4 Tuesday 16th August, 2011 The Island Home News Parties interview prospective candidates

BY FRANKLIN R. SATYAPALAN Political parties such as the UPFA, UNP, JVP, prising Deputy leaders and yesterday that as an Alliance Partner of the SLMC, NFF and the DPF are in the process of was scheduled to commence UPFA his party had held two discussions on interviewing prospective candidates for the interviewing candidates at Siri Kotha from yes- their quota, with the UPFA General Secretary forthcoming local government elections to 23 terday morning Minister Susil Premajayanth in Parliament. Local Government bodies, including 17 MCs, 5 Attanayake said that the interviews would be Weerawansa said that following the next PSs and one Urban Council for which nomina- held from August 15 to 20 excluding Friday (19). round of discussions scheduled to be held at tions open on Thursday. Attanayake said that the names of the may- the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19) the Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, when asked oral candidates would be announced after the party politburo would hand in nominations for whether the UPFA would nominate former handing over of the nominations. its candidates. Foreign Minister as the General Secretary of the Democratic Peoples mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Elections to 23 LG bodies Front (DPF) former Parliamentarian Dr. Council, said that though Moragoda’s name had Kumara Gurubaran said that at the party polit- been proposed there was no final decision as The Propaganda Secretary of the People’s buro which met last Saturday chaired by yet. Liberation Front (JVP ) and Parliamentarian Leader Mano Ganeshan had decided that the Dry fish boxes contained Administrative Secretary of the SLFP S. H. said yesterday a nomination DPF should contest on its own Ariyasena said yesterday that over 1, 350 appli- board chaired by former Parliamentarians Lal The politburo had also decided that Leader Prabhakaran’s posters cations had been received from prospective can- Kantha, Samantha Vidyaratne, Bimal of the DPF Mano Ganeshan should contest the didates. Ratnayake and himself was in the Colombo Municipal Council as the mayoral BY SAMAN UPUL PINIDIYA He said that two committees chaired by process of conducting interviews with candidate. Ministers W. D. J. Seneviratne and Anura the prospective candidates at Party It had been decided that the Party would Some boxes containing ment authorities should take Priyadharshana Yapa had been conducting headquarters at Battaramulla. have a no contest pact with the Leader of the dry fish, imported from cognizance of the fact that interviews at the SLFP headquarters at Darley The JVP Politburo has nomi- Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) Dr Road and the Mahaweli Centre from yesterday. nated a former Colombo Wickremabahu Karunaratne to support the South India, had contained certain elements are attempt- Alahapperuma said that the UPFA General Municipal Councillor and NSSP to contest the Moratuwa and Negombo posters of Prabhakaran and ing to sow the seeds of Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayath, had held Western Provincial Council Municipal Councils. Jayalalithaa. hatred and provide maxi- two meetings with UPFAparty leaders at the member Sunil Watagala as its The NSSP would back the DPF in the A trader from the South mum propaganda to the Parliamentary Complex with the last meeting mayoral candiate for Colombo Colombo and the Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia, said that he found similar Tamil extremists and the taking place on Friday (12). MC. DPF General Secretary Dr. Kumara Guruparan posters when he opened the LTTE. He said that 80 per cent of the matters had Chairman of the Democratic National said. boxes containing dry fish The law enforcement been sorted out and a final decision on the Alliance (DNA) Parliamentarian He said that the Democratic Peoples Front quota that each constituent party was entitled vehemently denied news reports that DNA was expected the (TNA) to purchased from a wholesale authorities should keep a to would be taken at the final meeting to be contesting the forthcoming local elections and back their candidature in return for the sup- dealer in the Pettah recently. close tab on various ruses held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday nominating Anoma Fonseka, wife of General port extended to the TNA during the recently The traders in the South adopted by such elements, (19). as the Party’s Mayoral candi- concluded local elections in the North. said that the law enforce- they said. General Secretary of the UNP, date for the Colombo Municipal Council . Dr. Guruparan said that his party expected Parliamentarian , said last Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) to muster the support of several other Tamil morning that the nomination board chaired by and Minister of Housing, Construction and minority parties during the forthcoming local Party Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and com- Engineering Services said elections. Kandalama Heritance Hotel Religion teaches the wins Vidulka correct path – Senaratne gold award BY IFHAM NIZAM BY DON ASOKA WIJEWARDENA The Kandalama Heritance award was presented to the and Seychelles Hotel Pvt. Ltd Ekala Load Star (Pvt) People who do not practice their religion clinched the Gold Award in Company, in the large scale will end up beasts, Fisheries and Aquatic the Hotel’s category at the production category, Jetwing Resources Development Minister Rajitha Vidulka awards ceremony Company in the hospitality Senaratne said recently. held in Colombo. sector, and the Sri Since the beginning of human civiliza- Vidulka, an annual event Jayawardanepura District tion, different religions had shown the people organised by the Power and Secretariat office. the correct path, he said at a function to wel- come Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith to St. Anne’s Energy Ministry is considered The Vidulka Energy Church, in Beruwala. as the top award ceremony Exhibition and Symposium Senaratne said that had pro- given by the energy sector in and the Energy Efficiency duced only two Cardinals one was Cardinal appreciating energy efficient awards ceremony, organised Malcolm Ranjith who was once attached to services adopted by companies by the Ministry of Power and St. Anne’s. Church in Beruwala. and establishments. Energy and the Sustainable He pointed out that the world was experi- While Sri Lankan Catering Energy Authority was held at encing several man-made calamities such as won the award in the con- the BMICH with Prime wars, famine, depletion of water resources struction sector. The winners Minister D.M Jayaratne as and oil scarcity. The religious leaders had of the silver medal ere chief guest. predicted them in advance to help people face Brandix Company in Power and Energy such problems in the future. They also had Ratmalana from the produc- Minister Patali Champika urged all nations to eschew violence and live tion sector, The Tea Factory Ranawaka says the exhibition in peace. Hotel from the hotel sector showcased the novel inven- Senaratne added that it was the bounden and Hatton National Bank and tions for the power and energy duty of the government to show the correct path for people to lead better and non-violent Nikini Automation Systems consumers, providing them lives. Man was in need of both material and (Pvt) Ltd. from the business with the technical expertise, spiritual development. The principal aim of construction sector. educate the public on the any religion was to inculcate cardinal The bronze medal was won methods of power conserva- virtues in the minds of people, he said. by Phoenix Company from the tion, and the development of production sector and renewable energy sources, Ahungalla Heritance from the while rewarding them with St, Anne’s Church Beruwala will get a Civic Community Center. