EPDP men accused of intimidating SLFP organizers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 April 2010, 10:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) candidates of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) who contested Jaffna electorate allied with Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) led by former Minister Douglas Devananda accused EPDP men for intimidating them when they were coming out of Jaffna Secretariat after the vote count, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the four defeated SLFP candidates, being the organizers of the party in Jaffna district, have been instructed to stay in the peninsula and to continue to work for the party by Basil Rajapakse, the senior advisor to President Rajapakse and his brother. EPDP authorities fear that these four persons as SLFP organizers will be functioning as representatives of the government which would negatively affect their power.
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SL Foreign Minister loses election

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 April 2010, 23:58 GMT]
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who was recently blamed for abusing his position by seeking a UN advisor job for his son has failed to secure parliamentary seat by preferential votes in the elections held on Thursday, media reports in Colombo said. SL Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda has also failed to secure a seat, the reports further said. Mr. Bogollagama has demanded a recount.
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Overwhelming Tamil majority rejects elections under Sri Lankan State

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 April 2010, 11:04 GMT]
A record number of candidates, numbering more than 1800 contested for the parliamentary seats in the North and East, but Eezham Tamils responded to it by a record low in participation. The turnout was only 18 percent in the North. Even after including the displaced it is only 23%. The clear verdict of Eezham Tamils, said in the most profound democratic way under circumstances possible, is that they have no confidence in democracy under Sri Lankan State. Another interesting observation is that in the entire Jaffna district, the leading Tamil National Alliance (TNA) totally polled just 65,119, only as much as the 64,256 votes cast in favour of Vaddukkoaddai Resolution by the diaspora in UK alone. The silent but vast majority of Eezham Tamils at home demand new genre of political organisation and leadership is the message of Thursday's polls.
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Clashes reported in the wake of election all over the country

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2010, 19:56 GMT]
Clashes following Thursday parliamentary election between supporters of opposing candidates are reported to be taking place in several areas of the island, according to media reports. Former minister of the ruling United People’s Freedom (UPFA), M. Aluthgama is alleged to be directly involved in the assault of a member of the Election Monitoring Committee in Navalappiddi in the upcountry where incidents of post election violence has been high. Fights between two Muslim factions in Aalayadiveampu in Batticaloa in which Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) members are alleged to be involved, are also reported.
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Lowest number of votes registered in Jaffna electoral district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2010, 18:31 GMT]
Only 18 to 20 percent of the voters in Jaffna electoral district cast their votes in the parliamentary elections Thursday recording the lowest in island, while the voting percentage in the whole country was from 52 to 55 percent, according to Election Monitoring Agencies. Jaffna electoral district, compared to other electoral districts, recorded the lowest turn over of voters where voting percentage in Thenmaraadchi was higher than that of Vadamaraadchi while voting was very low in the islets of Jaffna, the sources said. Compared to the recent presidential election where the voting was low the voting turn out was even less in the parliamentary election in Jaffna electoral district.
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Incidents of violence mark Election Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2010, 10:15 GMT]
In Vavuniyaa in the North, alleged supporters of former Minister of Resettlement and ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Risard Badudeen harassed private bus owners transporting Vanni uprooted civilians in Vavuniyaa detention centres to the polling stations in Vanni district, according to Advisor to the Elections Commisioner, Bandula Kulathunge. Meanwhile, Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the Election Day was quite violent with incidents continuing to pour in from all parts of the island.
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EPDP continues to intimidate other contestants in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 April 2010, 14:35 GMT]
Eezham People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the islets of Jaffna which is under the absolute control of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), has spread a false news in its website and media that 3 local youths had been attacked with swords in Naaranthanai in Oorkaavatu’rai in the islands of Jaffna with the aim of scaring the polling agents of other contestants from appearing for duty in the islets of Jaffna on the election day, sources in Jaffna said. Sinhalese thugs from South brought to Jaffna by United National Party (UNP) had slashed the youths, according to news spread by EPDP, the sources added. However, residents of Naaranthanai denied any attack on youths in their village while Jaffna dailies did not carry any such news.
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Election fraud feared in Jaffna electorate

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 April 2010, 16:47 GMT]
The open participation of a high police officer in the election propaganda meeting of Minister Douglas Devananda at Nalloor Ilang Kalaingar Hall Sunday has triggered suspicion and fear that the police and Sri Lanka armed forces will support election fraud in favour of Douglas Devananda’s Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and its ally Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), sources in Jaffna said.
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EPDP alleged of removing wall posters of other contestants, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2010, 12:51 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) chief candidate Ms. Vijayakala Vijayakala’s supporters in Jaffna town accused Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) for tearing off their campaign wall posters and pasting Minister Douglas Devananda’s and EPDP candidates in their places in Jaffna town and its surroundings. Other political parties including Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress too blamed the EPDP men for removing their wall posters.
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Infighting leads to arrest of UPFA candidate

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2010, 11:43 GMT]
The Puththalam Police Friday arrested a ruling UPFA candidate Sanath Nishantha on a complaint that he had assaulted the son of another UPFA candidate Minister Neomal. The suspect was produced in Puththalam Court and ordered remand till next Monday. The assault took place on Wednesday night, sources in Puththalam said.
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EPDP accused of attack on UNP supporters in Kaarainakar

