Abrogate CFA, ally with Asia to defeat LTTE, JVP tells Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 August 2006, 11:31 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sinhala extremist party and a political ally of Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse, said at a press conference Sunday that as conditions for the JVP to formally join the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, the Government should ally with Asian countries, abrogate the Norwegian facilitated Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), and strengthen Sri Lankan military to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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No support for anti-trade union government, says JVP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 August 2006, 06:25 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sinhala extreme nationalist party that holds 38 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament, on Manday said it would withdraw its support to the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government if it suppresses trade union rights.
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Fifth UNP parliamentarian to join UPFA government

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 July 2006, 12:44 GMT]
Mr.Neomal Perera, a parliamentarian of main opposition United National Party (UNP) from Puttalam district is set to cross over to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Mahinda Rajapakse, media sources in Colombo said.
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4th UNP MP joins Rajapakse govt., becomes deputy minister

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2006, 11:07 GMT]
Sri Lankan opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian for Anuradhapura district, W. B. Ekanayaka, who joined the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government was sworn in as Deputy Minister for Highways before SL President Mahinda Rajapksa on Friday. Ekanayaka is the 4th UNP member to join the Rajapakse government since November.
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Tamil youths detained in MI operated Secret Detention Centres in south - UNP MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 July 2006, 08:33 GMT]
Sri Lankan Military Intelligence (MI) is operating secret detention centres in Dematagoda, Kiribathgoda and in several other secret locations elsewhere, charged T. Maheswaran a Tamil parliamentarian from the opposition United National Party (UNP) in Parliament on Friday when an adjournment motion to censure the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government for failing to arrest the killers of the Sinhala investigative journalist Sampath Lakmal, tabled by Kalutura District UNP MP Rajitha Seneratne, was taken up in the Sri Lanka’s Parliament.
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MP's bodyguard shot dead in Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 July 2006, 02:19 GMT]
M.I.M.Nizar, 31, the body guard of Digamadulla District Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister, Anver Ismail, of ruling United Peoples Freedom Front (UPFA) was shot dead by two unidentified men riding a motor bike near his house 8:00 p.m. Sunday night, sources in Amparai said.
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UNP to re-evaluate support to UPFA, Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 July 2006, 16:23 GMT]
Amid speculation that two more parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are expected to join the United Peoples Front Alliance (UPFA) government led by the SL President Mahinda Rajapakse in the next week, the UNP leadership has summoned the working committee for Tuesday to take a firm decision on the question of extending its unconditional support to Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse anymore to resolve the ethnic issue, according to UNP sources. The party has decided to boycott the All Party Conference.
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UNP MP crosses over to UPFA Government, becomes deputy minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 July 2006, 17:07 GMT]
A United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian, Suasntha Punchinilame, representing Ratnapura district in the south joined the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Thursday and was sworn in as the Deputy Minister for Rural Economic Development by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. He is the fourth UNP MP to cross over to the UPFA alliance since the elections in last November.
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Kalmunai Municipal Council's first meeting held

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 June 2006, 17:31 GMT]
"We should administer the newly created Kalmunai Municipal Council as an example to show the unity of Muslims and Tamils in the town," said Deputy Mayor Mr.I.L.Kamardeen addressing the first meeting of the council Thursday morning. The Mayor Mr.Abdul Rahim Asmir did not attend the meeting due to illness, sources said.
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UNP MPs cross over speculation rife in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 June 2006, 20:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Parliament is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning amid speculation in political circles about the cross over to the government rank by a group of parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP). However the UNP officials denied such cross over, political sources said.
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Kalmunai Council ITAK members take oath

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 June 2006, 16:04 GMT]
All six councillors elected on Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) ticket for the newly created Kalmunai Municipal Council took oaths before Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian at an event specially held at Brothers' House Hall in Paandiruppu, Tamil sources in Trincomalee said. Mr. Y.L.Saleem, Kalmunai MC Commissioner, Mr.P.S.Peermohamed Thamby, Assistant Commissioner of Local Government, and Rev Fr.Dr.S.A.Mathew, leading educationist also participated in the event. Mr.K.Ehambaram, central committee of the TNA presided.
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Young Mayor assumes duties in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 17:46 GMT]
21 year-old youth Mr.Abdul Rahim Asmir of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Thursday assumed duties as the first Mayor of the Kalmunai Municipal Council, and 52 year old Mr. Ismalebbe Kamardeen of Maruthamunai as Deputy Mayor at an event held in the Municipal Council building Thursday. "I will discharge my duties as the first citizen of the Kalmunai promoting better understanding between Muslims and Tamils and also would be taking concrete steps to develop the town," said the new Mayor in his address.
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SL Parliament extends Emergency Regulations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 17:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Wednesday adopted a motion extending the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 84 votes. 102 parliamentarians voted for the motion and 18 voted against The main opposition the United National Party (UNP), the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, (JVP), all monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the ruling party United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), sources said.
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UPFA wins 5 councils, UNP 4 in local polls

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 May 2006, 05:59 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won five councils and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) four in the elections held Saturday for twenty local government authorities located in the Western, Southern, Central and Eastern provinces, election department sources said.
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SLMC captures Kalmunai MC, ITAK one PS in Amparai district

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 May 2006, 05:55 GMT]


The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) captured four local authorities including the Kalmunai Municipal Council and three Pradesiya Sabahs in the Amparai district. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) won one PS and the Muslim National Congress one PS.
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UNP-backed group wins Colombo Municipal Council

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 May 2006, 02:42 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) contesting under the symbol of eye-glasses as an Independence group obtained the majority in the Colombo Municipal Council election obtaining 23 seats polling 82,850 votes, election office announced. The polling concluded at 4:00 p.m., Saturday.
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20 local authorities go to polls Saturday

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 May 2006, 19:02 GMT]
Four Municipal Councils, Colombo and Gampaha in the Western Province, Galle in Southern Province and Kalmunai in the Eastern Province along with three urban councils and thirteen Pradesiya Saba in the country, altogether twenty local government institutions, will go to polls Saturday. About 1.1 million voters are qualified to cast their franchise in this poll to elect 312 councilors, election department sources said.
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ITAK contests Kalmunai MC, two PS in Amparai district

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 May 2006, 18:20 GMT]
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) is contesting three local government institutions of six which go to polls Saturday in the Amparai district. ITAK has fielded candidates for the Kalmunai Municipal Council (MC), Navithanveli PS and Pottuvil PS, sources said.
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SL Navy, EPDP cadres present at massacre site - Amnesty International

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 May 2006, 08:13 GMT]
The Amnesty International has slammed the Government of Sri Lanka as having a record of "disturbing pattern of incomplete or ineffective investigations" of the extrajudicial killings and said it has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), were present at the massacre site on Kayts islet. Thirteen civilians were massacred in three spots on the Kayts islet controlled by the Sri Lanka Navy Saturday night. The EPDP, a paramilitary and a political party in the ruling UPFA alliance of the SL President Mahinda Rajapakse, had exercised tight control of the Jaffna islets before the Ceasefire Agreement.
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UPFA, SLMC supporters clash, grenade lobbed in Oddamavady

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 06:46 GMT]
The house of a Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) supporter and a former Provincial Council member, Sinnalebbe Mohammed Hanifa, was attacked with grenade Tuesday early morning around 3:30 a.m., Valaichenai Police said. A quarrel between SLMC supporters and the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Muslim supporters engaged in local election campaign, ended in clash where the chief candidate of the UPFA alliance, M.H. Lebbe Hajjiar and two others were wounded Monday evening.
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