Jaffna postal voting to complete on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 12:14 GMT]
Election officials have made arrangements for Jaffna government workers who have been assigned for election duty to execute their postal votes on Monday, sources said. Amid security concerns and calls from different civil organizations including Consortium of Tamil Speaking Peoples Trade Unions to boycott postal votes, the earlier announced two days have been reduced to a single day.
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Rajapakse makes campaign trip to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 23:05 GMT]
"No one can wage a war and divide this country, and I don't intend to start a war," said Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and presidential candidate during his visit to Jaffna Friday speaking at a meeting in Nadeswara College building located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.


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"Birds of a feather"

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 12:53 GMT]
Commenting on the lack of enthusiasm amongst Sri Lanka’s Tamils for the forthcoming Presidential elections, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week argued that the two leading contenders are, from a Tamil perspective, indistinguishable. “Advocates of peace alarmed by [Mahinda] Rajapakse’s unabashed Sinhala nationalism have rushed to pin their hopes on [Ranil] Wickremesinghe without seriously examining his policies and, above all, the practicality of his strategy,” the Diaspora broadsheet said.
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LTTE encourages Muslim resettlement in Jaffna- Moulavi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Moulavi L.Shakil, Secretary of the Muslim Peoples' Office in Jaffna, Tuesday said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been extending full support for the displaced Muslims to resettle in the Jaffna district. "Some sinister forces are spreading unfounded allegation in the South that LTTE is obstructing resettlement," said Moulavi Shakil addressing a press conference at his office located along Navalar Road in Jaffna town Tuesday.
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JHU dissident MP begins campaign, supporting Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 November 2005, 08:30 GMT]
Venerable Uduwae Dhammaloka Thera, dissident parliamentarian of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) said he will begin his election campaign in support of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, presidential candidate of the United National Party (UNP), Tuesday from Navagamuwa Raja Maha Vihare. About 200 Buddhist monks and 1000 youths will participate in his campaign in the districts of the south of Sri Lanka, Venerable Uduwae Dhammaloka Thera said in a press briefing.
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SLMC for non-contiguous territorial autonomy for Muslims - Hakeem

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 October 2005, 16:28 GMT]
Mr.Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Sunday said in Trincomalee that SLMC is for "non-contiguous autonomy" for Muslim territory in the northeast province, which recognizes Muslims right to self-determination. "The SLMC reached an understanding after several rounds of talks with the United National Party (UNP)," said Rauf Hakeem addressing an election rally in Jamaliya Nagar, a suburb north of Trincomalee town Sunday evening in support of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe for Sri Lanka presidency.
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NPC urges NorthEast Tamils to vote

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 October 2005, 12:26 GMT]
Media Director of the Sri Lanka National Peace Council (NPC), Dr.Jehan Perera, Saturday appealed to the Tamil people vote for a candidate who could promote peaceful political solution to the ethnic problem and not to boycott the presidential election. He was addressing a seminar on "North-South Dialogue for Rebuilding of Sri Lankan Democratic Institutions," held at the Media Research and Training Centre of the Jaffna University.
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SLBC news director assaulted by chairman's security guards

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 18:05 GMT]
The Free Media Movement (FMM) on Thursday condemned the physical assault on Mr. Raja Katugampola, news director of the state-controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), by the SLBC chairman's private security guards. The assault took place Wednesday in the chairman's office. Mr. Katugampola was later admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo.
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"Ignore Sri Lankan elections," says Students Association in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 14:33 GMT]
In an appeal to the Tamil people, the Students’ Association of Higher Educational Institutions, Jaffna District, has warned Tamil voters not to be "hoodwinked" by promises of the Sri Lankan Presidential candidates. The organisation has argued that a Tamil vote would imply that the Tamils still trust the Sinhala leaders to resolve the Tamil conflict. In an appeal issued Thursday evening from Jaffna, the Students Association asked Tamils to be wary of the election promises the candidates are making from their election propaganda platforms.
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Wickremasinghe challenges Rajapakse on CFA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 00:16 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, United National Party presidential candidate challenged his rival Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to cancel the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) by giving fifteen days' notice to the Norwegian government instead of accusing him (Ranil) for signing the CFA. Mr Wickremasinghe issued the challenge when he addressed an election rally in Elpitiya, south of Colombo Tuesday evening, sources said.
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Mahinda Rajapakse addresses rallies in Trinco, Kantalai, Kinniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 17:18 GMT]
Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Wednesday addressed election rallies in the towns of Trincomalee, Kinniya and Kantalai in the district. Mr.Wimal Weeravanse, parliamentary group leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna accompanied him, sources said.