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 April 2010, 08:15 GMT]
The Chief Candidate of United National Party (UNP), Ms. Vijayakala Maheswaran, accused Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), men for attacking her supporters Wednesday night at Valanthali junction, Kaarainakar in the islets of Jaffna as they were returning after attending an election meeting at Araali. She added that her supporters were rescued from EPDP men by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) authorities to whom she had complained.
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Ruling UPFA Mayor of Jaffna reports of an attempt on her life

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 April 2010, 19:23 GMT]
Mayor of Jaffna Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) said that she managed to escape from an attempt on her life Thursday around 1:30 a.m as she was on her way to Durraippah Stadium to check arrangements for the public meeting in which President Mahinda Rajapakse was to address the same day, in a press meet she held Thursday evening in Jaffna. Her husband, her driver and an attorney-at-law of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of ruling UPFA, were present at the press meet.
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SLFP candidate attacked in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 April 2010, 05:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) candidate Ramanathan Ankajan contesting Jaffna electorate and his supporters were attacked around Wednesday midnight between Aanaipanthi and Aariyaku’lam on Jaffna-Point Pedro road by a group of armed men alleged to be of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), sources in Jaffna said. Three supporters of Ankajan are said to be abducted at gun point by the armed men who had set fire to one of the vehicles of Ankajan group. Ankajan and his supporters were engaged in making arrangements to welcome President Mahinda Rajapakse who is expected to visit Jaffna Thursday. Conflicting interests between the candidates of SLFP and EPDP who are contesting jointly in ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket may be the cause for the attack, the sources added. There were no army soldiers or police present at the location during the attack, the sources added.
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Mahinda Rajapakse to engage in election campaign in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 March 2010, 21:09 GMT]
President Mahinda Rajapakse is expected to arrive in Jaffna Thursday to address a public meeting to be held in Duraippaa Stadium Thursday arranged by Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), EPDP sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Varatharaja Perumal, the leader of Eelam Peoples’ Revolutionary Front (EPRLF Varathar faction) and the former Chief Minister of North-East provincial council, arrived in Jaffna Wednesday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Suresh Premachandran accuses EPDP men for abduction, killing of student in Chaavakachcheari

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 March 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Suresh Premachandran, former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian, accused Eealm People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) men, an ally of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for the abduction and killing of Thiruchelvam Kapilthev, a 17-year-old student of Chaavakachcheari Hindu College in a report released Sunday in Jaffna. Suresh Premachandran accused the police to have willfully ignored the statements of the three students arrested and detained in this case where the involvement of EPDP members is mentioned.
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CMEV reports malpractice in postal voting in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 March 2010, 05:22 GMT]
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) reported several instances of illegal canvassing near postal voting centres located in government buildings as postal voting concluded in Sri Lanka Friday. Field monitors of the CMEV reported an incident in which two women claimed to be representatives of Basil Rajapakse, brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is contesting in the Gampaha district on the UPFA ticket, collected details of individual postal voters at Mirigama Education Office.
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EPDP continues to obstruct political parties from campaigning in the islets of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 March 2010, 10:37 GMT]
The election campaign activities that were planned to be carried out in the islets of Jaffna by political parties including United National Party (UNP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and other independent groups contesting Jaffna electorate Wednesday with police protection were given up at the last minute as Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) men continue to obstruct anyone other than the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its allies engaging in election campaign in the islets of Jaffna which is held in the complete control of Sri Lanka Navy, sources in Jaffna said.
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Sinhalese soldiers, hooligans destroy Thileepan memorial in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 March 2010, 10:45 GMT]
A gang of Sinhalese army soldiers and hooligans went on rampage Monday night, demolishing the memorial pillar of Lt. Col. Thileepan (Rasiah Parthipan) located behind the historic Nalloor Kanthasuvami Koayil on Point Pedro-Nalloor road, residents of the area said. Lt. Col. Thileepan began his fasting on 15 September 1987 in front of the Nalloor Kandasuvami temple placing five demands to the Indian government but died as India failed to meet the demands, on September 26, 1987.
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JVP opens office in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 March 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Somawansa Amarasinghe, the leader of Jantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), opened the JVP office for Jaffna peninsula Sunday afternoon in Uduppiddi-Valveddiththu’rai area on Jaffna-Point Pedro road, sources in Jaffna said. The JVP leader said that while governments of United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had killed innocent Tamils and subjected them to untold difficulties in the past, JVP had not killed a single Tamil. He further stressed that JVP is not a racist party as some call it. JVP is opening its office in Jaffna after 27 years. Prior to 1983 when Rohana Wijeweera led JVP there were JVP offices in Jaffna, Chu’n’naakam and Ki’linochchi.
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Rajapaksa to address election rally in Trincomalee, army tightens security

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 March 2010, 16:42 GMT]
Trincomalee town has been put under red alert from Friday night by the Sri Lanka Army as the President Mahinda Rajapakse is scheduled to address the main election rally in Trincomalee Mc Heyzer Stadium Sunday morning in support of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) candidates contesting the forthcoming general election.
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