Now let me take a look at the political background of these intruders. Almost all of them who came in wanted to grab power at any cost. Some with the intention of robbing public funds and a few to be in power for fame and status. They are the very people who brought lot of disrepute and created major problems for the SLFP/UNF government. The despicable manner in which the Wayamba election was conducted is a good example of their conduct. Who played the major role in this election? Do the majority of the people in this country want a repetition of what took place at this election?

Several corruption charges were levelled against these people when they were cabinet ministers in the UNF government. How did some who rode push bicycles before becoming politicians manage to own palatial mansions with heli-pads at the end of their terms? There were some others who were mere theoreticians who preached only what was impossible manipulating subtly to work out their personal agendas.

All these years the party hierarchy had a reputation for selecting the most suitable people to hold the reins of the party. But now some of these invaders are trying to take control by hook or by crook. Knowing their background can you expect anything more than what they did when they were in the SLFP/UNF. Just imagine how irresponsible a man can be when he utters publicly that he will not abide by judicial decisions? How many of the UNP supporters want people who openly use filthy language to criticise political opponents at public rallies to take over the reins of the party? Can leadership and responsibility be given to such people who may be good only in organising disruption and violence?

It is quite obvious that the vast majority of the UNP supporters want Ranil Wickremesinghe to direct the future of the party. The fact remains that he is the most suitable person to be the next presidential candidate as well. Is there anyone else in the party who has recognition nationally as well as internationally to run for the next presidential stakes from the UNP who is capable of doing some work for the country? 1 appeal to the senior members of the party not to give into the whims and fancies of the invading saboteurs. It is definitely healthy for the party to kick the bunch out into political oblivion.

A minister’s, son and two others assaulted a group of officers of the PNB while they were performing their duty, but the offenders were not arrested by the Police officers. The Police were satisfied merely with filing legal action against them which resulted only in their having to pay a compensation of Rs. 10,000 each and to enter into a bond for Rs.100,000 to be of good behaviour for one year. If it was any other person — leave aside assaulting the officers — even if they had argued with them, they would have been mercilessly assaulted, taken to the police station and ‘given the works’according to police jargon.

Why were the police officers reluctant to arrest the miscreants? Obviously because they dared not displease the politician or any one close to them as the result would have been a transfer to a difficult station or some other punishment

The police dare not arrest the brewer of illicit liquor because there is a political patron protecting the brewer. Trees in protected areas are cut down with impunity because there is a politician giving protection to those who cut these trees. In a nutshell, the underworld has the protection of the politician because the politician gets elected with the help of the underworld.

Will the IGP answer why the officers of the PNB did not arrest those who attacked them when they were doing their duty, while anyone else would have been manhandled and taken into custody? What action does he intend taking against the PNB officers who failed in their duty? Will the President answer whether the politicians and their kith and kin are above the law and what action he intends taking to prevent the abuse of power by his ministers and their kith and kin?

The answer is to appoint the Independent Police Commission. But politicians are not in favour of it because it will mean the end of their power to bully the police. It would also mean they cannot protect their kith and kin and their supporters in the underworld.

As the results of the November 7, 2006 elections are made available to us in this global village, it is very clear that the American electorate has spoken through the ballot. So the bullet seems to have lost.

A critical study of the run-up to the polls reveals that perhaps the main issue was the war in Iraq. That is why I suppose Bush engineered that the Saddam Hussein verdict should come on the eve of the polls.

As expected, Bush told the US electorate that Saddam was being punished for the crimes against humanity. However the world, which includes America, knows that it was the US that wanted Saddam. That is part of world history.

Bush and the Republicans used 9/11 to win the support of the Americans. His war on terror was up to a point popular in the US. However, the world knows that it was the US that wanted Osama bin Laden. It was the US that wanted all the wars and antagonised the Arab world.

The USA has used Israel and others as their partners in mission in this world war scenario.

This time round however the US electorate has said ‘no’ to Bushism. After a decade or so the Democrats have the House and may be the Senate. A woman speaker as well and a few governors too.

As I write this letter, Bush has accepted Rumsfeld’s resignation. What about Rice?

It was heartening to see the US Evangelicals go public before the polls. Their leader has stated that they are keen on social issues as well as matters like war and environment. So the US religious right is changing.

We see the media interpreting facts regarding the major political parties from their own perspective.

The UNP is depicted as a divided and a fractured party indulging in back stabbing and promoting self interest and or as dictatorial and autocratic.

The UNP is one of the two major political parties in Sri Lanka with the largest voter base as a single party. In this context, it is all the more important that this party should continue to function intact, without splits or divisions, and stabilise and strengthen itself solely to serve the national interest.

