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UPFA duty bound to fulfill its pledges - PM
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:00 AM SL Time
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said it was the duty and responsibility all constituent parties of UPFA, including the JVP, to fulfil the pledges given to the masses.
Delivering the keynote address at the Navodaya Development Programme, at Minuwangoda, The Prime Minister, who was the Chief Guest, said the Bandaranaike dynasty had rendered a yeoman service to the people in the Gampaha District and the present Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province Reggie Ranatunga had served with unflinching commitment during his tenure of 40 years as the SLFP organiser.
He charged that whilst the SLFP and the UPFA worked hard, the UNP, during its two year administration, had caused the downfall of the country and its cultural legacy. He said the UNP which defeated the progressive government in 1977 was to be blamed for the present crisis, created through undesirable amendments to the Constitution despite timely warning and advice by Dr N. M. Perera.
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PA invited to help UNP in WPC
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 1:16 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka's main opposition has asked the governor of the western province to appoint the next Chief Minister from the United National Party (UNP).
Luxman Abegunarathna, chief opposition whip of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) told BBC Sandeshaya (BBC Sinhala) that the UNP have enough votes to form a new administration.
He said the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has given a written assurance to the governor that the party would work as an independent group in the WPC.
Chief Minister Reginald Cooray on Monday formally announced his resignation to WPC.
JVP support
He said he was resigning due to current political situation in the country. President Kumaratunga also requested him to resign from the post, Cooray said.
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TRO lorries detained at Omanthai released
Monday, 20 June 2005 - 1:51 AM SL Time
Police released two lorries belonging to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization yesterday which were taken into custody in Omanthai for reportedly transporting helicopter spare parts hidden in a consignment of medicines. They were later found to be X-Ray machine accessories.
The two lorries from TRO office in Colombo were bound for Kilinochchi and were searched at the final government police checkpoint at Omanthai on Saturday evening.
Both lorries were loaded with medical items and a parcel of strange components suspected to be helicopter spare parts was found hidden inside the consignment.
The accessories were thoroughly examined by a group of special Aircraft Engineers who were summoned to the scene and later found the items were not related to aircrafts.
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Politics
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Hakeem 'disappointed' on JM
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:08 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem expressed anger that the proposed joint mechanism (JM) to share tsunami relief aid has neglected the Muslim community.
Hakeem described his meeting with the visiting Norwegian deputy foreign minister Vidar Helgessen was 'disappointing.'
He said the Muslims were not consulted in preparing the proposed JM between the government and the Tamil Tigers.
'I was earlier given an assurance by some Muslim ministers that the Muslims will also be a party,` Hakeem told BBC Sandeshaya (BBC Sinhala).
The former minister said it was clear after talks with Helgessen that the Muslims would not be a party to the future peace talks.
'This is a very serious situation. The Muslims cannot accept the JM as it is now.'
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Be ready to face snap poll, CBK tells SLFP MPs
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:03 AM SL Time
President Chandrika Kumaratunga has written to all SLFP parliamentarians to be ready to face a snap general election
A senior party source told 'The Island' that the President had given these instructions to the SLFP parliamentary group immediately after the JVP left the UPFA coalition government last Wednesday last week.
Since the government did not command a majority in Parliament and any unexpected development could take place in the House at any moment SLFP parliamentarians should be ready to face a parliamentary election at any moment, she said in a letter the SLFP members of parliament, the source said.
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Helgesen in fresh bid to revive peace process
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:01 AM SL Time
Norway`s deputy foreign minister, Vidar Helgesen, was due to arrive in Sri Lanka late Monday for talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the LTTE leaders amid moves to revive a stalled peace process, rebel sources and diplomats said.
He will hold discussions with Kumaratunga Tuesday before travelling to the rebel-held north Wednesday, an official from the Norwegian embassy said.
Sources close to the Tigers said the envoy was expected to discuss the proposed joint mechanism to share tsunami aid with the Colombo government.
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Editorial News
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First signs of political tsunami
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:06 AM SL Time
As much as there is a time-lag between a seaquake and a killer tsunami, in politics certain actions have delayed reactions. Some thought the exit of the JVP would bring down the government overnight, while others chose to believe that their breakaway would have no impact at all.
