Another contingent of 102 Army, 50 Navy and 48 Air Force personnel left to Haiti as part of the UN peace keeping force. This departing scene was captured at Bandaranaike International Airport, a short while before take off on Friday. 

News Headline

Postal workers back

Postal workers yesterday morning called off the five-day old 'work to rule' campaign after 10 hours of lengthy discussions with authorities winning 19 demands.
They were on 'work to rule' since September 26 and started negotiations with the authorities at 6.00 pm on Friday and concluded discussions on a satisfactory note at 4.30 pm yesterday morning. About a million letters including presidential election related letters were in postal bags unsorted and left idling in post offices, mail exchanges and central mail exchanges.
However, union members agreed to clear all the delayed mail in two days. Authorities agreed to grant a special overtime payment for them to clear the backlog.
Nine unions took to the 'work to rule' campaign refusing to work overtime which resulted in the collection of loads of postal sacks in mail exchanges and post offices islandwide.
Postal workers were pushed to work to rule as a result of the Postal Department and the Ministry failing to attend to their routine administrative work.
Post and Telecommunication Ministry Secretary Piyatissa Ranasinghe agreed to heed to the 19 demands before mid October, Union of Post and Telecommunication Officers' General Secretary K. S. Weerasekara told the Sunday Observer.
Accordingly, the Ministry will fill 49 vacant Chief Postmaster posts, 333 Grade 1 Postmaster posts, 7 Deputy Postmaster General Posts, 28 Divisional Superintendent posts, 28 Regional Administrative Officers posts, gazette competitive exams for internal promotions, grant salary anomalies for class I and II postmasters, minor staff salary increments, reinstate interdicted officers, etc.
Authorities also agreed to provide 10,000 bicycles for postmen without deducting the cost from their salaries. After five years, postmen will own these bicycles, Weerasekara said.
In addition, the authorities also agreed to fill about 5,000 vacancies in the department with Graduate trainees.

EU ban : No impact on peace facilitation
The European Union travel ban on the LTTE will not impact on the role of the Norwegian peace facilitators, a Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman said.
"We are not party to the declaration...The ban will not have any impact on us," Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman Kjersti Tromsdal told the Sunday Observer.
Norway is not a member state of the European Union.
"Our role remains unchanged," she said adding Norwegians would resume peace diplomacy once Oslo finalises its coalition government.
Former Head of the Mission of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Trond Furuhovde will visit the island, as scheduled, in the middle of this month to consult the government and the LTTE on reviewing the Ceasefire Agreement. The 25 nation European Union last Tuesday announced a travel ban on the LTTE delegations visiting the member states, while threatening a complete ban on the Tigers.
"The EU is actually considering the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. In the meantime, the EU has agreed that with immediate effect, the delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any EU member states until further notice".
The EU declaration further stated that the member states would take national measures to curb illegal activities, including fund-raising and propaganda by LTTE front organisations and individual supporters.
Meanwhile, thousands of people thronged into Jaffna University grounds on Friday, in an LTTE organised Pongu Tamil (Tamil Resurgence) festival, declaring the right to self-determination as non-negotiable and denouncing the EU ban as one sided punitive action.

The government on Friday said the EU ban would help break the deadlock in the negotiations and would facilitate and not complicate the peace process
"We do not think the EU ban will in anyway be a hindrance to the peace process, Cabinet Spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told the weekly Cabinet briefing.

7 Muslims detained by the LTTE in Batticaloa

LTTE captured seven Muslims persons who had gone to Akkurana forest in the LTTE control area to cut tree. They are still detained by the LTTE. They are as follows-

1. Pakiri Muthu Basheer

2. Ali Ismail

3. Adhambava Vellaithamby

4. Asanar Muhamadu Nasar

5. Muhamadu Ismail Eliyas

6. Scapillai Ismail

7. Rasoor Maharoop

Their 7 carts and 14 bulls have also been detained at Illupaiyadichenai by the LTTE. The picture of these bullock carts has been published in LTTE Newspaper "Eelanatham" from Batticaloa.

