by Kesara Abeywardene

Sri Lanka will mark the National Day tomorrow with religious observances, a ceremony at the Parliamentary complex at Sri Jayawardenapura and protests by the opposition against the rising cost of living.

While President Chandrika Kumaratunga will arrive at the Parliamentary compelx at 8.30 am amid the blowing of trumpets for the ceremony, the opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe is scheduled to launch his party’s protest march at Getambe in Kandy.

A UNP spokesman said that twenty thousand people were expected to participate in their six-day march called the "JanaBala Meheyuma" (Peoples campaign) from Kandy to Colombo.

The National Day will be heralded with religious ceremonies in the morning at temples, kovils, churches and mosques in Colombo and the provinces. The main ceremony to mark the occasion will be launched at 8 am when invitees start arriving at the esplanade at the Parliamentary complex at Sri Jayawardenapura.

The ceremony, presided over by President Kumaratunga amid tight security will be attended by Ministers, Government Members of Parliament, senior judges, officials and other invitees

The President will hoise the national flag at 8.33 am amidst the beating of magul aaabere and the blowing of conch shells

The National Anthem will then be sung by 100 schoolgirls. The President will be conducted to a special dais followed by the three Service Commanders, and the Inspecxtor General of Police.

Two minute’s silence will be observed in honour of patriots who have laid down their lives to preserve and protect freedom, unity, sovereignity and territorial integrity of the country.

A 21-gun salute will be accorded to the President following which at 8.55 am she will address the nation from the Parliamentary complex.

The UNP yesterday said they would march from Kandy to Colombo beginning on the Independence day whatever obstructions that may come their way from the government

UNP assistant leader Gamini Atukorala addressing a press conference yesterday said they expect well over 10,000 people to participate in the "Jana Bala Meheyuma" that would commence from Gatambe at 8.30 am on Sunday

Party deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya said that this March was not aimed at disrupting the country but to agitate and bring the government’s attention immediately to a number of problems faced by the people including democratising the system.

Explaining why the UNP was starting the march from Kandy MP Gamini Atukorala alleged that the government fixed the results of the last general election by mass scale rigging carried out in the Central province.

The March would start on Sunday from Gatambe and would take overnight rests in Mawanella, Galigamuwa, Wewaldeniya, Yakkala, and Peliyagoda on the nights of 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 February. The march is planned to enter Colombo city on Friday and is expected to be concluded in a mass rally at Town Hall.

MP Atukorale said that a number of trade unions and other organisations are also taking part in the march. Explaining how this march would be different from the SLFP’s "Padayatra" he said that they had that march at a time the country was economically prospering with the sole aim of rallying support for the party. "We are agitating at a time the people are undergoing harsh difficulties," he said (KA)