We are now beginning to experience the fallout of the split. Chief Minister of the Western Province Reginald Cooray has thrown in the towel, as he is now convinced beyond any doubt that the JVP will go all out to oust him and he stands no chance of escape once again. Earlier on, he managed to dodge a motion of no confidence against him by proroguing the council and then getting a Presidential Committee appointed to probe allegations against him. But no longer could he bank on such tactics with the JVP on the warpath.
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Stop dithering
Monday, 20 June 2005 - 6:11 AM SL Time
The country continues to be literally torn apart between the two extremes of those vehemently opposed to entering into P-TOMS agreement and those adamantly working for it, while the Tigers are sitting pretty probably laughing their hearts out, knowing either way their cause will be served.
The JVP and the JHU by their extreme abhorrence of the LTTE are only discrediting themselves as being most unreasonable in the eyes of the world. At the same time President Kumaratunga and those pushing for P-TOMS are more or less placing blind trust in the Tigers in the hope of engaging them constructively.
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Goni Billas, politicians and us
Monday, 20 June 2005 - 1:54 AM SL Time
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has, addressing the Maha Sangha at the BMICH on Friday, made a startling revelation after being at the helm of the state for eleven long years. She can't militarily defeat the LTTE! Some of the reasons given are: She doesn't have honest officers who won't make money through weapons deals and she is without genuine military officers who won't turn the war into a business. She says she will have to resort to a national conscription and every person between 18 to 23 years will have to join the military, if war resumes.
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| Security |
Deadly fumes from factory lab - Woman dies, several others critical
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 4:11 AM SL Time
One woman died and a few others were hospitalised in a critical condition after reportedly breathing a poisonous fume originating in a rubber and rigifoam production factory at Hekitta in Hendala last afternoon.
A poisonous fume had reportedly originated in the laboratory of the Wattala factory. An elderly woman who was living in a small house in the land behind the factory had succumbed to the toxic fumes while several other residents were also rushed to Ragama hospital.
The residents living in the land behind the factory premises had felt a difference in the air at the same time the old woman had fainted and collapsed.
The incident had taken place around 2.30 p.m. inside the laboratory of the factory where some of the chemicals were being mixed. Due to a power supply problem, the chemicals had not been mixed in the correct proportion, resulting in a poisonous fume being generated, police said.
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Abducted PC produced in `Tiger court`
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:01 AM SL Time
Police Constable Amila Prasanna, who was abducted by the LTTE on June 11, was produced before an `LTTE court` on Friday.
Political sources said that the LTTE had abducted Prasanna when he was returning from Kinniya by boat.
`Prasanna`s boat had drifted towards an LTTE controlled area.`
The LTTE has demanded that eight of its cadres, arrested by the navy in the High Security Zone recently, be released.
The sources said that the LTTE had handed over some of Prasanna`s belongings to his wife, when she visited her husband in LTTE custody on Friday.
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State hospitality for the stranded and drunks
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 2:59 AM SL Time
Government hospitals have become guest houses for those who find themselves stranded, with no means of getting to their homes at night. They get themselves warded in hospitals to enjoy he comforts of a bed, a meal and a good night`s rest at state expenses.
A Health Ministry spokesman yesterday said there had been several complaints, from hospital directors, of instances where drunkards, beggars and those stranded in the night had admitted themselves to the hospitals to enjoy the comforts. `Beggars mainly admit themselves to escape from the rain. They all complain of abdominal pains and other ailments which are not visible so that they would be admitted to the hospital`.
However, the situation has prompted Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva into seriously considering a Primary Medical Unit. The Ministry has acquired land in Maradana for this purpose.
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Business / Economy News
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Vietnam shrimp with Lankan label - Customs impose biggest ever fine on BOI firm
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 4:13 AM SL Time
One of the biggest penalties in the history of the Customs Department was imposed yesterday on a Board of Investment (BOI) company affiliated to a Singaporean firm, for a massive fraud involving the export of frozen shrimps to the United States.
A penalty of Rs. 37 million was imposed yesterday on this company, Customs Superintendent Parakrama Basnayake said.
Explaining the background, he said seven forty-foot containers packed with frozen shrimp worth Rs. 157 million were imported from Vietnam by a company based in Chilaw. The main company is a Singaporean one which established the sister firm in Chilaw to coordinate the process. The Singaporean firm had brought down the seven containers from Vietnam to Sri Lanka six months ago.
