Monday, 1 March 2004  
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Another assassination attempt?

The Police are investigating a complaint made by Western Provincial Councillor and Freedom Alliance candidate Sanjaya Siriwardena over an alleged death threat made by a senior Minister, S.B. Dissanayake at the UNF's special convention at the Town Hall last Sunday, where he stated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will become President after the April 2 General Election.

Mr. Dissanayake has allegedly stated that the Sinhalese New Year would be celebrated after chasing away the President, not only from the Presidency, but also from the country and the Prime Minister occupying the President's chair.

According to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the Presidency doesn't fall vacant unless the tenure of office ends in Court or the President's demise.

Now, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has two more years to hold office- until 2006.

The only way the Presidency could become vacant in the immediate aftermath of the April 2 General Election is only if the President ceases to exist.

The UNF Minister's statement arouses serious suspicions according to Provincial Councillor Siriwardene's complaint, and very rightly so. This statement made by a senior Minister is very grave and sinister and there could well be a conspiracy to assassinate the President which S.B. Dissanayake in the midst of a fist flailing tirade gave lip to. This evil utterance could only have been uttered by a devil incarnate.

The Police investigation, we hope, will reveal the background, the reasons behind this cruel and wicked statement by S.B. Dissanayake.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has had to face a multitude of vicissitudes, throughout her life but she has faced them with courage and fortitude "With malice toward none, with charity for all".

The President despite losing her father and her husband who were both assassinated, and herself miraculously surviving an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber, although seriously injured continues to be a warm, caring human being, a strong dynamic leader who lives for her people. Undaunted by personal tragedy, attempts at assassination, slander and all manner of other adversities, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has remained unconquered and unbowed.

Technology for fighting crime

Even a casual glance through a newspaper is enough to realise that gruesome murders and other crimes are the order of the day. This crime wave is threatening to rip our social fabric apart. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently appointed an Advisory Committee to recommend ways and means of tackling crime. IGP Indra de Silva has also urged his officers to crack down on criminal gangs.

Underworld gang leaders are known to direct 'operations' from their prison cells. Most of them serve relatively short jail terms. They then revert to their criminal vocations. These 'repeat offenders' are the police's worst enemy. They are professional criminals who expertly evade police dragnets.

Thailand is seeking an answer to this problem through a method that has helped solve numerous difficult cases: DNA Fingerprinting. Each individual's gene structure as contained in chromosomes, the lengths of coiled DNA, is unique. Detectives often match DNA samples obtained from a suspect with another sample from a crime scene to prove their cases. It is also more accurate than traditional fingerprinting.

Thai prison authorities are planning to gather DNA samples from convicts before their release in a bid to deter them from re-offending. This system is also being implemented in Europe. The information obtained from convicts will be classified top secret and stored at the justice ministry, only available for the use of officials including the police.

Sri Lankan authorities should consider a similar initiative. Although prisoners' physical fingerprints are already taken using the traditional ink method, DNA sampling will add another dimension to the fight against crime. Electronic scanning of fingerprints should also be considered.

The only constraint is funding, as these methods are still relatively costly. DNA fingerprinting is rarely used in crime investigations here and samples have to be sent to laboratories abroad for the most accurate results. However, investing in such equipment will pay in the long run as police will have instant access to information on criminals, ideally through an islandwide computer network.

Police and prison authorities must keep pace with the latest developments that aid combating crime. The importance of protecting society from criminal elements should not, and cannot, be measured in monetary terms alone.

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