Eastern CM swearing-in put off

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2008, 13:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President had initially decided to appoint Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan, the de-facto leader of the paramilitary-cum-political party, the TMVP, as the Chief Minister for Eastern Province, informed sources in Colombo said. However, due to strong objection from Muslim ministers supporting M.L.A.M.Hizbulla for the post, there were discussions on the issue at Temple Trees till late Thursday evening. The swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Friday has been postponed, sources said.
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Widespread violence, last-hour ballot stuffing mark elections in East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2008, 18:40 GMT]
Paramilitary TMVP personnel entered several polling stations in the Tamil areas in Batticaloa and Trincomalee and stuffed the ballot boxes forcefully during the last-hour, before the ballot boxes were removed to counting centers in Batticaloa. Meanwhile, election officials said an average of 60% voter turn-out was registered across the three districts in the East. The polling was high in Sinhalese and Muslim areas while an average of 45-50% votes were registered in Tamil areas. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has recorded 64 incidents at 6:00 p.m. Saturday. Majority of major offenses were committed in Batticaloa district, followed by Ampaa'rai (12) and Trincomalee (08).
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CMEV: 25 complaints, 18 major offenses on EPC elections day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2008, 10:22 GMT]
Centre of Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) in an update issued at 2:30 p.m. in Sri Lanka said it had registered 18 major offenses such as murder, attempted murder, assault, threat and intimidation, impersonation and ballot stuffing. Of the major offences, 13 were reported from Batticaloa, 03 from Ampaa'rai and 02 from Trincomalee district. The CMEV has urged the Sri Lankan Election Commissioner to annul the poll in the stations it had identified. The TMVP Pillayan Group supporters were seen removing voter ink from their fingers and returning to vote repeatedly in Thambiluvil in Ampaa'rai and there has been a mortar attack close to polling stations in which four civilians were wounded.
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CMEV reports violence, possible misuse of state resources in east

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2008, 02:21 GMT]
Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), a civil society organization that reports on election violence, reported twelve complaints of major election violations in a report issued Friday. Incidents of "[m]isuse of State resources, distribution of state benefits, intimidation of party workers and other civilians" were also reported to CMEV, the report said. The CMEV urged the Election Commissioner "to take the speedy action necessary to ensure that such a violation of democratic rights does not take place."
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CAFFE files petition against armed groups' presence on polling day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2008, 10:35 GMT]
Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CAFFE) Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court to order the Commissioner of Elections and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take immediate steps to stop persons with arms other than government security forces moving in areas where polling stations are located in the three districts, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaarai on May 10 when the east goes to poll, legal sources said.
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Paramilitary shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2008, 03:18 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen arriving at the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) office in Vipulaananthapuram, Mayilampaavea’li in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district, shot and killed a paramilitary man who was in the office, Saturday around 5:45 p.m, Ea’raavoor police said.
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Washington to remain engaged with Colombo, hopes for progress on Human Rights

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 13:35 GMT]
Don Camp, the principal assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, visited Colombo this week and met with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, SL Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary to the SL Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. "Many of the issues we discuss are difficult ones, particularly on human rights and the resolution of the conflict, but the U.S. will remain engaged in the hope of seeing progress." Mr. Camp was quoted by the U.S. Embassy.
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12 election violence incidents reported in east

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 08:40 GMT]
Twelve election violence incidents have been reported in the eastern province till Monday, according to the Police. The latest incident was the clash between two Paramilitary groups, the TMVP and PLOTE groups, at Aaraiyampathi in Batticaloa district Monday evening in which five PLOTE personnel sustained injuries. Meanwhile the delivery of poll cards to voters through post offices in the east has begun from Monday.
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Paramilitary operatives clash in Aaraiyampathi, Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2008, 18:18 GMT]
Five supporters of Tamil Democratic National Alliance (TDNA) were seriously injured by paramilitary operatives of Tamil Makkal Viduthali Puligal (TMVP) Monday afternoon in Thaa'langkudaa in Aaraiyampathi division of Batticaloa district.
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Paramilitary operative shot dead in Kalkudaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2008, 12:56 GMT]
Two unidentified persons shot and killed a member of the paramilitary-cum-political party, Pillayan group (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, TMVP), Saturday night around 8:10 p.m in front of his house in Peaththaa'lai, Vaazhaichcheanai in Batticaloa district, Kalkudaa police said.
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America welcomes release of 11 children from Pillayan Group

