Recently, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne of the UNP challenged Urban Development Minister Mangala Samaraweera, to a 'live' television debate on the costing and construction details of the palace. The minister has responded by requesting the opposition leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe to take part in the debate. The UNP have refused saying they will nominate a suitable MP to challenge the minister and that Wickremasinghe will debate only with the president herself.

Meanwhile fresh details released on the palace reveal that it will cost 17 times more than the White House did when it was built. One square foot at the presidential palace in Kotte is estimated to cost a stunning Rs. 46,587/- (USD 533). A super luxury house in Sri Lanka is usually priced at Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 2,500/- per square foot.

Samaraweera has revealed that the new home for the president would consist of 12,879 square feet and will cost approximately Rs. 600 million. The private dwellings for the president will have five bedrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, a library a kitchen, a banquet hall and conference rooms including a swimming pool.

Samaraweera claims that reports that imported luxury items were being ordered for the palace are completely false. His statement is somewhat negated by the fact that a palace costing over Rs. 46,000/- per square foot must indeed possess luxurious fittings imported or otherwise.

A leading architect who asked to remain anonymous said he doubts very much that a house estimated to cost Rs. 46,587 per square foot could be built using local fittings. Even a house estimated at Rs. 10 million he pointed out would not opt for Lanka ceramic fittings and wall tiles. The more obvious choice he said would be to buy Italian fittings.

The Presidential Secretariat also to be located in a separate building on the same site according to Minister Samaraweera will cost Rs. 875 million for 170,000 square feet. This indicates that the secretariat has been estimated at a rate of Rs. 5,147/- per square foot despite it being much larger in extent than the proposed private residence of the president.

The building to accommodate members from the presidential security division will cost Rs. 325 million for 75,000 square feet. In stark contrast to the costing per square foot for the president's private dwelling and the presidential secretariat this area will cost only Rs. 4,333/- per square foot.

The President's henchmen have been told not to divulge to the nation the true details of the palatial complex spread on 13 acres of land that will cost the country the princely sum of Rs. 2.5 billion upon completion.

'Mum' is the key word as a 13-foot high fence runs about three miles around the complex, forbidding trespassers to enter or even onlookers to peek. The PSD are so diligent in keeping the ongoing work a secret that a 17 year old youth was on one instance arrested and hauled to the Mirihana police station where he was kept locked in a cell for two days. His crime being that he entered the future presidential complex to retrieve a kite that had blown into the high security den.

Children who live in the area and are spotted peeking into the complex are chased by beefy looking security personnel. Published: Thu Mar 22 07:34:43 EST 2001

The LTTE statement belies the fact that the military claim two Dvora style naval gunboats were attacked by the LTTE off the coast of Mullaitivu yesterday killing at least eleven sailors while another seven are still missing.

The Tigers meanwhile say that 133 of its cadres have been killed during the three month ceasefire by government troops.

"The LTTE leadership has decided to extend its self-imposed truce for another month to help generate a congenial atmosphere of peace and to provide further time and space for the Norwegian facilitatory efforts to bring the parties in conflict to the negotiating table. Our decision to cease all armed hostilities for a further period of time was taken in recognition of the collective aspirations of our people for peace, normalisation of civilian life and negotiations on the basis of self-determination", the LTTE's statement declared.

The LTTE has also expressed serious reservations over the foreign policy determinations of the international community particularly the United States, Britain, European nations and India towards the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict. "By supporting Sri Lanka with financial and military assistance and by condemning and criminalising the Tamil struggle as a phenomenon of 'international terrorism' these international governments are not in any way contributing to the promotion of peace and enthnic reconciliation in the island but rather encourage the hardline militaristic approach of a repressive racist regime against the aggrieved and oppressed Tamil nation," the statement concluded. Published: Thu Mar 22 07:34:43 EST 2001

The attack was initiated by the LTTE, who sank a naval gun boat killing at least eleven sailors at around 6 a.m. last morning. Twelve sailors were later rescued, while another seven remain missing in action.

The LTTE are reported to have its strongest Sea Tiger base at Mullaitivu.

The government has pointed out that the LTTE attack was made on the Navy while the Tigers claim to be observing a unilateral ceasefire which has not been reciprocated by State troops. Published: Thu Mar 22 07:34:42 EST 2001