Issue Stamp in memory of late Naleem Hajiar – IA-YMMA

At a special committee meeting chaired by Al-Haj M. Ashroff Hussein, National President of the International Assembly of YMMA (Sri Lanka) yesterday, the committee unanimously adopted a proposal by its Governor Hassan Al Fassi Sheriff, seconded by the Kandy District Governor M.S.M. Fouzer to request the Minister of Post and Telecommunication to issue a stamp in memory of the late Business/ Gem Tycoon, Social and Religious worker Al-Haj M.I.M Naleem.

The late Naleem Hajiar has rendered a yeoman service to the Muslim community of Sri Lanka. Jameeyah Naleemiya the citadel of Sri Lanka Muslim Renaissance in the field of Islamic education and Iqra which was producing competent people of technical field were some of his remarkable ventures, to help the needy. The presence of these ventures will ensure that this great Muslim entrepreneur lives in the hearts of the people forever.

The IA-YMMA is also to call upon the local government authority in Beruwela to name the road that leads to the Jameeyah Naleemiya Islamic Academy to be named after this great philanthropist and the patriotic Sri Lankan citizen.

child 

Today, the world celebrates the International Children�s and Elders� Days. The happy juxtaposition of the two days is indicative of the circle of life that begins with childhood and ends in the twilight years. Even as the child pictured here contemplates life in an even more competitive future, this elderly couple amble along at their own pace helped by another elderly person.  

Headline News

At least three killed in Sri Lanka's volatile east ahead of prime minister's visit

Gunmen fatally shot two ethnic Tamils and a Sinhalese man in separate attacks in Sri Lanka's volatile east, hours before a planned visit Saturday by presidential candidate and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, police said.

The Tamil men, both aged 23, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen just before midnight in Valaichchenai village, 220 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital, Colombo, said Rohan Abeywardene, the region's top police chief.

Around six hours later, an ice-cream seller, belonging to the Sinhalese majority was shot dead in the neighboring eastern district of Ampara - parts of which are under Tamil Tiger rebel control.

The fresh outbreak of violence came as Rajapakse traveled to the coastal village of Oluvil, in Ampara, to address an election rally.

Security has been bolstered by special anti-terrorist commandos and the police ahead of his visit, Abeywardene said.

He said while the violence is unlikely to have an impact on the premier's visit, ``we are not taking any chances.''

The premier's special security team also combed the area ahead of Rajapakse's arrival by helicopter.

Rajapakse will contest presidential elections expected on Nov. 17.

Oluvil is a Muslim-dominated village. Rajapakse also visited another Muslim village in Ampara on Friday. The Muslim vote will be crucial at the poll for Sri Lanka's new president, and could determine whether Rajapakse or his main opponent, Ranil Wickremesinghe, wins.

``I will make sure there will be an honorable peace where Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims can all live without fear,'' Rajapakse told the crowd.

Muslims generally do not trust the Tamil rebels, who are mostly Hindus. Muslims claim their 1.3 million minority have been discriminated against since an earlier Sri Lankan government signed a cease-fire agreement with the rebels.

Authorities suspect the latest violence was linked to feuding between militant groups.

The split in the Tamil Tiger rebels in March 2004, sparked internecine clashes that have killed scores, mainly in Sri Lanka's east. In recent months, the fighting has spilled over into the capital.

Sri Lankan President leaves on foreign visit amid party dispute

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga who is nearing the end of her official term in December has undertaken a visit to Paris amidst a serious policy dispute with her presidential candidate and the incumbent prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse.

The ruling party officials said Saturday the President had lefthere early Saturday morning to attend sessions of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

The ruling party, Sri lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), said Friday that Kumaratunga had agreed to address Rajapakse's election rallies despite her earlier call on him to explain his electoral pacts with extremist political parties aimed at winning the Nov. 17 poll.

Kumaratunga who cannot contest a third time for President choseRajapakse as the party's nominee.

But she is unhappy with Rajapakse's pacts with the two hardlineparties who are opposed to a federal solution being looked at as an ultimate settlement to the separatist armed conflict.

