Rajapaksa reschedules 'victory day' parade for June 18

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 June 2010, 08:14 GMT]
Colombo's 'victory parade' postponed due to bad weather in May is re-scheduled to be held on June 18 at Colombo Galle Face Green, according to government sources in Colombo. The three armed forces, police, and Civil Defence Force are to participate in the parade to be held by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would mark 'Victory Day' on June 8 with Adishtana Pooja at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre, said Mrs. Anoma Fonseka, wife of General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army who led the Sri Lankan forces in the war against Tamils.
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UNP, DNA appeal to Rajapakse to release Fonseka immediately

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:46 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse, head of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, to release General (retired) Sarath Fonseka from military custody immediately. Fifty parliamentarians from the UNP and DNA including the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the appeal.
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No court martial inquiry against Fonseka when parliament meets

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 May 2010, 16:20 GMT]
The Speaker Chamal Rajapakse Thursday directed that the Court Martial inquiry against Sarath Fonseka, parliamentarian from the Colombo district, should not be held on dates when parliament meets. Former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka has been facing two court martial inquiries by the Sri Lanka Army. He is under detention in the Navy Headquarters since his defeat in the presidential election held on January 26.
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No threat SL state sovereignty, no need for emergency, says Fonseka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:54 GMT]
“There is no threat to the sovereignty of the country any longer. As such the government should completely lift the State of Emergency Regulation,” former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and a parliamentarian from Colombo district representing Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Tuesday, said participating in a debate on the extension motion moved by the government.
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Major parties hold May Day rallies without procession

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 14:38 GMT]
Major political parties held their May Day rallies without procession Saturday. The ruling party United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held its May Day meeting at Colombo Municipal Grounds. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) decided not to hold its May Day procession.
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DNA to oppose extension of state of emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 13:00 GMT]
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday decided to oppose the extension of the State of Emergency when the government tables a motion seeking it for another month 4 May in parliament, sources in Colombo said. DNA parliamentary group met Tuesday with General Sarath Fonseka in the chair at the parliamentary complex and discussed the strategy that is to be adopted in parliament by the DNA when its meets next week.
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Sri Lanka’s new Foreign Affairs Minister is G.L.Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2010, 11:04 GMT]
The new Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka is Mr.G.L.Peiris and Basil Rajapakse has been appointed as Economic Development Minister. Traditional Industry and Small Entrepreneur Development Ministry goes to Douglas Devananda. Thirty seven member cabinet took oaths before the President Mahinda Rajapakse Friday afternoon at Presidential Secretariat. The two new faces in the cabinet are Basil Rajapakse and Wimal Weerawanse. Basil Rajapakse is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse. Wimal Weerwanse is the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), a breakway group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). All others served in the outgoing cabinet.
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UPFA 144, UNP 60, ITAK 14, DNA 7 constitute new Sri Lankan parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2010, 07:56 GMT]
Sri Lankan Elections Secretariat gazetted the names of newly elected members to the seventh parliament which is to meet on Thursday. According to the final results released, the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has won 144 seats including 17 places in the national list. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) bagged 60 seats including nine national list MPs. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) won 14 seats including one place in the national list. The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) won seven seats including two places in the national list.
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Fonseka likely to attend inaugural session of new parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 09:25 GMT]
General Sarath Fonseka is likely to attend the opening session of the seventh parliament that is fixed for April 22. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse has been asked by the Acting Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Kitulgoda to take necessary steps to allow General Fonseka to attend parliament.
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Advani demands report from Congress government on Pirapaharan’s mother refused entry into India

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 April 2010, 15:11 GMT]
Former leader of the opposition and the current leader of Barathiya Janatha Party (BJP), Mr. L. K. Advani, blamed the Congress led government of India to have brought shame on India on international level by not allowing 80-year-old Mrs. Velupillai Parvathi, the mother of Liberation Tiger Leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, to enter India for medical treatment, in the Indian Lok Sabah Monday. He further demanded the central government to release a report on this matter immediately, sources in Delhi said.
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Court Martial to decide Fonseka's attendance to parliament

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 17:30 GMT]
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Friday said that an attempt is being made by the Government of Sri Lanka to prevent General Sarath Fonseka from attending the parliament by getting a conviction against him at the Court Martial hearing fixed for April 19, three days ahead of the inaugural event of the new parliament which is scheduled to meet on April 22, media sources reported quoting JVP former parliamentarian Anurakumara Dissanayake.
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Rajapakse to declare open new parliament on April 22

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapakse is to officially declare open the first session of the seventh parliament Thursday (April 22) morning. The Secretary General of Sri Lanka's parliament, Dhammika Kitulgoda, has notified that the parliament will meet at 8:45 a.m. All newly elected members should be present at 8:30 a.m. The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has already won 117 seats in the 225-member Parliament, while the United National Front (UNF) led by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) obtained 46 seats, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) 12 seats and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) 5 seats. Twenty-nine members would be appointed through the National List on the votes each political party polled island wide.
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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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Buddhist monk begins fast unto death demanding release of Fonseka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 April 2010, 09:06 GMT]
A Buddhist monk affiliated to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) launched a fast unto death campaign Saturday morning opposite Fort railway station in Colombo demanding early release of Retd. Gen. Sarath Fonseka who was taken into custody following the presidential election held on January 26. He was defeated by the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse in the election.
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Commissioner allows 10 local monitoring groups to observe elections

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 March 2010, 17:34 GMT]
People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) have been given clearance by the Commissioner of Elections to enter the polling stations and have their observers in the polling stations on the day of the elections. Eight more organizations are allowed by the Commissioner of Elections, to have their agents in polling stations.
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Election campaign gains momentum in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 16:28 GMT]
Election campaign activities by contesting political parties and independent groups have gained momentum in Jaffna peninsula and leaders of political parties including President Mahinda Rajapakse of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), R. Sampanthan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ranil Wickremasinghe of United National Party (UNP) and Somaratne Amarasinghe of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are expected to come to the peninsula to engage in electioneering, sources in Jaffna said.
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Protest held in Colombo against Sarath Fonseka court martial

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 March 2010, 16:33 GMT]
Hundreds of supporters of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Monday held a protest in Fort in Colombo demanding the scrap of military tribunal appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse to charge the defeated common opposition presidential candidate General (retd) Fonseka.
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Fonseka will not attend court martial, lawyers to challenge its legality

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 March 2010, 07:21 GMT]
General (retd) Sarath Fonseka will not appear before the Court Martial that is to begin March 16. Instead a team of lawyers will attend on behalf General Fonseka and would challenge the legality of the composition of the Court Martial. They would argue that there is no provision in the Army Act to court martial Fonseka and such ‘trial’ is illegal, according to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake to media.
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Emergency extended in Sri Lanka by another month

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2010, 10:56 GMT]
The State of Emergency was extended by another month by the Sri Lanka’s parliament Tuesday. Ninety three parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituent parties voted for the extension and twenty parliamentarians from the main opposition United National Party (UNP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) voted against. The dissolved parliament was summoned by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to ratify his gazette notification issued last week to extend the emergency. According to the Constitution, the gazette notification should be ratified within ten days.
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324 candidates contest Jaffna electorate for 9 seats

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 February 2010, 14:43 GMT]
Until Friday noon 15 registered political parties and 12 independent groups had submitted their lists of candidates to contest parliamentary election in Jaffna district electorate competing for nine seats for Jaffna electorate, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the nomination lists of Sri Lanka National Front political party and four independent groups were rejected by Jaffna Assistant Commissioner of Elections, the sources added.
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