Former P.M. loses rights

Press, 18 October 1980, Page 8

Former P.M. loses rights

NZPA Colomb Sirimavo Bandaranaike itl. world’s first woma i Prime Minister, was dt jprived of her Sri Lankai civic rights for seven yean and expelled from Parha ment tor alleged abuse o power and governments misdeeds while she was ii power from 1970 to 1977. The Government resolu tion, introduced to Parlia ment yesterday, to punisl the Sri Lanka Frecdon Party leader, who also ha< served as Prime Minister from 1960 to 1965. passes by a 139-18 margin. Mr Banda ranaike's cousin by marriage, a former senioi Minister. Felix Dias Bandaranaike. also lost his civic rights by the same vote. Mrs Bandaranaike, whc participated in the debate abstained, while members o: her party and of the Tamil United Liberation Front opposed the resolution. “The day is not far off when the people will bring me back to this House," Mrs Bandaranaike said after the rote, adding, “Today I leave this Assembly and go before ±e tribunal of; the people.” Mrs Bandaranaike earlier tnade an hour-long speech lefending her actions during ter regime, and accused the present Government, led by the United National Party, md the Prime Minister (Air Lanasinghe Premadasa) of political assassination. ’Mr Premadasa said he had ntroduced the resolution to :leanse public life, and not or revenge. The Government’s measires were taken after a spe:ial presidential comnussion nvestigation of Mrs Bandiranaike’s second term in >ffice, during which, she im>osed'a state of emergency

Ojin April, 1971, to fight ;uprising by the underground !. (People's Liberation Froju. That group tried to seize ‘■•power and fought an outhi manned security force to a ’ i standstill before arms were ‘• sent in by friendly countries, i ■ The state of emergency I!lasted for six years, unti’l Mrs Bandaranaike's partv •was overwhelmed in 1977 elections by the United Nat- .. I tonal Party. j v. The vote was taken amid •1 iextraordinary security prell cautions. which included r I deploy ment of 10,000 police i officers. restriction of entry s to Parliament to accredited; <ii journalists with photo idem’ rjtity cards and press cards, .land the closing of all liquor Jstores. I Mrs Bandaranaike took > over the Sri Lankan Govern-; , ment after the point-blank f fatal ehooting in September, I 1959, of her husband, Solo- . mon Dias Bandaranaike. bv a Buddhist monk. In her second term in office, she ended all links of the country, then known as . Ceylon, with Britain, and i adopted a land-reform . scheme that restricted prU vate ownership to 20ha. . ‘ That move and her repeated flirts with Marxists and Communists during her I second term did not square well with her patrician background. Born on April 171 1916, to an aristocratic and wealthy tea-growing family; she married Mr .Bandaranaike when he was appointed Health and Local Government Minister. Mrs . Bandaranaike has vowed not to leave political life, saying she would win in scheduled 1983 elections, although the resolution h«a prevented her from running either for a parliamentary seat or for the "residency.