Act of bad faith

No member of the public who harbour true national sentiments will approve of the act of the main Opposition United National party to boycott the 61st Independence Day celebrations, which was a watershed event in the country's post Independence history.

Instead the party had deemed it fit to hold parallel celebrations to rival the main event at Galle Face Green. An occasion such as the country's Independence Day is an event common to all Lankans devoid of race, religion and party politics. The riot of national flags across the length and breadth of the country was testimony to this. Besides an Independence Day is a national event involving protocol. The attendance of the leader of the Opposition is part of this protocol.

The opposition leader who never tires of expounding Parliamentary traditions such as Standing Orders, dignity and decorum, has not shied away from breaching one of the most time honoured traditions in this country.

As the whole country was aware this Independence Day was unlike any another preceding it. It was a turning point in the nation's destiny with the country on the threshold of once again being united under one banner bringing together all communities, religions and ethnic groups as envisaged by the founding fathers of our Independence.

Thus it called for unity among all groups, political parties and factions in a common cause of seeing the country once again stand up on its feet after defeating all sinister forces that tried to dismember it.

It is indeed ironic that the leader of the very party, which ushered in our Independence with the hope seeing a united country, deigned to vitiate this very policy by going separate ways on this momentous occasion. This no doubt is going to place the Opposition leader in poorer light and indeed as a poor loser.

Such action would only earn the opprobrium of the rank and file of the party membership leading to further erosion of support for it.

A national event should never be tainted with party politics and the UNP leader who makes pious pronouncements upholding liberal values will no doubt be exposed for this hypocrisy.

This conduct is indeed an affront to all past UNP leaders who never resorted to such rash action. The non-attendance of the UNP leader at the event also would not endear him to the public at large who cannot but assume that this was prompted by envy of the Government's popularity in the afterglow of the victory against terrorism, which he singularly failed to achieve.

On the contrary President Rajapaksa displayed magnanimity in his Independence Day speech when he commended the efforts of all past governments to achieve peace in the country although their methods differed from his. He also invited all political parties to share in the bounty of victory and help him rebuild the nation, in true statesman-like fashion.

The only way now the UNP leader can redeem himself is by accepting the friendly gesture of the President and working together to build a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka. He should harken to his former Leader J R Jayewardene who extended his cooperation to then United Front Government to defeat the JVP insurrection. We are today confronting not just an insurrection but also an attempt to divide the country and how much more support should be forthcoming by a responsible Opposition?

Satellite of our own

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's observation that we would soon be able to put into orbit a communication satellite of our own augers well for the country's future advancement in the field of communication technology. It is certainly time that Sri Lanka takes steps to breach new frontiers on its own. We say this because even poorer countries today have put into orbit their own communication satellites and are going places in the communication world. Presently we use this facility borrowed from others which is a very costly exercise. Having our own thing therefore would not only save us money but also launch Sri Lanka into the big league in the communications field.

The President's invitation to Lankans domiciled abroad to help with the country's development and expansion seen in this context is a timely one. With their experience and knowledge gained overseas they would no doubt be of great assistance. This satellite was the brainchild of the late Dr. Arthur C. Clarke and it would be a fitting tribute to the great space scientist if it sees the light of day in the not too distant future as anticipated by the President.