa District, sources said..

Assistant Commissioner A. Sivabaladundaran who is incharge of Batticaloa district told The Sunday Times the lists of registered voters had been completed and sent to Colombo. "There are 270,000 registered voters, according to last year's list. The main problem we will face is security for the polling booths," he said.

Jaffna District Assistant Commissioner S Nadaraja told The Sunday Times that there is a decrease of 12,000 voters when compared to the last election. 'There are 612,770 registered voters for the coming elections. A part of KKS is still uncleared. Similarly in Killinochi there is an area which is uncleared. We might go for the cluster polling system. It all depends on the people and how they would react to the elections.' he said.

In the Wanni mainland there are 200,000 registered voters. In Mannar there is one division which is uncleared. Mullaitivu and Vavuniya too have areas which are uncleared.

Vavuniya District Assistant Commissioner N Thirugnanasambandhar told The Sunday Times an additional 8000 voters had been registered there from those who have been displaced from Jaffna.

'There are some 40,000 displaced persons. They can apply to reregistering. So far we have not got any new names. It is difficult to say whether the people will react positively to an election,' he said.

In Trincomalee there are three divisions which are uncleared with a total of 5000 voters. When compared to the number of registered voters for the last election there has been an increase of 7000.

'Street demos if polls rigged'

By Nilika de Silva

UNP stalwart Ronnie de Mel has warned that in the event that the Presidential election is rigged, the party will stir a civil agitation campaign, calling for fresh elections.

"If the government does the things it resorted to in Wayamba and the South, I state with the permission of the leader of the party that the UNP would step out on to the streets," he told The Sunday Times.

He said the UNP would not be alone in this agitational campaign. Several political parties, civic rights groups, trade unions and others would be urged to join the UNP in its attempt similar to what was seen in other countries. However they do not plan to violate criminal laws, he said.

Mr. de Mel said they would advise the people to stop paying taxes including the Goods and Services Tax. Other civil laws would also be broken.

"If necessary, we will fill the prisons of this country," Mr. de Mel said. "They will not be able to fill the prisons, finally they will have to put us at Temple Trees. We plan to create such a massive protest, if they once again plan to rig an election in this country," he said.

Protective custody for bad hats

By Leon Berenger and Chris Kamalendran

Police will not hesitate to make precautionary arrests of known underworld operatives and subversives should they pose a threat, in any manner during the run-up to the upcoming presidential elections, a senior police officer said yesterday.

"If there is an indication of violence or some election-related mischief during the forthcoming campaign, the police will then not hesitate to make arrests purely as a pre-emptive precautionary move," Senior DIG Kotakadeniya told The Sunday Times.

"We have done it in the past and will do it again," he said.

He added that unlike in previous elections, this time there has been a notable upsurge in criminal activities with more and more youngsters entering the underworld purely for quick commercial gains. Therefore an extra alert will be maintained at all times, he said.

He refused to rule out the possibility of these gangsters being hired by interested parties from all sides of the political divide to get at their opponents. "The situation could end up in 'danger alley' if quick precautions are not taken at the proper time, he said.

Since September 15 the police have rounded up some 97 known criminal elements in and around the suburbs of colombo and have recovered dozens of firearms ranging from ordinary handguns to sophisticated revolvers and assault rifles, DIG Colombo Range T.N. de Silva said.

He said the police were currently on the hunt for another 150 or more criminals, many of who have now fled the metropolis to escape the heat.

Several underworld figures have also died while trying to take on the police with illegal firearms over the past few weeks, he said.

Meanwhile the police aided by paramilitary and security forces personnel will launch one of the biggest ever security operations throughout the country before and after the upcoming polls, according to a senior police official.

"The orders are clear. Poll violators will be severely dealt with according to the law irrespective of the political party or group they are affiliated to," the official who did not wish to be identified said.

Leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe meanwhile is to ask for added security during the run-up to the elections. He told The Sunday Times that such a request will be made in a day or two.