'The purpose and objective of this process was mainly to avoid anti-dumping duties imposed by the US. The US authorities charge 100 percent duty on items exported to the US from Vietnam. To circumvent this regulation, the company exported the shrimps to Sri Lanka with the 'made in Sri Lanka label' already printed in Vietnam, and exported the shrimps to the US from here,' he said. The inquiries were handled by the Customs Investigation Bureau (CIB) which uncovered the entire fraud as well as many previous duty frauds. Under Customs Deputy Director Tilak Perera and Customs Superintendent Parakrama Basnayake's instructions, Assistant Superintendents S.Y.J. K Piyasena, Wellington Rajapakse, Emmanuel Anton, J.A.S Jayakody, Seevali Arukgoda, T.M. Wijekulasooriya, A.D Izzadeen, E.M. Navaratne, Vijitha Wijetunga and Miss B.D.K Perera conducted the investigations.
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Graduate recruits should do honest work
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:04 AM SL Time
Productivity and efficiency are two aspects lacking in the public service.
The new graduate recruits to the public service should change this trend by rendering an efficient service to the public, said Tilak Ranaviraja, Secretary Ministry of Public Security Law and Order addressing 330 new graduate appointees at the handing over of appointment letters to them giving them permanent employment.
These 330 graduates were selected to posts of Enforcement Officers Persons. Their posts are permanent and pensionable.
Ranaviraja said during his long career in the public service he has found that out of eight hours of work a day roughly only two hours of work is performed by personnel in most offices.
If the officers put in at least five hours of productive work productivity would increase resulting in the country achieving its development goals. Without achieving higher rates of productivity a country cannot achieve development and progress.
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Tourism recovery in full swing -SLTB chairman
Monday, 20 June 2005 - 1:53 AM SL Time
The Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) claims the country's bounce-back from the tsunami is powering ahead with occupancy levels in both city and regional hotels rising, the travelbiz.com reported.
The report quoting SLTB chairman, Udaya Nanayakkara, said the optimistic reports from some of the island's hotels were encouraging.
`The fact that Sri Lankan hotels - just five months after the December 26 tsunami ' are reporting increasing occupancy levels and a positive outlook for the coming months, is a good sign for the future,` Nanayakkara said.
In the capital, Colombo, occupancy at the Colombo Plaza and Trans Asia hotels was claimed to be between 70 and 80 per cent - in line with occupancy levels at the same time last year. The Hilton Colombo was also upbeat, claiming 80 per cent average occupancy.
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| Sports News
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Players fail to show up
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 4:18 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka rugby coach George Simpkin is reported to be disappointed over the absence of several key players in the team's practice session on Friday.
Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Honorary Secretary Dilroy Fernando told the Daily Mirror that some players from CR and FC, CH and Kandy SC had failed to turn up at practices citing injuries.
Fernando however, said that all the players were expected to attend a practice session that was to be held yesterday and added that he was optimistic that Sri Lanka would be at full strength for the team's World Cup qualifier against Singapore to be held on Saturday.
According to Fernando the players from Kandy Sports Club had made themselves available for selection for the Central Province XV that played against a visiting Public Schools Wanders during the weekend.
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Windies drop Brown, King for Sri Lanka series
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 - 3:05 AM SL Time
Denesh Ramdin, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper from Trinidad, is the only new face in the West Indian squad that was chosen for the Sri Lankan tour, starting on July 15.
Ramdin has played only 13 first-class matches and managed one hundred and two fifties. Ramdin`s inclusion meant that Courtney Browne, who kept wicket in the recent series against South Africa and Pakistan, was left out of the squad and was one of the two notable absentees along with Reon King, the fast bowler.
The West Indies board also said that two more players will be added from the West Indies A squad ,which left for Sri Lanka on Friday. The 13-member West Indian squad is scheduled to leave on July 1 and will play two Tests and a triangular one-day tournament involving Sri Lanka and India.
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Royal beat CR 1-0
Monday, 20 June 2005 - 6:11 AM SL Time
Royal Hockey Club inflicted a 1-0 defeat on CR and FC in their Andriesz Shield hockey encounter at the Astro turf last evening.
At the short whistle Royal HC led 1-0.
The scoring was done in the 12th minute when right extreme C.L. Sumanaratne coming into the 'D', intercepted a pass from an opposing defender to beat the goal keeper and put Royal HC one up.
The on-field umpires were M.F. Lahir and Insaka Jayasinghe while G.H. Rupasinghe was the third umpire.
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