The SLFP sources said that Kumaratunga appointed a nine-member committee comprising senior ministers and provincial governors. The committee has been mandated to formulate the policy document for Rajapakse while preserving the SLFP's own policies whilst recognizing the policies of parties who had entered deals with theparty's presidential candidate

EU ban on Tamil Tigers may make them rethink strategy of violence, analysts say

The EU's ban on Tamil Tigers - and its veiled threat to brand the group ``terrorists'' - may force the rebels to re-think their violent tactics as they claim to support peace talks to end Sri Lanka's civil war, analysts said.

``I think LTTE's options are limited,'' said Jehan Perera, a top analyst of National Peace Council, a Colombo-based independent think tank. He was referring to the rebels' official name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. ``The LTTE is desperately looking for international recognition, and any more acts of violence will jeopardize that dream,'' Perera said on Thursday. The rebels have their own de facto government in much of Sri Lanka's north and east, as well as their own military, judicial system and even traffic police.

But they lack international recognition. On Monday, the European Union issued a statement saying Tamil Tiger representatives will be refused entry to EU member states until further notice, while the bloc decides whether to add the group to its list of terrorist organizations.

The EU said the Tigers' ``continuing use of violence and terrorism'' threatened Sri Lanka's fragile peace process. But since the truce was signed, the rebels have been blamed for 409 killings - including those of 61 Sri Lankan security forces and 34 civilian informers, according to the Media Unit of the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry.

Also among those killed were 54 members of Tamil political parties opposed to the Tigers.

The Aug. 12 slaying of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, blamed on the rebels, triggered international indignation. The Tigers deny involvement in Kadirgamar's killing, and have generally declined comment on the other deaths. The EU ban is seen as a severe blow to the rebels, who have scrambled to improve their international image by traveling to European capitals to try building support among governments and the 800,000 Tamils who fled Sri Lanka after the 1983 anti-Tamil riots that started the war.

``I don't know how deep the rethinking will be in the LTTE, but I imagine there will be reassessment and review of their current policies,'' said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, another top political analyst of the Colombo-based Center for Policy Alternatives, an independent research institute.

Europe thinks the LTTE has gone too far

M.R. Narayan Swamy, newkerala.com, Thu 29th Sep 09:35GMT. After hosting Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas for over two decades, Europe has finally decided to show its displeasure with the world's most lethal insurgent group over its adamant refusal to give up violence. But Norway will not join the European Union (EU) decision not to receive any more LTTE delegation, but only because it is the mediator in Sri Lanka's peace process. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is predictably angry over the EU move, which came barely a week after the co-chairs to the Sri Lanka peace process (Japan, Norway, EU and the US) called on the Tigers to take "immediate steps" to end political assassinations and recruitment of child soldiers. The EU statement has gone much further. It condemned the LTTE for using "violence and terrorism" and said "that with immediate effect, delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU members states until further notice". It added that EU was "actively considering the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation". It also warned that each member state "will, where necessary, take additional national measures to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities (including issues of funding and propaganda) of the LTTE, its related organisations and known individual supporters". The EU decision is the first-ever collective crackdown on and the most serious action against the LTTE, which has skillfully used Europe for well over 20 years to both generate money and fulminate against the Sri Lankan state.

``If the LTTE had thought that, irrespective of their behavior, they expect to be treated as an equal partner at peace talks or other forums, this ban by the EU certainly indicates otherwise,'' Saravanamuttu said.

News Today

Top Norwegian envoy to visit Sri Lanka in October

Associated Press, Mon September 26, 2005 02:42 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ A retired Norwegian military general will likely visit Sri Lanka next month to review an Oslo-brokered cease-fire between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, an embassy spokeswoman said Monday.

Trond Furuhovde's tentative arrival date is Oct. 10, Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman Kjersti Tromsdal said, but the date must still be confirmed. Furuhovde is the former head of a team of observers monitoring Sri Lanka's cease-fire agreement reached in 2002.

The Sri Lankan government and the rebels have agreed to resume direct talks, suspended since 2003, to save the cease-fire, which has been severely tested by a spate of killings that included the Aug. 12 assassination of Sri Lanka's foreign minister by suspected Tigers. The Tigers deny involvement.

The government has insisted that any talks with the guerrillas must be held in Sri Lanka, and has rejected a Tiger proposal to meet in rebel-stronghold Kilinochchi. The rebels, citing security reasons, also suggested Oslo as a venue, but the government said the Tamil Tigers would use any foreign venue to further their separatist campaign.

