Government yet to decide on 13 plus political solution – Minister Alagaperuma

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 July 2009, 16:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Transport Minister, Dallas Alagaperuma, said Monday in a press meet in Jaffna that no final decision has been made by the government on the proposed 13 plus political solution to the ethnic issue, correcting Minister Douglas Devananda, who told the reporters that President Mahinda Rajapakse and the cabinet have accepted the 13 plus political solution. The press meet took place in the newly opened Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) office in Chu’ndukkuzhi in Jaffna to which more than a hundred media persons were brought from the South. Ministers Dallas Algaperuma, Douglas Devananda and Srisena Cooray were some of the political leaders present in the meeting.
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Police force public to attend UPFA election office opening in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 July 2009, 14:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police brought in their vehicles ten persons each from their local areas in Jaffna peninsula whom they had summoned to the police stations through the respective Village Officers, to the official opening of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) election office in Jaffna, Sunday around 9:30 a.m, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Minister Douglas Devananda, leader of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of UPFA, was a notable absentee in the event held in the newly opened UPFA election office located on Somasuntharam Veethi, Chu’ndikkuzhi, Jaffna, the sources added.
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Free election in Jaffna improbable – Manickasothy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 July 2009, 04:31 GMT]
Abimanasingham Manickasothy, the chief candidate of the Independent Group II contesting Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election, told TamilNet Saturday that with the paramilitary groups operating with the government blatantly breaching election regulations with the blessing of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police by intimidating and issuing death threats voters will not be free to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice. Despite the promise of Jaffna district Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to remove all wall posters, paramilitaries, alleged to be allied with the government, paste election campaign posters of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) during curfew hours in places where the SLA is present, flouting election regulations, Manickasothy added.
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SL minister promises to fulfill President Rajapakse’s dream, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 July 2009, 15:14 GMT]
”President Mahinda Rajapakse’s present dream is to make goods available to Jaffna people at reasonable Colombo prices”, Minister of Electricity and Energy, Aluthananda Gamage, said in an event held at Nalloor Divisional Secretariat Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. The visiting minister, accompanied by Minister Douglas Devananda, further promised that steps would be taken before 1st August to fulfill President Rajapakse’s dream, the sources added.
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UPFA involved in obvious breach of election regulations in Jaffna - TNA

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 July 2009, 05:07 GMT]
“The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its allied parties using great number of vehicles in election campaign in Jaffna and that too guarded by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police is an obvious breach of election regulations,” Mudiyappu Remedias, the chief contestant of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said in a meeting held Sunday morning at Vembadi Girls’ College in Jaffna by SLA and police authorities with the representatives of the parties contesting the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) elections. The meeting was convened to discuss arrangements to offer protection to the contestants, sources in Jaffna said.
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Abducted youth released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 July 2009, 15:13 GMT]
Unidentified armed men alleged to be men of a paramilitary group operating with Sri Lanka Intelligence Unit who abducted Wednesday a 26-year-old youth from his house in Kokkuvil in Jaffna had later demanded a large sum of money from his relatives as ransom to release him, sources in Jaffna said. The youth, however, was released later due to influential persons intervening in the matter, the sources added.
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Exorbitant charges by SLA to transport goods to Jaffna through A9 road

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 July 2009, 05:32 GMT]
Representatives of Jaffna Traders’ Union (JTU) accused the Government of charging excessively for the transport of goods by lorries from Colombo to Jaffna through A9 road and the consequent high price the people have to pay for the goods, in a meeting held Thursday at Jaffna Secretariat with a visiting team of Government Ministers, sources in Jaffna said. The Ministers, however, said that the extra charges have to be made in order to meet the expense of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) which has to inspect the goods and escort the lorries from Oamanthai SLA check post, the sources added.
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Top security afforded to Alok Prasad in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 July 2009, 17:39 GMT]
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Mr. Alok Prasad, who is on a two day visit to Jaffna peninsula with his retinue to study the situation in the peninsula spent his second day in worship and participating in religious events, sources in Jaffna said. The visiting Indian High Commissioner was afforded top security during the visits he made to Nalloor and Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi during the day, the sources added.
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SL Minister participates in Jaffna Technical College event

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 July 2009, 09:12 GMT]
With Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election in a month’s time, Sri Lanka government ministers and its key officials continue to visit Jaffna in an effort to gather support to the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) candidates in Jaffna and Minister Piyasena Gamage was in Jaffna Monday to participate in an event at Jaffna Technical College (JTC) related to the governments ‘180 Day Programme’ under its much publicized ‘Spring of the North’ project, sources in Jaffna said.
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UPFA, Muslim Congress, independent group submit nomination for JMC election

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 June 2009, 14:58 GMT]
United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by its General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha along with Minister Douglas Devananda submitted its list of nomination to Jaffna election officer Wednesday, sources in Jaffna said. Muslim Congress (MC) tendered its list with Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Sahir as the principal candidate while Abimanasingham Manickasothy, submitted the nomination list of his independent group contesting JMC election Wednesday, the sources added.
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Devananda to contest elections under Rajapaksa's ‘Betel Leaf’ symbol