In 1994, the UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake was killed along with some 45 others, after a lone woman suicide bomber from the LTTE struck a campaign rally at Grandpass.

Dissanayake's widow, Srimani was later forced into the race only to lose badly to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

This time too, the police are keeping an eye open on the LTTE factor during and after the elections. "We have taken certain precautions and other security steps on the basis of intelligence reports that are filtering in," one senior police officer who did not wish to be named told The Sunday Times. "We are not taking chances, and are ready for any eventuality," he said.

Meanwhile in an interesting development the authorities have lost track of the exact number of firearms held by politicians and their bodyguards since the relevant records have been misplaced, sources reveal.

According to security sources the records were damaged, if not displaced altogether during the1996 LTTE bomb attack on the Central Bank building that also damaged sections of the Defence Ministry situated at Army Headquarters some half a kilometre away from the scene.

The documents which allegedly were buried under rubble, after the filing cabinet took a direct hit from flying debris, was carelessly handled thereafter resulting in many of the documents being damaged and some misplaced, the sources revealed.

The authorities are now desperately trying to locate the previous liaison officers in a bid to reach some kind of figure before issuing a fresh round of arms to the politicians and their bodyguards prior to the upcoming Presidential poll scheduled to be held in early January 2000.

In the prevailing situation, if the defence authorities are unable to arrive at a figure, a fresh set of firearms will once again be issued to the participants at a next elections resulting in them possessing a large number of unlicensed weapons.

This, the sources say could be a dangerous trend. Weapons without records could easily be used for various crimes such as silencing opponents that have come to be a common occurrence in this part of the world.

The weapons already issued to politicians and their security personnel range from sophisticated revolvers and semi-automatics to assault rifles.

President seeks mandate to end ethnic war

Vows to quit office if crisis not solved by the end of year 2000

Nilika de Silva reporting from Anuradhapura

President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday vowed to quit office by the end of year 2000 if she failed to end the ethnic conflict after being elected to office with a strong people's mandate.

Addressing a massive rally coinciding with the launch of the PA's eelction campaign, President Kumaratunga called upon the people to give her a convincing majority both at the presidential and parliamentary elections so that the government could change the constitution.

"I need a strong mandate from the people to change the constitution and find a solution to the ethnic conflict. I am seeking the corporation of all parties to end the conflict," the President said.

She said it was difficult for any party to work under the present constitution and although the PA had won about 80 percent of the electorates at the last general elections, it had only a slim majority in parliament because of the PR system from the JR era.

She said the war could have been ended long ago, if the UNP had cooperated in a responsible manner as the main opposition party.

"We need your co-operation to end this conflict. If you re-elect me I can end the war. We can end the fighting which has caused vast damage to our country. The constitution should be helpful to the public. Whatever the constitution is we are ready to make necessary amendments if we are given the mandate to do so.

"We wanted only 16 votes from the UNP to help us change the constitution and bring an end to the war. We thought that all parties will cooperate. We are now convinced that the opposition parties won't support us. That is the reason that we need the support of the people," she said.

Slamming the UNP, the President said the party had some leaders in the past but things changed since the advent of J. R. Jayewardene.

"The UNP has no solution to any problem. They do not have a solution to economic problems or even the ethnic problem," she said.

The President promised the election would be free and fair and urged the people from the north central province to set an example.

She admitted that there were mistakes within the party and there were certain corrupt persons.

"However I have been able to reduce the corrupt practices and take action against certain persons and also stopped the plunder of state property," she said.

Meanwhile, the President addressing a mass rally at Kurunegala early this week to mark the government's five years in office, said: "Support us once more and we will take you in to the 21st century as people with dignity.'

"At a time the world is marching towards the next millennium, we too are joining that march and it is a happy augury that our party is in power at this historic period," she said.

Saying it with 30 roses

It was like Snow White and the dwarfs on Wednesday when the ministers greeted the President with a bouquet of thirty roses, before the Cabinet meeting. Each one of the thirty roses in the bouquet was to represent a minister, said Minister A.H.M. Fowzie.