An earlier statement from the Norwegian foreign ministry said that Furuhovde will ``consult with both parties on the security situation and the implementation of the cease-fire agreement.''

The guerrillas began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the country's north and east, claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.

The conflict killed nearly 65,000 people before a cease-fire was signed. Subsequent peace talks have been stalled since 2003 over rebel demands for wider autonomy.

Tamil businessmen laud Mahinda's vision for Lanka

THE Tamil business community last Friday pledged their fullest support to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, to elect him as the next President, on the basis of being the only leader who has a pragmatic approach to solve the country's burning issues.

The Tamil business community consisting of over 1,000 businessmen, were of the firm view that all patriots should rally round Rajapakse and extend their fullest support to make him the next President because he was a leader who was not confined only to rhetoric but had a practical and systematic approach for solving the problems facing the country.

They pointed out that in the past, the rulers discussed the 'cost of living' only with the hierarchy of multi-national and mega-level companies.

However, Rajapakse discussed matters at grassroots level with the Pettah Wholesalers and small-scale businessmen.

Addressing Tamil businessmen, the Premier asserted that on being elected President, he will resume peace talks with the LTTE and bring permanent and sustainable peace and steer the country to prosperity within an environment where all communities abide by the law and live in harmony with one another.

Stressing that all children should have equal access to education, he said he would formulate plans to provide two popular, Tamil-stream schools in Colombo and Kandy, to enable Tamil children to receive their education in their language.

Ministers Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Dilan Perera, Rohitha Bogollagama and Tamil Businessmen's Forum President S. Manikkam also participated.

Barges are piled up against a railroad bridge in Lake Charles after Hurricane Rita pushed ashore Saturday. 

Barges are piled up against a railroad bridge in Lake Charles after Hurricane Rita pushed ashore Saturday. 

BEAUMONT, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry flew Sunday over the Texas cities slammed by Hurricane Rita while rescuers in southern Louisiana searched for perhaps hundreds of people still trapped by floodwaters. 

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Former United States President Bill Clinton 

News Today

Tsunami aid in wrong hands in Sri Lanka: Auditor General

Wide spread corruption has been detected in the distribution of foreign and local tsunami aid in Sri Lanka, the country's chief auditor said today.

Large scale misappropriation was found in the north-western, southern and eastern regions, Auditor General Sarath Mayadunne said commenting on a report in Sunday Island daily which said that he had blown the whistle on corruption.

"Yes, the figures mentioned in the newspaper report are correct," Mayadunne said adding that he will publish his Interim Tsunami Aid Audit Report this week after having presented it to members of parliament last week.

He said he could not say what percentage of the aid money had been siphoned off, but believed the numbers were large.

Inefficiencies had also slowed the flow of aid, he said noting that only 13.5 per cent of foreign aid had been utilised by the Sri Lankan authorities.

"There has been wide spread misappropriation of funds. Initially, it was understandable because proper system and controls were not in place, but even after the emergency phase was over, the irregularities continued," Mayadunne said. PTI

Facilitator role: Norway no change

The government has written to the Norwegian Labour Party Leader Jens Stoltenberg whose Center-Left bloc emerged winners at the Norwegian Parliamentary Elections, requesting the continuance of the role of his government in the peace process.

Stoltenberg who would replace the out-going Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, has responded that the Norwegian engagement in the peace process would remain unchanged.

An economist, Stoltenberg's Centre-Left bloc won 88 seats against 81 seats of Bondevik's Conservative coalition.

Earlier, Erik Solheim, the peace envoy, who is also a member of the winning coalition told the press that Norwegians would continue to facilitate the peace process.

Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman Kjersti Tromsdal echoed the same remarks when asked whether there would be any changes of the Norwegian's role in the peace process.

"No changes on our part, role will be the same," she said.

Diplomatic sources, however said it would take time till mid-October for the Norwegians to finalise a government, which is expected to be a three party coalition of the Labour Party, Socialist Left and Centrist Party.

Till then Sri Lanka has to wait for the announcement of any reshuffle of the Norwegian peace delegation.

"The last message we got from the Norwegians is that they would announce their peace team in mid-October, once their Cabinet is named," a senior peace secretariat official told the Sunday Observer.

Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Chief, Gen. Trond Furuhovde will arrive in the island in the second week of next month to consult the Government and the LTTE on the ceasefire review.

"He will consult the Government and the LTTE separately about the proper implementation of the ceasefire agreement," Tromsdal said.

Gen. Furuhovde's visit comes in the wake of the failure of the Government and the LTTE to agree on a venue for ceasefire talks.

The peace secretariat official said that the Government has identified pluses and minuses of the ceasefire agreement and would give its input for the consideration of Gen. Furuhovde.

Earlier, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission chief Hagrup Haukland told the Sunday Observer that the SLMM would also forward its recommendations on the review of the ceasefire agreement to the Government and the LTTE.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake at yesterday�s press conference. 

Somawansa's insult to the Army, Prime Minister should make a public apology

(courtesy Asian Tribune) The statement JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has made in front of Mahinda Rajapakse, Presidential candidate that the Army should be sent home amounts to an insult to the Sri Lanka Army and therefore the Prime Minister should make a public apology to the nation, Tissa Attanayake, Deputy General Secretary, UNP said on Thursday.

The Army has meticulously worked to establish national security, but the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna who perpetrated the jungle law in this country has demeaned the Sri Lanka Army, Attanayake said at a press conference held at the Colombo of Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Mahinda Rajapakse is contesting with the hope of becoming the President and if Mr Rajapakse dissociate with the statement of Mr Amarasinghe which was an order, the Prime Minister should make a public apology, Mr Attanayake said.

He said that the UNP thoroughly deplores the said statement and that it was a huge insult to the Army that worked relentlessly to ensure the national security, sovereignty and integrity of the country.

UNP spokesman, Prof G L Peiris, who also joined the press briefing said that the UNP has positively responded to the advice (Anusasanawa) made by the Viharadhipathy Nayake Thero of the Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya that to find solutions for all the problems of the country the two main political parties should join hands to come to consensus.

Prof Peiris said that Mr Ranil Wickramasinghe is prepared to accept each word of this Anussanawa and said that they would work out a plan to implement them. Mr Vajira Abeywardene MP was also present at the Press briefing.

News Today

Re-poll in all violence marred centres

ELECTIONS Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday warned that he will not hesitate to go for a re-poll in polling stations marred by violence, stressing that this will delay the overall result and the appointment of the new Executive President.

"I request all party leaders, their members and supporters to act with restraint to ensure a smooth election," Commissioner Dissanayake requested adding that he has already fixed November 19 as the date for a possible re-poll.

"The reign of the current President expires on November 21. We have to release the election results before that," Dissanayake said explaining the reason for fixing the date for a re-poll well ahead.

He was briefing the press at the Elections Secretariat in Rajagiriya.

According to the 2004 electoral list some 13.3 million are eligible to vote at the forthcoming Presidential Election on November 17, 428,128 more than the number of voters at the 2004 general election.

Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on the JHU petition over the announcement of the Presidential polls date, the Commissioner said he was of the view that he had not breached the fundamental rights of any party.

"Despite allegations and rumours I had a clear idea of the election date and it was to be duly announced. It was inappropriate for me as an independent official to give into pressures," the Commissioner commented adding that he has petitioned the court on this ruling and was awaiting a response.

He said the Secretariat will make arrangements to set up cluster stations in villages bordering North-East so that people in the uncleared areas are ensured their right of franchise.

"Under the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the LTTE the police cannot enter uncleared areas in uniform, carrying arms to provide protection to polling stations," Dissanayake explained.

He said this has hindered setting up polling centres in convenient locations within the uncleared areas.

The locations of the cluster polling stations is to be determined by the military giving thought to safety and convenience. The voters there will also be given transport facilities to and from the polling centres.

The Polls Chief said the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East will be given the choice of location to cast their vote at a site closest to their current residence and they are required to apply for this before September 26.

The deadline for postal balloting which will be for those in the police service, military, prisons Department and the CTB, will be September 28.

The Commissioner said considering the few applications received so far they plan to extend the deadline for IDPs for postal votes just once. "We can do it only once this time as we are pressed for time."

