Ruling UPFA Mayor of Jaffna reports of an attempt on her life

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 April 2010, 19:23 GMT]
Mayor of Jaffna Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) said that she managed to escape from an attempt on her life Thursday around 1:30 a.m as she was on her way to Durraippah Stadium to check arrangements for the public meeting in which President Mahinda Rajapakse was to address the same day, in a press meet she held Thursday evening in Jaffna. Her husband, her driver and an attorney-at-law of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of ruling UPFA, were present at the press meet.

Yogeswary Patkunam said that she was being followed by Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate, Ramanathan Ankajan’s group, when she was going to Duraippaah Stadium.

She further said that she was shot at with a pistol and she escaped death by ducking down in her vehicle when she was on her way home in Nalloor after visiting Duraippaah Stadium.

Yogeswary added that she notified Minister Douglas Devananda immediately after the attack and that she was rescued and taken home by EPDP men.

This incident has brought to light the conflict and clashes between EPDP and SLFP candidates who are the UPFA contestants in the parliamentary elections for Jaffna electoral district, sources in Jaffna said.

Chronology: