• Need of the hour is not accusations, but work together

• Highway rowdyism

• London Councillor stranded

• Sour grapes

Need of the hour is not accusations, but work together

Ranil accuses the Government of double standards. I think as a leader he lost the respect of the country, when he did not show up at the time when the Presidential results were declared. What better platform for a vanquished leader, to be there in person and thank the millions who stood by him and voted for him. Sadly he was a no show. You win some, you lose some and like Ranil you lose it all.

It's time for him to forget his defeat. Nothing is going to make it better. Al Gore at the US elections won the popular vote, but lost on the electoral vote, but had to go to the Supreme Court for the final decision. The final decision was that they did not want a recount in Florida, so George W. Bush was declared the winner. Yes he became the President by default but Al Gore had the courage to come forward and congratulate him and wished him the best.

The hatchet was buried and they moved on. It's time that Mr. Wickremesinghe move on for the sake of the country. That is being a gentleman.

What Mr. Wickremesinghe forgets maybe due to amnesia is that the so called ceasefire he finalised in 2002 that he is so proud of gave the Tigers to eliminate all the intelligence, and everyone they did not fancy including Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Even the whole world accepts that the Tigers assassinated him but not Mr. Wickremesinghe. What the ceasefire really did was to help the Tigers to stockpile their war chest and eliminate everyone who did not toe the line. Is that a viable ceasefire? I don't think so. He wants the status quo that existed before the Presidential elections to remain. So he fully endorses all the brave men who were gunned down.

Does Mr. Wickremesinghe tell the Sri Lankan people that the Norwegians were honest in dealing as the facilitators? Were they honest and neutral? Did they or did they not fund the Tigers?

Yes we all want peace very badly. We want peace, not to gain political mileage but true everlasting peace. We want peace with dignity not only to the Sinhala people but also to the Tamil, Muslim, Burgher brothers. This country of ours belong to all the creeds. Like the Tamils can come to South any time, work, buy property and make a living without any hinderance. We as Sinhalese want that same advantage. Do we have that now? We cannot go to certain parts of our own country. That is unacceptable.

We all yearn to live a peaceful life for us and the future generations. The need of the hour is patriotism and not cheap politics. Lets join hands, and move forward. Move forward for a better tomorrow.

Mr. Wickremesinghe seems to detest the JVP who have laid down their arms, renounced terrorism and come into the mainstream. What is bad about that. We must all commend it.

SISIRA SAM WEERATUNGE, Maharagama

Highway rowdyism

A private security gang is holding the vehicular traffic and pedestrians passing through and around House of Fashions, Duplication Road to ransom usurping Police powers in gay abandon.

This misguided gang in the guise of controlling traffic is overstepping their legitimate duties, abusing civic rights of highway users passing through even resorting to extremes of beating the vehicles they are travelling.

Will the Traffic Police authorities take timely notice of this encroachment of their legitimate powers before developing this uncouth highway rowdism into an uncontrolled public mayhem?

A. V., Colombo 8

London Councillor stranded

I was born in Galle presently residing in London. I was elected in May 2002 to represent the Queensbury Ward to the Harrow Council London. I am presently a Labour Councillor.

My wife Zahafaran Ismail and I left London on November 25, 2005 to spend a short holiday in Sri Lanka. We broke journey in Dubai for three days and checked out at Dubai Airport along with four pieces of baggage on November 28, for SriLankan Airlines Flight No. UL 228 scheduled to leave at 2305 to Colombo.

While waiting inside Dubai Airport expecting to embark, it was displayed in the electronic flight information screen that the flight UL 228 delayed to 0045. We patiently waited and nearing time once again displayed in the flight information screen, the flight delayed 0245.

Approaching 0245 no information appeared on the screen. There was some unrest by the passengers mostly South Indians who were leaving to India (Cochin). We were not given any assurance which flight we will be transferred to. In the meantime, a couple of Emirates flights left Dubai via Colombo.

But no effort was made by the SriLankan authorities to put these passengers on these flights. I personally pleaded and managed to get the flight UL226 which left at 0900 on Nov. 29 and arrived at Colombo 1530 on November 29. This of course after ten hours delay and we were left stranded without any hotel accommodation or personal attention.

When we reached Sri Lanka, to our horror, none of our four baggages arrived on UL 226. We lodged a complaint at the SriLankan baggage handling division at the airport and left home empty handed. The next day i.e. Nov. 30 on inquiry we were told that the baggages have arrived. I spent half a day to drive from Bambalapitiya to Katunayake to clear the baggage.

However only three baggages out of the four were traced and the fourth baggage is still not delivered to date. We are left without most of our belongings that were in the missing luggage. In the meantime I had to cancel all my appointments that I had for November 29 due to this 10 hour delay. This holiday was a nightmare and disappointment. I have lodged a complaint to the Customer Services SriLankan Airlines at Colombo on November 31. No response yet.

I least expected the SriLankan Airlines which I believe declared enormous profits last year, to treat us in this manner which is unacceptable by any standards.

COUNCILLOR NIZAM ISMAIL, Member Harrow Council London

Sour grapes

The Opposition's belated lamentation of intentionally omitting hundreds of names from Presidential Electoral Registers cannot be taken seriously as they themselves are to be blamed for such lapses, if any.

The Registers for this poll had been certified in 2004 having revised them upto June that year. Before certification these registers were open for inspection at respective Divisional Secretariats with lists marked 'A' and 'B' for additions and deletions, requiring the interested parties to lodge their objections, if any.

Political parties were required to name their representatives to oversee annual revision of electoral registers at Grama Niladhari level and upwards, a practice perhaps gone by default these days by all interested parties, in the absence of which Elections Department proceeds to certify revised registers as compiled by Grama Niladharis with possible unintentional lapses, in the absence of desired overseeing.

To make it an issue after a defeat at a poll, would amount to a lame excuse reminding us of the anecdote 'fox calling sour grapes'.

W. SAMARANAYAKA, Maharagama