SL presidential election in 2005 - Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 August 2005, 05:25 GMT]
Five-member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Friday at 11:00 a.m. ruled that the presidential elections in Sri Lanka should be held before the end of year 2005 according to Amended Section 3 of the Sri Lankan Constitution. Petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party has sought the SC to order the Elections Commissioner to hold the next presidential election before the end of 2005.
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SC to deliver order on presidential election controversy on Friday

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 13:13 GMT]
Five- member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday put off the order in the presidential election date controversy for Friday. Earlier it heard the arguments on behalf the petition of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party and counter petitions of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), Liberal Party (LP) and Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) along with the statement filed by the Commissioner of Election and the submission by the Attorney General on the constitutionality regarding fixing the date for the next presidential election, legal sources said.
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SC begins inquiry into presidential controversy

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2005, 06:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka's two main political parties, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are scheduled to inaugurate their presidential election campaigns this week in Colombo, expecting that the 5-member bench of the Supreme Court would decide in favor of such election should be held this year.
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Direct talks 'pointless' - JHU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 August 2005, 07:18 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the ultra Sinhala nationalist, all Buddhist monks' party, in a strongly worded statement on Friday opposed the direct and high level talks being scheduled between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE should "lay down its arms" and "denounce" Tamils' right to secede, before holding any direct talks with the GoSL in future, the party said.
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SL parliament approves State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted a government motion to extend the State of Emergency for a month after a one-day debate with a majority of 103 votes. 124 MPs voted for the motion and 21 against. President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge declared the State of Emergency soon after the killing of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, and summoned the special session of the parliament to approve it on Thursday. According to the Constitution, the State of Emergency should be approved by parliament after ten days of its declaration.
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SL Presidential election in 2005- Election Commissioner

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections Monday explained his decision to hold the next presidential election this year in a letter to Supreme Court sent through his lawyer Mr.Elmo Fernando Monday saying that he considered the Gazette Notification issued on December 22, 1999 on which date the incumbent President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge took oaths for her second term as valid legal document, legal sources said.
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SLFP seeks Court to fix SL Presidential election in 2006

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 16:58 GMT]
Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court to order the Commissioner of Elections to hold the next Sri Lanka Presidential election in 2006, legal sources said.


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Sri Lanka parliament to debate P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 August 2005, 08:03 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Tuesday morning with the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara in the chair. Mr.Lokkubandara informed the house that the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has appointed Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva as the Leader of the House, filling the vacancy created with the resignation of Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena.
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Five-member SC bench to hear election case

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 August 2005, 01:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Supreme Court (SC) Friday allowed the petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party, in the Sri Lanka Presidential election date controversy to be heard before a five-member bench on August 22. JHU has sought the Supreme Court to order the Commissioner of Elections to hold the Presidential election before the end of this year, legal sources said.
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SL Presidential election case to be taken up for inquiry

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 01:34 GMT]
Three-member bench of the Sri Lanka's Supreme Court is to commence its inquiry Friday into the petition filed by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) regarding the date of Sri Lanka Presidential election. JHU has sought the Supreme Court to order the Election Commissioner to hold the Presidential election before the end of this year, legal sources said.
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JHU condemns US stand on anti-conversion bill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 17:10 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all Buddhist monks' party in a letter to the United States Ambassador Mr.Jeffry Lunstead stated that "ultra fundamentalists group offer money and other financial benefits to our people and even the established Catholic and Christian Churches are against and have condemned these acts committed by these groups," and said that they are concerned by the statements of Deputy Secretary of State Christina Rocca. The letter also condemned the threats by the US Government to stop US aid funds to Sri Lanka.


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JHU to protest against P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 04:58 GMT]
"We have decided to hold island-wide protests against the Post-Tsunami Operations Structure (P-TOMS), we demand holding of elections for Sri Lanka's presidency in 2005, and want immediate suspension of all talks with International community regarding P-TOMS," said Omalpe Sobitha Thera, parliamentarian from the extremist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) , an all monks party, to media persons Wednesday.
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Recourse to Court action on election date challenged

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 August 2005, 17:11 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday announced that incumbent President has no authority to seek the Supreme Court its determination on fixing the date for the next Presidential election, political sources in Colombo said.
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TNA seeks govt. stand on Trinco Buddha statue issue

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 06:06 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance ( TNA ) parliamentary group leader and Trincomalee district parliamentarian made a statement in parliament Wednesday morning seeking the Government to reveal its stand on the Trincomalee Buddha statue issue following the withdrawal of the case filed by the Attorney General in the Trincomalee District Court for the removal of the statue.
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SL Parliament approves Terrorist Financing Suppression Bill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 July 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted the Draft Bill to give effect to the Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Financing with a majority of sixty votes, 81 parliamentarians including ruling party, United peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), main opposition United national Party (UNP), National Unity Alliance (NUA), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the four dissidents of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted for the bill. 21 parliamentarians including 20 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs and one UNP MP Mr.T.Maheswaran voted against the bill. parliamentary sources said.
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SL Parliament adjourned for July 5 without debate on JM

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 04:47 GMT]
The Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara Friday adjourned the parliament for July 5 amid continued shouts and protest by JVP parliamentarians in the well of the House. Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, Leader of the House moved for the adjournment of the parliament as protesting JVP parliamentarians surrounded him. A group of SLFP parliamentarians were seen providing security surrounding him, parliamentary sources said.
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Defeat the minority NGO clique, Weerawanse tells SLFP Ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 07:23 GMT]
Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP, in a special statement soon after the parliament reconvened on Wednesday, thanking the Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for their co-operation, said: "We, on behalf of the inspiration of millions of people, wish that you will be able to defeat the minority NGO clique which has wriggled its way into the Alliance government to destroy it." Mr. Weerawanse added that the JVP will function as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.
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SL parliament meets, JM not tabled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 06:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Wednesday for the first time after Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), withdrew its support to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government last week over the Joint Mechanism structure to be signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is to facilitate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province. The government did not table any document or statement in the parliament on the joint mechanism proposal as widely speculated in the political circles.
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Police move to stop fast to death campaign

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 June 2005, 17:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police moved to disrupt the fast unto death campaign led by Ven Dambara Amila Thera, the president of the extremist National Bhikku Front (NBF) Wednesday afternoon at 6.30 PM, sources in Colombo said. Police with the support of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) carried the monk from his campaign location in front of Colombo Fort Railway station to a waiting ambulance and drove him to Colombo General Hospital for treatment.
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South's opposition adds legitimacy to Tamil struggle- Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 14:57 GMT]
"The hostile opposition shown by Sinhala nationalist movements, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to derail the proposed joint mechanism aimed at helping people devastated by tsunami, has clearly demonstrated to the international community the moral foundation of the Tamil liberation struggle and has brought to focus the urgent need to satisfy aspirations of the Tamil speaking people in their traditional homeland in northeast," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE Saturday.


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