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who hospitality sector. In addition energy efficiency awards as a was the chirf guest, unveils the plaque while Minister , who earlier laid the foun- Demanding Ranil quit the energy efficiency skills means of encouragement. dation stone, looks on. UNP reformists to perform Manmohan Singh warns against graft Satyagraha NEW DELHI, August 15, 2011 - new focus on providing free healthcare wand” to tackle corruption, but he Security measures were increased India’s embattled premier Monday and pledged to make India slum-free promised to work towards greater in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and tomorrow used his Independence Day address via an infrastructure-building scheme. transparency, an effective justice sys- Kolkata, as well as Mumbai, where from Delhi’s rain-drenched Red Fort to Not yet half-way through his sec- tem, a new law on public procurement police are probing triple bombings on The UNP reformists said a sathyagraha would be insist the government was taking “the ond term as premier, Singh faces fierce and an ombudsman to probe and pros- July 13. held near the party head quarters, Sirikotha, on Wednesday at the time of the Working Committee meet- strictest possible action” against cor- criticism from opponents and in the ecute corrupt officials. The three coordinated explosions ing. ruption. media over apparent drift “I believe that killed 26 people and injured 130, but no Reformists stronman Maithri Gunaratne told the Manmohan Singh, speaking from a in the government and there is no single big group has claimed responsibility and media that the leadership should be changed by next bullet-proof enclosure in torrential its failure to deliver on step which we can take detectives have struggled to unearth Wednesday if the party is to emerge victorious at the monsoon rains, said that inflation run- promises of reform. to eradicate corrup- who was behind the attack. coming local government election. ning at nearly 10 percent was a “prob- He has spent much of tion (and) in fact, we “Last month’s terrorist attacks in Gunaratne said he opted to back deputy leader Karu lem”, but that solving it “will be our the past year managing will have to act simul- Mumbai warn us that there cannot be Jayaasuriya as the leader as he was identified as a man top-most priority in the coming crises after a string of taneously on many any slip-up in our vigilance as far as who could adopt a neutral ideology when it comes to a months,” an AFP report said. corruption scandals in fronts,” he said in his the fight against terrorism is con- crisis. He said some sections of the party had begun The prime minister dwelt at length the government and the speech from the ram- slinging mud at Jayasuriya after the recent developments. cerned,” Singh said, echoing President on the problem of graft, which has ruling Congress party. parts of the imposing He said the UNP will not be able to challenge the Pratibha Patil in her address on the government if it is not organised in a proper manner. sapped his government in its second A former telecom Mughal fort. eve of Independence Day. Gunaratne questioned as to how the party could chal- term and tarnished his own reputation minister in Singh’s gov- Singh will face a Security was also raised in insur- lenge the government which commands a two thirds as “Mr Clean”. ernment is on trial and public confrontation gency-hit Kashmir and India’s seven “Today the world recognises our another has resigned over corruption on majority by obtaining a mere 22 percent of the votes in restive northeastern states including elections. “It is obvious that the party should undergo potential to be one of the major eco- over the flawed sale of Tuesday after a famed Manipur, where several separatist changes in this kind of a situation.” nomic powers globally. But the prob- telecom licences in 2008, activist vowed to defy groups called for a boycott of Referring to a comment made by the pro lem of corruption is a big obstacle in which could have lost the the police and begin a Monday’s celebrations. Wickremesighe group of provincial council members that such a transformation,” Singh conced- exchequer up to $40 bil- hunger strike demand- the reformists should follow former President Chandrika ed. lion, according to the ing a tougher anti- In Indian-administered Kashmir, a Kumaratunga who won elections without the party leader- While promising that “we are tak- national auditor. graft law. general strike was in force. Separatists ship, Gunaratne said Kumaratunga was successful as Manmohan Singh ing the strictest possible action in Meanwhile, the for- Hazare, a 74-year- enforced the shutdown to protest the then SLFP leader gave her a cases of corruption that have sur- mer head of last year’s old devotee of Independence Day celebrations, which free hand. “The problem with the UNP is that the leader is they consider a “black day”. not willing to give the necessary powers to capable peo- faced”, Singh also defended his record, New Delhi Commonwealth Games Mahatma Gandhi, said he would stage ple,” he pointed out. saying that the country was enjoying faces charges of embezzlement, while the fast despite a ban by the police. Kashmir was divided between India UNP Member of the Western Provincial Council political stability and fast economic the chief ministers of two Indian Police and soldiers were out in and Pakistan after partition of the Shiral Laktialaka said leadership change should come at growth. states have stepped down over land force across India on Independence subcontinent in 1947 and has since least by December if the present leadership is genuinely Despite the challenges posed by ris- and mining scandals respectively. Day, which celebrates the 1947 end of sparked two wars between the neigh- interested in making the party victorious. ing inflation, Singh also promised a Singh said there was no “magic British rule on the subcontinent. bours.