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2008, 18:08 GMT]
The United States on Thursday welcomed the release of eleven underage personnel of the Pillayan Group, the paramilitary-cum-political party Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).
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Jeyaraj Fernandopulle killed in bomb blast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2008, 03:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Minister of Highways & Road Development, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, was killed in a bomb blast at the public playground in Weliweraya, located in the Gampaha district of Western Province, around 8:00 a.m. Sunday. 13 persons were killed and 60 wounded in the attack that took place while the minister was waving a flag to start off a marathon race in connection with the Tamil and Sinhala New Year celebrations. 16 of the wounded have sustained serious injuries, Police said.
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No foreign monitors for eastern polls - Bogollagama

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 19:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Thursday that there would be no independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections to the Eastern Provincial Council. Meanwhile, whilst addressing a strategic think tank in London earlier this week, Mr. Bogollagama was challenged by the Times newspaper over his government’s bar on foreign media, a statement issued Thursday by the British Tamil Forum, an expatriate lobby group, said.
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1342 to contest in Eastern Provincial Council elections

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 17:25 GMT]
1342 candidates representing political parties and independent groups are to contest in the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) in the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampaa’rai. Meanwhile, three nominations in Batticaloa, four in Trincolamalee and seven in Ampaa’rai districts were rejected by the Election Officer while 91 were accepted, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Hizbullah: Rajapaksa never promised CM post to Pillaiyan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2008, 08:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa never promised Chief Minister post to Pillaiyan of the TMVP after the Eastern Provincial Council elections, said M.L.A.M.Hizbullah at a press briefing held Wednesday at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. Mr. Hizbullah said Mr. Rajapaksa had promised that the appointment of the CM post would go to 'the one who secures largest number of votes.'
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Hizbullah crosses over to UPFA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 16:20 GMT]
M.L.A.M Hizbullah, an executive committee member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), on Tuesday, crossed over to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) strengthening Rajapaksa's alliance in the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council elections. Meanwhile, informed sources in Colombo said that TMVP, the paramilitary-cum-political party, which had invited all its nominees in Eastern Provincial elections to hotels in Colombo was disappointed as Rajapaksa's promise on Chief Minister post and allocation of number of seats in Trincomalee district as it had demanded, faded away with Hizbullah's cross over.
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Kalmunai tense after paramilitary firing, Muslim fishermen observe Hartal

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2008, 09:38 GMT]
Local fishermen in Kalmunaikkudi of Kalmunai division in the Ampaa'rai district, who have been protesting against the destructive fishing methods by Sinhalese fishermen camped in the area, have launched a shut-down protest Tuesday after paramilitary Pillaiyan Group opened fire on the air Monday, threatening the local Muslim protesters who burned down two fishing huts of the Sinhalese fishermen. Police and Special Task Force personnel have been deployed in the area. Traffic between Batticaloa and Kalmunai was cut off due to the Hartal being observed by the Muslims.
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Pillaiyan, UPFA's principal candidate in Eastern PC election

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 March 2008, 15:39 GMT]
Key paramilitary operative and vice president of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal TMVP group, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan, has been selected by ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to be its principal candidate in the list of contestants in the forthcoming Eastern Province Council election, Education Minister, Susil Prem Jeyanth said.
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Bomb explodes near paramilitary office in Ampaa'rai, attacker killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2008, 17:10 GMT]
Police in Akkaraippattu claimed that a suspected attacker carrying a bomb was killed when the bomb he was carrying exploded around 100 meters away from a TMVP paramilitary office located at Aalaiyadivempu in Ampaa'rai district around 7:00 p.m. Friday.
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UPFA-TMVP councilors take oath in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 15:44 GMT]
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor of Batticaloa Municipal council, chairmen and deputy chairmen of other eight local councils and the members of all nine local councils elected from United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPAF) and the paramilitary-cum-political party, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), took their oaths in the presence of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the presidential secretariat Tuesday. Key Paramilitary operative, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who was present at the presidential secretariat was greeted by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
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