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 10:56 GMT]
Sri Lankan Minister and General Secretary of Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda, announced Tuesday in Jaffna that his party will contest the local government elections of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) and Vavuniyaa Town Council (TC) under ‘Betel Leaf’ symbol, the common symbol of the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), sources in Jaffna said. Mr. Devananda has been under pressure from the ruling SLFP to join the party in recent times, giving up the "Eelam" identity, according to informed sources, which also revealed that Devananda was forced to give up his plan of contesting under his party symbol Vee'nai.
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Fishing ban imposed in Jaffna in view of Basil’s visit

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 2009, 12:07 GMT]
Fishermen in Kaarainakar, Ponnaalai and Chuzhipuram areas in Jaffna were not allowed to go fishing from Thursday evening till Friday evening in the seas of Jaffna islets in a security measure imposed in view of Basil Rajapakse, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse’s brother and advisor, taking part in a meeting at Kaarainakar, along with some ministers, to explore into the difficulties faced by the fishermen in Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
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Lifting curfew in Jaffna peninsula not possible – SLA Commander

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 2009, 12:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander of Jaffna, Major Gen. Mendaka Samarasinghe, in response to a request made in the conference held Saturday at Minister Douglas Devananda’s office in Jaffna, said that it is not possible to lift the night curfew imposed in Jaffna peninsula immediately as it would affect law and order, sources in Jaffna said.
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Basil on election campaign promises 24-hour electricity to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 June 2009, 10:55 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, President Mahinda Rajapakse’s brother and advisor, who is on a whirling election campaign visit along with cabinet ministers in Jaffna peninsula announced Friday at Chu’n’naakam that he and his retinue are inaugurating a 24 hour electricity supply scheme, sources in Jaffna said. However, the electricity produced by the generators in Chu’n’naakam Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) which is hardly enough to meet the needs of the peninsula is likely to remain so in view of the production capacity of the existing generators, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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Journalists barred from covering government meeting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 2009, 11:41 GMT]
North Ceylon Journalists’ Association (NCJA), in its media report Thursday, accused government authorities in Jaffna for barring journalists from attending a high level government meeting held Thursday by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse’s brother, Basil Rajapakse. Jaffna Government Agent (GA), when contacted by journalists seeking permission to cover the meeting, had said that journalists cannot be allowed to attend the meeting for security reasons, the report said.
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Basil's Jaffna meet fails to discuss people in internment camps

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 2009, 09:02 GMT]
The meeting meant to explore possibilities of the resettlement and rehabilitation of more than 13,000 Vanni civilians held in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) internment camps in Jaffna, held under tight security in Jaffna Public Library Thursday ended without any significant decisions regarding the issue concerned, Government officials who attended the meeting said. The venue of the meeting which was to be held in Jaffna Secretariat was changed at the last moment to Jaffna Public Library due to security reasons, the sources said. Even the pens carried by the officials were subjected to checking.
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Flaunting 'victory' to Tamils in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 May 2009, 16:51 GMT]
Sinhala mob carrying the Lion Flag of Sri Lanka, and shouting 'jeyawewa' (victory), menacingly hover around the Tamil suburbs in Colombo such as Ko'l'lup-piddi, Ve'l'la-vaththai, Bambalapiti, Dehiwela, Koddaagn-cheanai and Maddakku'li, news reports from Colombo said. Their vehicles in which they roam around, are also guarded by flag-carrying police and intelligence vehicles, the reports said. The Tamil pedestrians are humiliated and ridiculed by this gang and by the armed personnel at security points by being specifically addressed and told that their leader Pirapaharan has been captured and everything was over, the reports further said.
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Jaffna DDC meeting postponed again

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 May 2009, 18:00 GMT]
Jaffna Government Agent (GA) K. Ganesh informed that the Jaffna District Development Committee (DDC) meeting scheduled to take place 5 May has been postponed indefinitely. This is the second time the DDC meeting is postponed during the current year. The DDC, comprised of Sri Lanka Minister, Douglas Devananda, Governor of Northern Provincial Council and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian, Mavai Senathirajah, is responsible for the planning and implementation of development projects of Jaffna district.
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SLAF to fly passengers between Colombo, Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 April 2009, 17:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) will be operating passenger flights between Ratmalana in Colombo and Palaali military airport in Jaffna in future in place of private air travel firms which had been denied permission by the Defence Ministry to operate the service, according to an announcement made by Sri Lanka government, sources in Jaffna said. Minister of Social Services, Douglas Devananda, informed that passengers can book their travel tickets at his ministry office in Colombo and his Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP) office located in Srithar Theatre in Jaffna.
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SL ministers taking side harm communal harmony in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 March 2009, 01:46 GMT]
Mistake and oversight of government officials in re-allocating an already leased out land have caused a conflict between two Tamil speaking communities in Mannaar. Two ministers of the Colombo government, taking sides, but failing in sorting out the issue is adding to the tension, sources from Mannaar said.
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