113 ministers in Rajapakse’s cabinet

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 July 2009, 03:44 GMT]
The number of ministers in the Cabinet of ruling party United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Mahinda Rajapakse rose to one hundred and thirteen Thursday with the induction of two more ministers, Nandana Gunatilake and Piyasiri Wijenayake of the National Freedom Front (NFF), a splinter group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). NFF is an ally of the UPFA since JVP broke away from the alliance, sources in Colombo said.
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TNA submits nomination list for local elections in North

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 June 2009, 08:01 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian, Mavai Senathirajah submitted Thursday the list of TNA nomination list of 29 candidates contesting Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election with Mudiyappu Remedius, a leading lawyer and a human rights activist as its principal candidate, under ‘House’ symbol of Ilangkaith Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi. The list includes one Muslim and four women candidates. Besides Mavai Senathirajah, TNA MPs Suresh Premachandran, Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam and Solomon Cyril were also present at the event in Jaffna. Meanwhile, the TNA parliamentarians N. Sivasakthy Ananathan and S. Vino Noharathalingam fielded S.N.G Nathan as principal candidate for the list for Vavuniyaa Urban Council Wednesday.
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Wholesale attack on Jaffna newspapers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 June 2009, 01:36 GMT]
All the local newspapers of Jaffna that defied publishing an anonymous and defiling notice against the LTTE came under attack by an armed group in the early hours of Thursday. The notice was brought out in the name of 'Tamil Front Protecting the Country' allegedly linked to a paramilitary group operating with Colombo. Thousands of copies of the local newspapers, Valampuri, Uthayan and Thinakkural (Jaffna edition), were burnt down wholesale in huge flames by the armed group allegedly operated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence at Aanaippanthi and Kannathiddi junctions at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, while the newspapers were being taken for distribution.
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Sri Lanka’s hidden agenda in JMC election - Manickasothy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 June 2009, 17:48 GMT]
”Tamils struggle for their rights began at a time even when there were four train services a day from Jaffna to Colombo, hundreds of lorries and busses plying on the A9 road and a continuous electricity supply from Laxapahana was available to the people of the North; the claim to restore these by the government is but an obvious propaganda ploy to lure votes for the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), in an effort to show the world that the Tamils are not opposed to a unified Sri Lanka but whole heartedly support it, by securing victory in Jaffna Municipality Council (JMC) election,” Abimanasingham Manickasothy, the principal candidate of the Independent group contesting JMC election, told the media in a press meet held Wednesday in Bastion Hotel in Jaffna, 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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Phone threats to Tamil groups, political parties contesting JMC election

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 2009, 15:34 GMT]
Persons alleged to be government supporters have begun issuing anonymous phone threats continually to prominent persons related to Tamil independent groups and political parties contesting the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, supporters of Minister Douglas Devanada in Kurunakar area had cautioned him of defeat in the election if he contests under the Beetle Leaf symbol of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and advised him to contest under the ‘Vee’nai’ symbol of his Eelam Peoples’ Democratic Party (EPDP), when he met them Sunday to learn of their opinion, the sources added.
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Movement launched in south to extend Rajapaksa's term without election

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 2009, 15:29 GMT]
Leading ministers in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has launched a movement in Sri Lanka's south to extend the current term of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse for another five years, without holding a presidential election at the end of first six year term. Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Mr.Janaka Bandara Tennekone led the first rally in support of the movement Sunday in Dambulla.
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2 new parliamentarians sworn in

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 June 2009, 19:20 GMT]
Nandimithra Ekanayake and Chandima Weerakody were sworn in as new parliamentarians when the parliament resumed its sitting Tuesday. Nandimithra Ekanayake was appointed for the post MP from the Matale district to fill the vacancy created with the death of Alick Aluwihare. Chandima Weerakody was appointed for the post of MP from the Galle district to fill the vacancy created with the death of former Minister Justice Amarasiri Dodangada.
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SL parliament extends Emergency for another month