With the UNP, it is not a question of the Leader, the Deputy Leader and the Working Committee of the party pulling in different directions. Then it would become difficult for the party to survive democratically, and the end result may be divisions in the party resulting in crossovers.

Therefore, this major political party needs credible restructuring for the greater good of the nation. Should we see this party in shambles? No responsible citizen would like to see a splintered party, especially in the present national political scenario.

In this regard as a Sri Lankan and as a responsible voter, I wish to refer to proposals for reforms forwarded by a credible professional group. These reforms may be relevant and worthwhile, not only to the UNP but even to the SLFP, which governs the country at present.

In the reforms proposed by one of the professional groups, the highly centralised hierarchy would be changed, broad based and democratised enabling representation down the line to grass roots level. If reforms could be brought about on these lines, it will definitely avoid fingers being pointed at the Leader calling him dictatorial or accusing him of running the party affairs with a selected group of his blue eyed boys. In this regard, the professional group had recommended that the Leader of the Party and the key officials be elected for a six-year period by an electoral college.

Another matter for concern is that the Party Constitution has failed to define clearly, adequately and fully the duties and responsibilities of the Party Leader and the key officials of the Party. Amendments should be made to the constitution to prevent decisions being made by one individual and by doing so adhoc decisions being made by any key official of the party could also be prevented. The position of the General Secretary being a key position which is of utmost importance for the healthy running of the party should be held as suggested, by an individual with several years of parliamentary experience and he should be a senior member of the party.

With reforms of this nature the party’s decision making process will become fully representative, democratic and effective. This will also bring about desirable party discipline, which is imperative to win the confidence of the voters.

It is essential for all responsible citizens to remember that a political party is not the property of the politicians or a small group with vested interests, but is the property of the citizens of the country, handed down to them from generation to generation through the electoral process.

I received a communication in Sinhala from the Thimbiri-gasyaya Divisional Secretariat with my November pension voucher. The reverse side of the paper on which the communication was cyclostyled was blank. Why couldn’t the office have given a translation of the communication in Tamil on the reverse of the paper.

Although I know a little bit of Sinhala I could not understand the full contents and meaning of the communication. I showed it to a Sinhala person and he told me he too could not give a correct translation as the way in which it was was written was not easily understandable.

I have still not sorted out as to what the communication wants me to do. And one of these days the office might stop my pension or not give some arrears due to me for noncompliance of its instructions in Sinhala only.

The president and the government tells the whole world that Tamil also has been made an official language in our country and that there is no discrimination against the Tamils. But what is happening in practise is that Tamil is ignored almost everywhere even when instructions are given in hospitals and other places to the effect that spitting is prohibited or keep to the right while walking!

The government’s propaganda remains only a hollow statement. And is the cause for all this conflict.

The government says it is unable to get the Official Language Act implemented through its agencies. If the government cannot get small matters done how can it get bigger matters carried out. That is, perhaps, one of the causes for the current conflict.

It is necessary to understand the reasons for the setting up of provincial councils in Sri Lanka. The government had already established District Development Councils (DDCs) based on the 25 districts administered by Government Agents (GAs) who are the most senior civil servants in the district. The GA had a number of assistant government agents administering a part of the district. With the introduction of DDCs a political head known as District Minister was introduced — some of them were from far away constituencies and had to operate from the GA’s office of the district of which they was chief minister. The interest taken by them was insufficient to have had an impact on the development process of the district. This resulted in people who expected to benefit from the change losing faith in the system.

District Development Councils were a well thought out political exercise which was poorly implemented by the politicians appointed to each district. This failure had an adverse effect on the entire political system of the Northern Province. Youth were encouraged to agitate by various political parties and political leaders. Youth formed a number of militant groups whose membership were trained abroad in well established training camps and were equipped and paid. Some have been trained by the PLO. On their return to the country they engaged themselves in bank robberies and many acts of lawless behavior including destruction of public property. The assassination of police officers, local politicians and administrators forced the government to employ security forces to assist the police in maintaining law and order. These insurgent groups were able to operate and move freely as they were operating on home soil and were very familiar with the area. Military operations were conducted throughout terrorist held areas in the north and east of the country. They moved to their strongholds and home bases in Vadamaratchy. The security forces carried out a successful operation and cleared the area from Thondamanar through Velvetithurai to Point Pedro. The security forces commenced the final phase of the campaign ‘OP Thenmaratchty’ when the ‘food drop’ arrived from India escorted by fighter aircraft. Orders went out to the security forces to stop all military operations.

This was the culmination of a campaign to wipe out terrorism from the country. The Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka J. N. Dixit in defence of the air drop said — "but for whose intervention Pirapaharan and the LTTE, would not have survived the campaign launched against them by the Sinhalese Government from January to May 1987."

The Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi arrived with his delegation to sign the Peace Accord. The opposition held demonstrations against the Peace Accord but the Government went through with it, which saw the birth of Provincial Councils. Unlike DDCs political leadership did not work towards establishing PCs because the country was not prepared. However our politicians soon got used to the idea of Provincial Councils. As always they found the system very useful to them. For a country of our size with a population of 20 million we have —

225 members of parliament.

80 Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Project Ministers.

200 members of Provincial Councils. And 35 Provincial Ministers.

Provincial Governors and their entourage.

The cost per month at an average of Rs 500,000 (barest minimum for private secretary, vehicles for back up, and others etc. adds up to a staggering Rs 277.5 million per month ) This excludes cost of buildings, maintenance and additional staff required for provincial councils. This is a system forced on us by the peace accord signed to appease the same terrorists who were trained in India. Unfortunately for the trouble taken by Rajiv Gandhi to settle the problem, it was not only rejected by the terrorists but he had to pay with his life. We have lost a President almost lost another. We lost many important and senior political and military leaders.

The heavy expenditure in running the Provincial Council could be better utilised to improve the living conditions of the people by rehabilitating roads, schools, hospitals and other institutions that are neglected.

The administration by the P.C is unsatisfactory due to the large area which comes under it. A local government institution should cover a smaller area such as a District. The earlier DDC will be more suitable with modifications.

The head of the DDC can do the work of the District Minister. The GA can be the administrative head. Each electorate in the District can send an elected member to the DDC who will also work closely with the AGA.

The recommendation is to scrap provincial councils and allocate all the savings to District Secretaries to develop the districts on a given programme, such as infrastructure development — mainly roads, including main roads and secondary roads — which are in a very bad state of disrepair and would cost millions of rupees.

During the run up to the presidential election we witnessed a lot of false patriotism. The Liptons roundabout and the area opposite the Fort Railway Station were a hive of activity as many went to the extent of fasting unto death. Now these false patriots are silent because they have realised that they cannot fool the people anymore.

The so called patriotic brothers and sisters were drumming for war and now that war is at our doorstop they are silent. Very strange indeed! These false patriots become vociferous and take center stage only when an election is round the corner but recede backstage when the ball of fire is upon us. Drawing artistic posters instigating the masses is one thing and fighting the enemy at the warfront is another. The government should gather up all these people give them a crash course of military training and send them to the warfront to taste what war is like instead of shouting and instigating the poor rural folk to send their sons and daughters to join the forces to face the enemy.

The present Army Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka should be commended as he is one of the rare persons on our soil who accepted responsibility for the debacle at Muhamalai. Our nation needs more people of this caliber — men of steel and not paper tigers who will bark and howl to the gallery — who have the courage to face the enemy and also take responsibility when a debacle occurs.

The last chance for peace has come with the signing of the SLFP-UNP MoU. With their2/3rds majority it is necessary that these two parties get together and pass amendments to the present constitution to usher in permanent peace to our country. If this chance is not made use of it is certain our beautiful country will soon be turned into an Ethiopia or Somalia.

It was a great shock to hear of the demise of journalist Ajit Samaranayake at a comparatively young age when he was at the zenith of Lake House group of newspapers as an editor, many appreciations have been written regarding this outstanding journalist. He is of a rare calibre and can only be compared to journalists of yester year viz. Denzil Peires, Vittachi, and Mervin de Silva who were outstanding journalists of their time.

He hails from a very outstanding and noble family in the Kandy district and was educated at Trinity College, Kandy. He excelled in studies particularly English language and literature, Sinhala, Political Science and also showed his prowess in sports. During his school days he had a knack for writing articles to the newspapers and was also the editor of the college magazine.

He followed a degree in journalism and joined the Lake House group as a cub reporter and rose to become the Lobby Correspondent. His excellent command of the English Language was one of the factors that prompted the management to consider him for the post of Lobby Correspondent. Later he went on to become the editor of the Ceylon Evening Observer.

When the late Upali Wijewardena the prestigious business tycoon of Sri Lanka established The Island group of newspapers, he was invited to join that establishment and with Vijitha Yapa was one of the founders of the Upali newspapers Ltd. He was later appointed as the Chief Editor at the Island group of newspapers and through his journalistic talents raised that newspaper to a very good standard.

After the demise of Upali Wijewardena he was invited by the then president to take up the post of Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Observer.

The late Ajit Samaranayake was a gentleman with Sterling qualities who could not be bought for money or position.

Our deepest sympathies go to his beloved wife Mano and children and relations. May he be born among us till he achieves nibbana in his journey in sansara