Hartal over civilian's death

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A hartal was observed in Trincomalee today in protest over the death of a student in a grenade attack on the local EPDP office on Saturday
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MPGA elects representative committee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Members of the Missing Persons' Guardian Association (MPGA) of Jaffna gathered at the St. Bosco primary school in Jaffna town today, to elect an independent committee to represent their interests officially.
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Ex-EPDP MP protests over attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
K. Ramamoorthy MP, formerly of the EPDP, complained to the Human Rights Commission in Jaffna today that an unidentified group has tried to lob a grenade at him by gaining access into the house of his neighbour in Jaffna town, said sources in the Police.
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EPDP releases PLOTE cadres

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP) released this morning the three cadres of the Peoples' Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) whom they had abducted on Wednesday night from Velanai, an island off the Jaffna Peninsula, said sources in Jaffna.
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More internecine clashes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Three cadres People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) were abducted from their office in Velanai and a member of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), A . G Fernando, had a knife stuck in his throat last night are the latest in the bizarre series of clashes between the Tamil parties in the Jaffna peninsula.
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EPDP-PLOTE clash in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Five persons from Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP) were injured in a clash with the Democratic Peoples' Liberation Front (DPLF), the political front of the PLOTE, near Vembadi junction in Jaffna town this evening around 5.30 p.m., said sources in Jaffna.
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SLFP Jaffna treasurer fired

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Three ex-militant Tamil groups, the EPDP, DPLF and EPRLF, are opening branch offices in all the electorates in the Jaffna peninsula, in anticipation of Provincial Council elections in June this year, said sources in Jaffna.
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650 Tamils expelled from Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police closed down three lodging houses in downtown Colombo this morning leaving about 650 Tamils from the north-east stranded on the roads. The Police told them to leave immediately to the north or east.
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TELO delays assuming office

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) is to postpone assuming office in the newly set up local government bodies in the Jaffna Peninsula for 100 days. Instead, the ex-militant group is to mobilise opinion for an immediate end to the military conflict and the beginning of talks without conditions, said K Sivajilingam, leader of the organisation.
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EPDP, PLOTE to attend state banquet

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The leaders of the EPDP and the PLOTE will attend a state banquet to Prince Charles this evening said party sources.
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TULF leads council by narrow margin

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The TULF won the Jaffna municipal council by a thin majority of 358 votes more than PLOTE and, under the proportional representation system of election, secured the three bonus seats which are due to the party with the largest number of votes. However, the TULF is not in a position to form the municipal council with its nine seats.
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Election commissioner releases results

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
These are results of the Jaffna local government polls released by the Commissioner of Elections in Colombo today.
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PLOTE driven out of Kayts office

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Cadres of the Democratic Peoples Liberation Front (DPLF), political wing of the PLOTE, were chased away from their office at Kayts, an island off the Jaffna peninsula, when a heavily armed gang, numbering 35 surrounded the building and fired into the air around 11.00 a.m. today, said sources in Kayts.
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Rigging said underway in deserted Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The streets of Jaffna remained largely deserted except for the vehicles of the Tamil groups contesting today's polls which were seen running about transporting supporters to the polling booths.
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Election rules breached in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Election monitors covering the Jaffna local polls recorded a number of violations of election laws in the islands off the Jaffna peninsula, said sources close to the independent monitoring committee.
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Polls overshadowed by developments elsewhere

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Civilian activity on the roads of Jaffna came to a virtual standstill today, the eve of local government elections, as residents stayed at home through fear, said sources in the peninsula. What was seen on the roads were buses, specially brought from Colombo for the polls, transporting officers on election duty, ballot boxes and ballot papers, under heavy armed guard by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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Tigers confirm attack on EPDP camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers claimed today that they had overrun and burnt down the EPDP's camp in Punguduthivu on Friday. The Voice of Tigers radio said in its morning news bulletin today that 9 EPDP cadres were also killed in the attack which lasted only 5 minutes.
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EPDP cadres blamed for firing

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The ex-EPDP member of the parliament Mr. R. Ramamurthy lodged a complaint with the Sri Lankan Police at Kaytes today that he was shot at by a group of heavily armed EPDP cadres at his mother's residence on Suruvuil road, Karampan, at around 12.45 p.m. this afternoon.
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Mud flies in Jaffna campaigns

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The propaganda for the Jaffna local polls took an acrimonious turn with the main contenders attacking each other of human rights abuses and corruption. The PLOTE put out a pamphlet today accusing the EPDP of massacring 72 Tamil youths who were taken away by the group when it moved into Allaipiddy, in the island of Kayts with the Sri Lankan army in late 1990.
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EPDP preparing for massive rigging

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The EPRLF accused the EPDP today of setting the stage for a major rigging operation in the Jaffna local polls by collecting the polling cards of persons in the Gurunagar area who are either dead or are resident abroad.
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