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 June 2009, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s parliament Tuesday adopted a motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of ninety five votes. 102 parliamentarians voted for the motion and seven against. This was the first extension of the State of Emergency after the defeat of LTTE last month, sources said.
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Muslims oppose Digavaapi designation in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 May 2009, 09:07 GMT]
Local Muslim leaders in Ampaarai district have expressed concern over the move by central government authority to carve out a Sinhala dominated Divisional Secretariat division in the name of Digavaapi DS division that includes traditional Muslim villages of Paalamunai, Aalanku'lam, and Mu'l'likulaththumalai, media reports said.
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JHU pays tribute to Russia for supporting war against LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 May 2009, 09:00 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Buddhist monk political party of the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka paid tribute to Russia Tuesday for the support it extended to the Government of Sri Lanka by supplying arms and technical advice in defeating the LTTE and also for extending its support in the UN.
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JHU protests against visiting British, French foreign ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 April 2009, 14:39 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Buddhist monk political party of the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka, staged a protest demonstration against the visit of British and French foreign ministers Wednesday in front of British High Commission office in Colombo, sources in Colombo said. JHU parliamentarians shouted out slogans accusing the visiting emissaries as spokesmen of the Liberation Tigers and condemned International Countries for trying to save the Liberation Tigers, the sources added.
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Western Province elections endorse Tamil genocide

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 April 2009, 16:37 GMT]
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s UPFA, standing on the electioneering platform of eliminating ‘Tamil Terrorism’ secured Sunday clear majority of 64.7 percent in the elections for the Provincial Council of the Western Province. Rajapaksa’s victory is a clear mandate given to him by the Sinhala ethnic majority to go ahead with the genocide of Tamils; is well timed for him to convince the IC of his ‘democratic’ necessity to proceed with the final onslaught on Tamil civilians in the safety zone and sets clear the way for his long-term genocidal agenda and denial of any political solution, political observers in Colombo said. Meanwhile, the elections also clearly evidence that the ethnic crisis in the island can never be resolved within the Sri Lankan state system or through mandate of the majority Sinhalese, for anyone who wants to see an end to the conflict, they pointed out.
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UPFA wins Western Provincial Council election

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 April 2009, 10:22 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) secured 68 seats in the Western Provincial Council (WPC) consisting of the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutura, polling 1,506,115 votes while the main opposition United National Party (UNP) won 30 seats with 688,253 votes, sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won 2 seats polling 49,388 votes, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) secured 3 seats with 56,384 votes and Democratic United Alliance (DUA) won one seat getting 11,970 votes.
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Emergency extended in Sri Lanka for another month

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 March 2009, 05:58 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Parliament Wednesday adopted a motion to extend the state of emergency for another month by a majority of 62 votes. 74 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its allied parties, Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), National Freedom Front (NFF), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) voted for the motion, parliamentary sources said.
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Karuna to contest Batticaloa as UPFA candidate

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 01:24 GMT]
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna who met the government high officials, principals and the public in Batticaloa district this week had told them they should help electing him and six of his associates in Batticaloa district contesting under United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket, Batticaloa residents said. The persons holding high offices in the government departments in Batticaloa are being replaced by Karuna's supporters, the residents alleged.
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Indian High Commissioner visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 2009, 17:14 GMT]
Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad Tuesday paid his first official visit to Trincomalee and met the Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the paramilitary operative and UPFA nominated chief minister of the Eastern Province at the latter's office, which is located in the East Provincial Secretariat along Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee town.
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'Electoral victories of Mahinda government justify partition'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2009, 12:32 GMT]
The frame of mind of Sinhala majority in the island of Sri Lanka reflects unequivocally in the impressive electoral victories secured by Mahinda Rajapasa’s government in the elections for the provincial councils of Central and North-West Provinces. The electoral victories endorse the ongoing brutal war, aiming total subjugation of Tamils. In the process, the Sinhala majority virtually concedes the need for partition in the island, if any polity acceptable to human civilization should prevail there, said an expatriate Sinhala academic commenting on the reports of 'record victory' for Rajapaksa's ruling UPFA in the provincial elections.
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Sinhala mob stones ICRC office in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 2009, 10:03 GMT]
Unruly mobs surrounded and stoned the main office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the capital Colombo on Friday afternoon. The attack comes hours after a pro-government politician called for the expulsion of the ICRC chief Paul Castella following recent statements made by him on the ongoing conflict in the north between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE).
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