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Weerawanse eyes Prime Minister post, says Anura Bandaranaike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 October 2005, 19:57 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and the prime ministerial candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, has sought help from his sister and the incumbant President of Sri Lanka, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, to thwart an alleged attempt by a section of SLFP to appoint Mr. Wimal Weerawanse as the candidate for the Prime Minister portfolio if Rajapakse is elected as President of Sri Lanka, SLFP sources said. Weerawanse is the propaganda secretary of the Sinhala nationalist extremist Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP).
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Jaffna daily assails "Mahinda Doctrine"

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 October 2005, 11:39 GMT]
Mr Mahinda Rajapakse has brought the Sinhala approach to resolving the Tamil National question a full circle by rejecting the concepts of Tamil home land, right to self determination, federal solution, and the P-TOMS, and re-affirming Tamils belief that the Sinhala south is incapable of shedding the chauvinist mindset, said the editorial of the popular Jaffna Tamil daily 'Uthayan' in its Thursday edition.
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EPDP courts volunteer teachers for election support

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 October 2005, 10:41 GMT]
Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) met with volunteer teachers at their Head Quarters in Jaffna located in the Sridhar theater Thursday morning and solicited their cooperation to do election propaganda on EPDP's behalf supporting the presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, sources in Jaffna said.
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Rajapakse manifesto released

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 10:52 GMT]
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) released his manifesto at an event held in the BMICH at an event held Tuesday morning in the Bandaranaike International Memorial Conference Hall (BMICH). The manifesto said that an ultimate solution to the ethnic crisis could only be reached through negotiations and not through war and that a settlement based on a unitary state is the basis to the ethnic crisis.


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Emergency rule in Sri Lanka extended

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 07:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday evening adopted a motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of sixty-one votes. Eighty parliamentarians of the ruling party and the main opposition UNP voted for the motion. Nineteen MPs voted against. This is the second extension of the State of Emergency which was reintroduced August 13 following the killing of Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar on August 12 night, parliamentary sources said.
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Wickremasinghe addresses rallies in Trinco, Kinniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 October 2005, 15:57 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, presidential candidate of the United National Party (UNP) Sunday addressed two election rallies, one in Trincomalee town and other in Kinniya in support of his candidature. Mr.Rauff Hakim, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) also addressed these meeting along with Mr. Wickremasinghe. Trincomalee meeting was held Sunday morning and Kinniya in the evening.
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Rajapakse rejects self-determination, slams foreign intervention

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 October 2005, 01:38 GMT]
In his much-anticipated Presidential election manifesto Mahinda Rajapakse said he would hold talks with the Liberation Tigers on “ending separatism, disarming and [their] entering the democratic process.” In his manifesto, details of which were published in the Sunday Times this week, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) candidate said he hoped that in forging a solution to the ‘crisis in the north and east’ to follow “the theme of undivided country, consensus of the majority and peace with dignity.”
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CWC ministers resign from UPFA cabinet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 October 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Parliamentarians Mr.Muthu Sivalingam and Mr.M.S.Sellasamy of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) Monday evening handed over their resignation letters to Mr.W.J.S.Karunaretna, Secretary to the President from the ministry posts. Mr.Muthu Sivalingam was holding the post of Minister of Community Development and Estate Sector Infrastructure and Mr.Sellasamy the post of Deputy Minister.
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JVP's economic policy criticized by Sri Lanka's FM

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 October 2005, 15:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister and the brother of SL President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, slammed at the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's (JVP) economic policy and their stance with regard to the scuttled P-TOMS at a press briefing held at his official residence Visumpaya Monday morning.
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