The election will be held in over 10,486 polling stations islandwide and over 100,000 staff will be deployed for election duty. In certain polling stations excluding the North and East special facilities will be made available for female voters.

The election will be held from 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and the counting of ballots will start from 8.00p.m.

Hartal in Trinco again

The life in Trincomalee was severely disrupted yesterday due to a hartal backed by pro-LTTE groups demanding the removal of the Buddha Statue, the state of emergency and the withdrawal of army posts.

Government offices, shops, schools, banks and private institutions were seen closed, with public transport services coming to a halt after few hours of operation.

Shops belonging to the Sinhalese community which were kept open for a limited time also put their shutters up after few hours, as the entire town was deserted and no customers coming make their usual purchases.

The North East Industrial Exhibition -- "Nava Yuga Dekma" which was declared open on Tuesday by Governor Tyronne Fernando had to be suspended due to the hartal.

The police assisted by the three security services were mobilised across the town to tighten security. According to police sources the hartal was fairly peaceful and no were incidents reported.

Olympic bronze medalist and Sri Lankan star sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe carries the 2006 Commonwealth Games baton in Colombo, 21 September 2005. The baton will Olympic bronze medallist and star sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe carries the 2006 Commonwealth Games baton in Colombo yesterday. The baton will leave Sri Lanka and be taken to the Maldives on its journey to Melbourne in Australia for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.  

News Today

UK calls for EU ban on LTTE - High Commission Spokesman

The United Kingdom is calling on the European Union (EU) to list the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist entity. A spokesman for the British High Commission in Colombo said that the UK is committed to combating terrorism in all its forms.

Responding to a question by 'The Island', The High Commission Spokesman said "We proscribed the LTTE in 2001. This has impacted on LTTE activities and fundraising in the UK. This proscription remains in place. The UK's national position is also clear that we support listing of the LTTE by the European Union as a terrorist entity." UK is the current President of the European Union.

Earlier reports said EU member states had put off a decision on Sri Lanka's call for sanctions against the LTTE following the assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar since a member of the European Union and Sri Lanka's peace facilitator Norway with the support of other Nordic countries had opposed any sanctions against the LTTE through the European Union.

Sri Lankan diplomats say the UK had been well briefed with adequate information on the latest activities of the LTTE. The diplomats expressed hope that the firm position taken by Britain as the President of the EU would expedite EU's decision to bring sanctions against the LTTE

The British High Commission spokesman in Colombo , also pointed out that UK as a member of the European Union , which is one of the Co-Chairs also had made clear their strong condemnation of the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was allegedly assassinated by the LTTE at his residence on 12 August.

Emergency will not hinder poll

The Government yesterday assured that the Emergency Regulations now in force would not cause any disturbance to the Presidential Election.

"The Emergency Regulations will be implemented without causing any hindrance to the November 17 Presidential Election and the electioneering process," Public Security, Law and Order Minister and Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told Parliament last evening.

He pledged to exercise the Emergency Regulations in a manner that will cause no harm to the public.

"We will make efforts to exercise these laws without any inconvenience to the public. If there is even any minor inconvenience, I request the public to bear with them."

Minister Wickremanayake explained that the regulations were necessary to effectively carry out security measures and operations.

He also stressed that the regulations are not against any community or persons. "This is not done with acrimony or rancour. These are not against the Tamil people. As a responsible Government, we have a responsibility to ensure protection for all the communities in this country."

The Minister said the Government would make all efforts to relax most regulations and also use minimum regulations under the Emergency. "We are trying our best to remove many regulations and exercise only the essential ones."

Minister Wickremanayake presented to the House an order issued by the President removing certain regulations and said it would be included in the Gazette notification. The Minister said they were doing it with a clear and good intention. "We cannot give an assurance that we would lift it before the election. Earlier, we have given such pledges and fulfilled them."

Emergency extended
The extension of the Emergency for a further one month was passed in Parliament yesterday by a majority of 94 votes. One hundred and eighteen Members from the Government, JVP, UNP, JHU and the CWC voted for the Emergency and 24 voted against. They comprised the TNA, UPF and UNP MPs Mano Ganeshan and T. Maheswaran. The SLMC (Hakeem Group) abstained from voting.