POINTS TO PONDER

Raising Standards

The level of political debate inside and outside Sri Lanka's zoo-like Parliament continues to plumb new depths. Not content with brandishing slippers at opponents, the island's so-called elected representatives have now taken to the pages of the press to slander, defame and generally do down their opponents as opposed to policies.

The latest offender - Minister S.B. Dissanayake, a close associate of President Kumaratunga, who called Muslim Congress leader and PA minister Rauf Hakeem "a diabolical liar" in an interview with published in a leading newspaper. "Hakeem says one thing in the cabinet and empties a barrage of diabolical lies outside the cabinet," he said.

Seemingly on a roll Dissanayake, makes some political capital out of recent Sinhala-Muslim ethnic clashes. Referring to the Mawanella clashes, he said Minister Hakeem had tried to cash in from the unrest although he has no power base there. "He is fishing in troubled waters to build a foundation for him there." Got any more rope for the Minister to hang himself with?

Chain Reaction

Wow - those UNP boys, and girls, really know how to motivate their rank and file in a time of crisis. Take, for example, the recently-tabled no-confidence motion against the government. Party sources said they plan to bring at least 1 million protesters to Colombo to coincide with the motion.

Not content with leaving it there, the UNP plan is to organise seven large human chains to cover all key entrances to the City on the day of the motion. "We will see that one chain spreads as long as 7 miles," said an organizer.

It's likely that the motion will be tabled before the end of the month - which gives organizers plenty of time to plan their human chain. Rest assured, the party will be rooting out the weakest links.

Breaking Bread

We bid a fond farewell to the CEB's outgoing K Gnanalingam who will relinquish his position as Director General. The state-controlled CEB has been no stranger to controversy, with accusations of mismanagement, fraud and corruption abounding.

Nonetheless, the amiable Mr Gnanalingam - in a distinct minority of CEB officials who have kept their hands clean - leaves with an unblemished record.

With this in mind, it came as no surprise that he refused to break bread with other senior officials, accused of corrupt practices, who were invited to a leaving dinner hosted by the Chairman in Mr Gnanalingam's honour.

The farewell lunch became a non-event, after the DG told the chairman that he would not have a meal with "dirty crooks," reports said. Such integrity will be sorely missed.

Stand By Your Man?

Confusion appears to reign in the household of one prominent PA politician who shall remain nameless. In a recent newspaper interview, his estranged wife painted a self-portrait of a strong woman responsible for moulding the successful politician he was today.

"She had stated that it was she who looked into all his needs and kept a tidy house since the VIP being a simple man was very particular about a clean house," reports said.

The full-page article, however, didn't go down at all well with those who are close to the politician. The newspaper received several calls from his friends who pointed out who was actually cohabiting with him.

In Session

It may be recalled that Sri Lanka had the greatest number of holidays in a year possibly in the entire world. Now, here's another possible entry in the record books - the astounding number of political commissions and committees in Sri Lanka's political life.

"Sri Lanka might get a place in the Guinness book of world records for having the highest number of committees and commissions to probe anything and everything at the mere drop of a hat," The Sunday Times pointed out. "The endless number of committees and commissions is so much that no one knows the exact number of these commissions and committees."

The latest is a committee appointed to look into the soaring cost of living. In the light of such ponderous entities, The Sunday Times feels it may be more appropriate to convene a committee looking at the cost of dying - as any conclusion the committee draws may come as too late for the people suffering under the burden of increasing austerity.

Uniform blues

Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister Mervyn de Silva is not one to hide his light under a bushel. He recently admitted publicly - in an interview to the BBC, no less - that he has his own unofficial "police" to deal with any situation.

The matter was raised when Silva was accused of using his henchmen to attack the UNP deputy mayor and several others in Colombo. Police said that "blows were traded both by the UNP and the PA" in which some 15 persons were wounded.

In fact, the helpless UNPers were purely on the receiving end. Furthermore, the policemen - official ones, in this case - also hit protesters who were mainly UNP members. Understandably Silva couldn't understand what the fuss was about.