The Island Home News Page Three Thursday 8th January, 2009 3 We don’t’ advocate Karu laments Govt. treating him like an enemy UNP Deputy leader Karu the terrorists and never had any “I wore Army uniforms for Jayasuriya yesterday lamented intention of seven years. Though we do not negotiations with that the very Government which remaining in the carry boards and shout that we had once treated him as a hero, government’s are patriots, we know what patri- was now treating him shabbily ranks. “I had men- otism means. We love our moth- after he returned to his party,the tioned this right erland and would not allow any- UNP.”The Government is consid- from the begin- one to divide it. We will always ering me an enemy,” he said. ning. I was then rise against terrorism. Making a special statement in treated as a hero “We are happy with the victo- the LTTE – US Parliament, Jayasuriya said that and now I have ries achieved by our armed Karu The Unites States yesterday peace can best be achieved if the into a political process to reach a he made several sacrifices for the become an enemy. forces and pay our tribute to said it does not advocate that the Sri Lankan Government works political solution that Tamils survival of the present This policy will set them and we owe them a lot,” government of Sri Lanka enters now to reach a political solution inside and outside of Sri Lanka Government during his two a very bad example. Jayasuriya said. into negotiations with the LTTE that addresses the aspirations of see as legitimate. This will help years with it. “I voted for the I request the Government not He said decency should not be and it hoped that the capture of all Sri Lankans, including Tamils, assure Tamils that their rights are Budget 2009 to strengthen the to indulge in character assassi- mistaken as timidity.“We are not Kilinochchi would hasten an end Muslims, and Sinhalese. protected, that they have a say hands of the Government but the nation of innocent people. When afraid of character assassina- to the conflict. The Statement The United States does not over important areas of their lives very same Government now con- we visited our friends who were tions, guns, bomb attacks or any issued by the US Embassy in Sri advocate that the Government of in geographical areas in which siders me an enemy after I ill, Police were sent after us to intimidation because we have a Lanka said” “The fall of Sri Lanka negotiate with the they predominate, and that they returned to the UNP.” see whether we were conspiring will power strong enough to face Kilinochchi represents an impor- LTTE, a group designated by the are an integral and respected part He said he extended his sup- to topple the Government. them.” tant point in the 25-year war that United States since 1997 as a of an undivided Sri Lanka. At the port to the Government to crush has divided Sri Lanka. We hope Foreign Terrorist Organization. same time, such as process would that this event will help hasten an However, we do believe that a further delegitimize and erode the end to the conflict. The U.S. broad range of other Tamil voices support of the LTTE in Sri Lanka Pathirana suggests believes that a lasting, sustainable and opinions must be brought and abroad. JVP wants Golden Key Credit moveable seats to Card Company details made solve seating problem known to Parliament JVP MP JVP Parliamentary Ranaweera Group Leader Anura Pathirana told Kumara Dissanayake yester- Parliament yes- terday that he day asked the government believed the seat- what action it would take on ing problem in the behalf of the depositors and House could be employees of the Golden solved if move- On Tuesday Key Credit Card Company. able seats were Ranaweera Making a special state- introduced. ment in the House, by Saman Indrajith He said this would enable Dissanayake asked what members to carry their seats ings and transactions of the com- steps the Central Bank had taken with them when switching sides to stop unregistered financial pany. Members change sides and institutions operating in the He said the Central Bank did shuttle between the government country and what progress had not monitor the transaction of and opposition resulting in prob- been made by the that company, which was a pri- lems with seating arrangements, Central Bank in vate body controlled by a board he said. His suggestion followed its formal investi- of directors and managers. UNP MP Range Bandara’s ques- gation on how Customers of the company had tion after 12 MPs of the National unregistered deposited their money in their Freedom Front moved to the gov- financial institu- personal capacity and legal ernment ranks from the tions had been action would be taken against Opposition benches. allowed to oper- irregularities. Bandara said that seating Parliamentarians Ravi Karunanayake,Mangala Samaraweera,Tissa Attanayake ,Rauff Hakeem and Mano Ganeshan ate. The minister said since arrangements had been messed protesting against government atrocities and the high cost of living, at the Lipton Circus roundabout, yesterday He requested September 2008 action had been up by the cross-overs and inquired from Speaker W. J. M. afternoon. Pix by Dimuthu Premaratne. that the details of Anura taken against seven institutions assets and liabili- and persons involved in unregis- Lokubandara what the proce- dure was adopted in providing ties of the Seylan Bank be made tered financial transactions. seats for members. known to the Parliament. The Seylan Bank had been taken over by the Central Bank The Speaker replied that the In answer to the questions, seating arrangements were made Deputy Finance Minister to avoid any crisis due to finan- cial instability, he said. This only after consulting both, the 3000 Tamil civilians Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said Chief Government Whip and Move had saved public trust in that the Golden Key Credit Card Chief Opposition Whip. the Banking sector. The Central Company was not registered JVP MP Ranaweera Pathirana Bank has taken a number of with the Central Bank. said “The steps to monitor management Therefore, neither the Central Seats are fixed to the floor of gone missing – Mano Bank nor the government could systems of banks in order to face the House. If they could be be held responsible for the deal- any financial crisis in future, removed then MPs could cross- by Zacki Jabbar Minister Siyambalapitiya said. over with their chairs. uated by President Mahinda the economy,the high cost of