EPDP men alleged of attack on UNP campaigners in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 March 2010, 16:37 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) chief candidate for Jaffna electorate Ms. Vijayakala Maheswaran registered complaints with Jaffna Election Officer that persons of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) had attacked UNP candidates and supporters when they were pasting election campaign posters in Suruvil, Oorkaavattu’rai in the islets of Jaffna Sunday. Meanwhile, EPDP officials denied the allegation saying that the attackers were not their party men but ordinary civilians, sources in Jaffna said. When the islets of Jaffna is said to be under the full control of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) there is no possibility of ordinary civilians attacking them, the UNP candidates and supporters said.
Full story >>

EPDP obstructs other parties campaigning in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 March 2010, 14:57 GMT]
Candidates contesting Jaffna district electorate allege that supporters of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent party in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), obstruct other political parties from electioneering in the islets of Jaffna which are under the complete control of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN). EPDP is trying to secure a seat in the parliamentary election in the islets of Jaffna with threats and physical harm to the contestants and supporters of other political parties, the candidate of a national political party who had been to the islets for election campaigning told TamilNet.
Full story >>

Student Unions in Jaffna set up ‘People’s Parliament’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 March 2010, 20:36 GMT]
The first session of the ‘People’s Parliament’, an organization launched by the representatives of various student unions in Jaffna peninsula, at Veerasingham Hall in Jaffna Saturday had to be cancelled as candidates or representatives of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) failed to turn up, the organizers of the event said. The organizers had invited the candidates of political parties and independent groups contesting forthcoming parliamentary election in Jaffna district electorate with the aim of offering an opportunity for the public to raise questions on their election manifestos and future plans and have their doubts cleared directly by the candidates.
Full story >>

ITAK engaged in setting up offices in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 2010, 19:03 GMT]
Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) is actively engaged in opening its offices in various parts of Jaffna peninsula and the first office was opened Thursday in Pa’ndaitharippu, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, it is reported that Tamil National Alliance (TNA) stands split into two factions - one which constitutes of former TNA Jaffna parliamentarians and the other which includes new comers to the election arena, the sources added.
Full story >>

ACTC submits own list of candidates to contest Jaffna electorate

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 February 2010, 14:05 GMT]
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) party which had quit Tamil National Alliance (TNA) submitted Friday its nomination list at Jaffna Secretariat with Sinnathurai Varatharajan, a teacher of economics, as its chief candidate, sources in Jaffna said. Many prominent people in the peninsula as well as the Jaffna University community are said to be supporting ACTC in the forthcoming parliamentary election in Jaffna district electorate.
Full story >>

15 independent groups pay deposit to contest Jaffna electoral district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 February 2010, 20:15 GMT]
Fifteen independent groups have paid deposit money to contest Jaffna electoral district until Thursday evening, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, four independent groups out of the six which had paid deposit money submitted their lists of candidates at Jaffna Secretariat Thursday, the sources added.
Full story >>

Rift in SLFP circles in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 February 2010, 19:06 GMT]
Mahintha Thilakumara Udugama, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) organizer of Jaffna and Vanni, paid Thursday deposit money to contest as an independent candidate in Jaffna district as he was not included in the SLFP nomination list, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) accused the government for paying money to many independent groups to contest Jaffna district with the view to split the votes in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
Full story >>

EPDP supporters set fire to SLTB bus in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 January 2010, 10:33 GMT]
Eelam People’s Democracy Party (EPDP) supporters set fire to a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus Saturday morning in a shutdown protest demanding Minister Douglas Devananda not to resign his post, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers forced open the few shops in Jaffna town which had been closed in fear of EPDP supporters who had called for the shutdown protest, the sources added. Minister Douglas Devananda, the leader of EPDP, had told his supporters that he was going to resign his minister post for being the reason for Mahinda Rajapakse’s defeat in Jaffna peninsula in the presidential election, the sources added. This is but a political stunt in view of the parliamentary general election expected in April or May, political observers in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

TNA accuses EPDP for voter fraud in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 January 2010, 03:04 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarians accused Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) for having taken large number of persons to the islets of Jaffna with the intention of committing voter fraud, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, EPDP men have instructed the post masters in the islets of Jaffna to issue polling cards to persons without calling for their identity documents and that EPDP supporters have collected the polling cards of many persons in many parts of Jaffna peninsula, TNA parliamentarians further accused.
Full story >>

TNA parliamentarian’s office attacked, bomb blasts heard, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 January 2010, 02:40 GMT]
Masked men in two white vans arriving at the office of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran in Jaffna town around 7:00 p. m Monday stoned his office while some others attacked the houses of TNA supporters around the same time in Achchuveali, Aavarangkaal and in Vadamaraadchi and Thenmaraadchi, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, more than four bomb explosions and gunshots were heard around from 3:00 to 3:30 a.m Tuesday in some areas in Jaffna town, the sources added. The bomb blasts are said to be caused by persons trying to place the blame on Liberation Tigers for allegedly boycotting the presidential election.
Full story >>