The floral tribute had been the idea of Minister Kingsley Wickremaratne.

The cabinet of smiling ministers then wished the President who had just arrived after a 45 minute session before the state television cameras, informing the people that she would be holding snap presidential elections. "We have adopted the correct economic fundamentals and put the economy on the correct track. The main aim of our economic plans is to build a prosperous country. We have no intention of stripping the country of its resources," the president said.

Maverick Vasu in the wings

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

While many political parties are deciding on their candidates for the forthcoming Presidential election, expelled LSSPer and dissident Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara said if called upon he would come forward as a third alternative to the main PA and UNP candidates.

Mr. Nanayakkara said that at the moment there was no viable alternative to pose a strong challenge to both President Chandrika Kumaratunga and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said if the Podhu Jana Sangamaya and other organisations he was associated with called upon him to come forward as a Presidential candidate he would do so. Mr. Nanayakkara said that in his view the government had called a snap presidential election to avoid a worse scenario than it was already facing.

SLMC to lobby for President in East

The SLMC which has pledged conditional support for PA presidential candidate Chandrika Kumaratunga will be concentrating its campaign in the Eastern province where it feels the party will be able to secure the most number of votes.

The campaigning will begin with a massive rally planned in Kalmunai on November 21 and a delegates conference later in Puttalam. While supporting the PA in the Presidential elections, the party has however planned to hold the campaign rallies independently of the PA, party members said. The SLMC this week decided to unconditionally support the President. The SLMC had made a number of request to the Presidents, which while not being conditions, the party feels the President should honour. Among the requests are the removal of Presidential immunity, that the President be present in Parliament to answer relevant questions, the ensuring of free and fair elections and the independence of the media and judiciary.

It has also asked the President to act in the capacity of President of the country and not as President of the SLFP. Politburo members said the party was likely to agitate if the requests are not acceded to. The party has decided to contest the general elections independently of the PA, politburo members told The Sunday Times.

No decision yet, says Deva

The EPDP has not taken a decision yet whether to support the Chandrika Kumaratunga candidature at the Presidential elections, party leader Douglas Devananda said.

"We have supported President Kumaratunga's government in many ways from outside. But as to supporting the government in the upcoming election, the EPDP has not taken any decision so far. This does not mean that we will support the UNP. We have not made any firm decision on this matter," he said. As for supporting the Executive Presidential System he said "we have no problem about it."

Thonda firmly behind CBK

By Roshan Peiris

With presidential elections to be held soon, The Sunday Times asked CWC leader and Minister Saumyamoorthy Thondaman whether there was a likelihood of his switching sides as rumours to that effect were afloat.

Mr. Thondaman, once regarded as the kingmaker, controlling for the past fifty years or more millions of estate workers, said in a firm voice: "I will not change sides. I will support the PA candidate. We have been part of the government for the past five years and have had a special understanding and a pleasant relationship with the Kumaratunga administration, as one of its allies."

He said the President had shown a clear grasp and an understanding of the aspirations of the estate workers and he saw no reason for the CWC to discontinue its support for her at the upcoming presidential elections.

Asked whether he supported the Executive Presidential system, he said: "Unlike some of the other constituent parties, we are in full support of it."

He said the presidential system was advantageous to the minorities because they had a greater say in choosing the head of the government.

Mr. Thondaman said the CWC central committee would endorse the party's support for Ms. Kumaratunga at a meeting on Friday.

MEP to decide this week

By Shelani de Silva

The Mahajana Eksath Peramuna will take a decision whether to contest the Presidential elections at a central committee meeting this week, leader Dinesh Gunawardena said.

"We have already begun discussions with twenty national and Buddhist organisations. These organisations are non-political. We did hold discussions with them on the basis of having a general election but now things have to change," he said.

He added the party might settle for a common candidate or any other alternative.

'The MEP will definitely contest as an independent party. The Central Committee will take a decision based on the outcome of the meetings with the organisations' he said.

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