liv- Around 3000 Tamil civilians Rajapaksa.” ing or family bandyism being have gone missing in the last one The SLMC leader Rauff perpetuated by the Rajapaksa Unity needed for Sri Lanka to be a nation – Srikantha year, Western Peoples Front Hakeem said that sacrifices are brothers. (WPF) leader Mano Ganeshan required to ensure the restora- “What we are witnessing After 60 years of independ- The MP said that the and rebuild the North and East.” alleged yesterday. tion of law and order. “I today is emotional politics. The ence Sri Lanka has still to Government is in need of funds Earlier in the day, Minister of Addressing the UNP led joint resigned my parliamentary seat sooner we start thinking with become a nation, TNA Jaffna to bolster its war effort. “The State Revenue and Finance, opposition rally at Hyde Park, to contest the Eastern Provincial our heads, spot the pitfalls the District MP N. Srikantha told Zionist Government in Israel Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, pre- Parliament yesterday. bombs the Palestine homelands. senting the Bill, said that the tax Colombo, he said that the Tamils Council Election because democ- Rajapaksa government has cre- Participating in the Second Palestinians have no courage to would be imposed only on “hate this racist government”, racy was at stake. We lost that ated and address them in a real- stage of Nation Building Tax raise their voice against this importers, producers and service for the harassment and hard- election, which was marred by istic manner, it would be better Bill, MP Srikantha said: “Sri injustice. The same thing hap- providers and not on the common ships they have been subjected government backed violence and for the country as a whole.” Lanka is a country. It is a sover- pens in the Vanni right now,” he man. Only those engaged in such to. ballot rigging, by a wafer thin Leader of the NSSP eign country, we accept that and said. areas and earn above Rs 650,000 The opposition alliance led margin.” Wickramabahu Karunaratne there is no doubt about that. It is Labour Minister Athauda would be taxed. So the small scale by the UNP, Ganeshan said was Leader of the SLFP (M) said that the Rajapaksa brothers inhabited by Sinhalese, Tamils, Seneviratne said: “The funds col- producers too could be free from Muslims, Burghers and Malays. lected are not for the war effort. the tax. All exports are free of truly multi-ethnic and reflected Mangla Samaraweera said that were posing off as “Suddodana”, They profess various religions. For that we have enough money. charge and those who trade prod- the Sri Lankan identity. “People the government was using the but they should actually be But it is yet to be a nation.” These funds will be utilized to ucts for exports too would be are flocking around us, to end war to cover up all its faults, referred to as “Suddakarana “To be a called nation, we Sri rebuild the areas liberated from exempted from the tax. All essen- the tyrannical rule being perpet- whether it be mismanagement of Palakayo.” Lankans must have a common the LTTE. They would be used to tial goods have not been made destiny, common identity and re-establish democracy in places liable for the tax.” common future. We have none of where terror reigned once. The Minister of Trade, Marketing these. So we are not a nation. funds are for programmes such Development, Cooperatives and Now the Bill before us is titled as the President’s promise of a Consumer Affairs, Bandula Fresh the Nation Building Tax. I do not New Spring for Jaffna – where Gunawardena, said that every- see any value in passing this bill. those innocent people lived body should understand the interviews Despite the meaning of the words under the gun will enjoy the divi- truth that the taxes were a form in the title, we know that the dends of peace after the LTTE. of government revenue and there for admission funds collected through taxes Therefore, I request my colleague would be no income without would be utilized to destroy our in Opposition to let go of the taxes. to Richmond brethren in North. Can this be Tiger’s tail even at this point and The Bill was passed with called nation building?” join hands with us to reconstruct amendments. Following sev- eral complaints by parents over the first inter- Ravi asks if forces personnel will views held to admit children to have to pay for housing Grade I, for the year 2009, at UNP Colombo District MP expenses,” he said. Minister Gunwardena answer- Richmond Ravi Karunanayake demanded “The plan was ing a question put by College Galle, that the Government tell the to charge Rs. Karunanayake, to the Prime the Education House whether members of the 800,000 for each Minister, who is also the Minister Ministry has can- security forces would have to pay house and the of Internal Administration and celled the previ- for the houses they receive from recipient given the Deputy Minister of Defence, ous interview and the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ fund. option of settling Public Security, Law and Order, ordered fresh Raising a supplementary ques- the price in as to whether the names of per- interviews to be tion during the Questions for installments,” he sons who had contributed over Ravi held on January Oral Answers session, said. one million rupees to the Api 16. Karunanayake said there was Chief Govern- Wenuwen Api fund and the The first inter- information that each member of ment Whip and Minister of names of the sites or projects if view was based the security forces would be Urban Development and Sacred any houses have been built, on children of charged Rs. 800,000 per house. Areas Development, Dinesh would be revealed to the House, staff members, “These houses were built uti- Gunawardena, demanded to said the donors had requested that distance from the lizing the funds donated by peo- know whether the UNP MP had their names not be published. He school, children ple for the soldiers fighting a ded- any documentary proof of the named the Projects as Ipalogama of migrant work- icated battle against the LTTE. It allegation he raised. He dis- Ranajayapura, Ranaviru Town ers and siblings Police inspect damage caused by a blast along the railway track in Mount Lavinia. Although would be unfair for the missed Karunanayake’s allega- Complex and said it was situated Government to earn at their tion. at Ipalogama in Anuradhapura. studying in the the track had sustained minor damages there hadn’t been any casualties. Pic Kamal school. Wanniarachchi