“Tamils’ votes indispensable to send Mahinda home” - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 January 2010, 03:55 GMT]
“The votes of Tamils are of great value in this presidential election,” Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, R. Sampanthan said Saturday in a big election campaign meeting held Saturday around 3:00 p.m in Nalloor Chaddanaathar Koayil area, in which nearly four thousand people from various parts of the peninsula participated, sources in Jaffna said. “After considering various pressing issues including the resettlement of Vanni people in their places we decided to offer our support to Sarath Fonseka,” he said. “He agreed to consider our demands favourably while Mahinda was not prepared to give in on any of them and therefore we decided to support Sarath Fonseka in this presidential election,” Sampanthan further said.
Full story >>

Basil Rajapakse announces election concessions in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 January 2010, 03:39 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, the brother and senior advisor of President Mahinda Rajapakse, who arrived in Jaffna Wednesday, announced several concessions in an attempt to get Tamils to vote for Mahinda Rajapakse in the forthcoming presidential election. The concessions are being promised to counter the rising wave of support in the peninsula for the joint opposition candidate General (retd) Sarath Fonseka, political observers in Jaffna said. One of the concessions announced by Basil Rajapakse is the opening of A9 route, 24 hours a day, with effect from Wednesday midnight, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Basil Rajapakse expected to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 January 2010, 03:13 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, the brother and senior advisor to president Mahinda Rajapakse, will be arriving in Jaffna Wednesday to engage in election campaign for Mahinda Rajapakse who is expected to visit Jaffna on 9 January, according to a press notification released by Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Tuesday. Meanwhile, United National Party will begin its election campaign in Jaffna peninsula from 11 January, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

"Tamils should claim rights gradually" - Douglas Devananda

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 December 2009, 06:58 GMT]
Tamils have been reduced to the stage where they cannot no longer fight for their rights. Their non-violent approaches as well as armed struggle have failed leaving them in a situation where they can only claim their rights step by step, Minister Dougala Devananda said Saturday in a press meet held in Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) office in Jaffna Srithar theatre. The minister further said that EPDP will take full responsibility of the consequences arising by Tamils in North and East voting for President Mahinda Rajapakse in the forthcoming presidential election.
Full story >>

HR Day observed in Jaffna after 3 years

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 December 2009, 07:28 GMT]
Thousands of persons whose family members had gone missing after abduction or arrest by Sri Lanka Armed forces and paramilitary men participated in an event organized by Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna Veersingham Hall Thursday around 10:00 a.m to mark the 61st International Human Rights Day. Representatives of various Tamil political parties and human rights activists participated in the event which ended around 2:00 p.m. The day’s events concluded with the torch festival held in Aariyaku’lam in Jaffna after a procession which highlighted human rights, source in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

SLFP office officially opened in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 December 2009, 02:27 GMT]
The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) officially opened its office in Jaffna in a private building located on Fourth Cross Street in Jaffna town Wednesday. Sri Lankan Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, SL Media Minister, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Deputy Education Minister, Nirmala Kotalawela, Deputy Education Minister, Sachithananthan and EPDP paramilitary leader and Minister Douglas Devananda were present at the event presided by Jaffna district SLFP organizer Velmurugu.
Full story >>

Text books, school uniform issue event conducted in Sinhalese in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 December 2009, 02:23 GMT]
A "national" event of issuing free text books and school uniforms to students in Jaffna was held entirely in Sinhalese Wednesday in Jaffna Veampadi Girls’ College, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was to preside in this event and later his brother Basil Rajapaksa was to participate in the event instead of the president. But Basil Rajapaksa too did not attend the event as announced in the local media. In the meantime, the Sri Lankan president visited Vanni Wednesday to open a "national war memorial" north of Mullaiththeevu at the centre of Puthukkudiyiruppu tank.
Full story >>

Tamil, Muslim political parties find their table in Zurich

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 November 2009, 15:10 GMT]
Widely speculated as a drama backed by ‘high-powers,’ leaders of most of the Tamil and Muslim political parties in the island of Sri Lanka are meeting for the first time in Zurich, Switzerland, between Thursday and Saturday. The move is said to be for ‘extracting’ a joint proclamation of them necessary for further power manoeuvres in the island. A couple of years ago it was such a behind-the-scene move of some powers that made most of these parties except the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to rally behind Mahinda Rajapaksa and pledge support to him in the war that brought in disaster to Tamils, writes TamilNet political commentator in Colombo.
Full story >>

Court remands EPDP cadre in robbery case

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 October 2009, 04:00 GMT]
Colombo Additional Magistrate, Mr.Ruchira Weliwatte, Friday ordered remand till October 29 to a member of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), legal sources said. The suspect, Sellathurai Mathialagan, was produced in court on a complaint that he was alleged to have grabbed a handbag from a woman passerby while riding a motorbike, court sources said.
Full story >>

SLA conducts Perahera in Jaffna city

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 October 2009, 07:03 GMT]
The 51st Division of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna conducted the ‘Katrima Pooja’ perahera (Buddhist religious procession) of Naakavikaarai located in Jaffna city Thursday night led by Namal Rajapakse, the son of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had come along with 250 youths and 20 Buddhist priests from the South to participate in the perahera. Local residents, however, did not show any significant interest in the perahera conducted by the SLA.
Full story >>