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Polls violence: Five injured in Embilipitiya |
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2010-03-10 |
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At least five people were injured when a van carrying supporters of the ruling UPFA was attacked by a group of supporters of another candidate of the same party in the Kandurugasara area of Embilipitiya. The incident took place on Monday evening when the van was on its way after attending a rally in the area. The injured are now receiving treatment at the Embilipitiya Base Hospital while the van which was stoned and attacked with poles had been severely damaged. |
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pressure prevents removal of propaganda material |
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2010-03-10 |
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The Election Monitors said yesterday that there had not been any improvements in the status of the removal of propaganda material and added that this could be a result of political pressure on the relevant authorities. People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) spokesman Rohana Hettiarachchi said he personally visited several districts and a large amount of propaganda material is still on display. “I visited several districts in the Southern province and through the observations it was evident that although the posters were removed, the cut-outs and the banners were remaining,” he added. Hettiarachchi asserted that the reason behind the tendency to leave out the cut-outs and banners could be the political pressure on the authorities responsible of removing the propaganda material. “We also noticed that the majority of the material belonged to the candidates contesting from the ruling party.” (REad More) |
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MPs Johnston,Indika sacked from house |
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2010-03-10 |
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In a strange twist of events, Ministers Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandaranaike, who joined the ruling UPFA from the UNP, ceased to hold their MP posts from yesterday in the reconvened Parliament since they had withdrawn a Supreme Court case challenging their expulsion from the UNP. Parliament was reconvened yesterday on a presidential proclamation to pass the emergency regulations for a further period of one month.They switched their allegiance to the government and accepted ministerial portfolios during the presidential election period. Subsequently, the UNP expelled them from the party. However, the two dissidents went to court against their expulsions. However, after the dissolution of Parliament on February, they withdrew their cases as the Supreme Court dismissed the cases. (Read More) |
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WPC to take up Ram issue with Ranil |
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2010-03-10 |
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The UNP members of the Western Provincial Council is to request party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to look into the omission of provincial councilor C. Y. P. Ram’s name from the party’s Colombo District list for the upcoming general election in April. A resolution in this regard was passed at the group meeting of the UNP Western Provincial Council members last morning prior to yesterday’s sessions. UNP Member of the Provincial Council Sujeewa Senasinghe who moved the resolution had said such irregularities would affect the party. He was of the opinion that the opportunity which the party has to win the Colombo District at the coming general election will be affected by such a move. They were also of the opinion that the party should do justice to Mr.Ram. All the members who were present at the group meeting has approved this resolution according to sources. It has been reported that party leader Ranil Wickremesighe had assured Mr. Ram that he would be UNP’s mayoral candidate for Colombo at the next local government election in 2011  |
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Foreign Counting Agents (DailyMirror) |
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2010-03-10 |
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The UNP said yesterday that they would request Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to deploy foreign election monitors to the counting centres at this general election. Addressing a press conference, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that his party was concerned about possible election malpractices at this election, and therefore the presence of foreign monitors would be important. Mr. Attanayake said that the party would launch its election manifesto on March 16 outlining fresh measures to bring down the cost of living. Meanwhile, UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara told Parliament during the debate on the extension of the state of emergency that the election authorities had planned to import paper from India to print ballot papers. (Read More) |
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UNP to appoint a committee to look into discipline of party candidates |
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2010-03-10 |
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Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) executive committee decided today to appoint a committee to look into the disciplinary matters of the party's election candidates. The UNP executive committee that met this morning also discussed the problem of the party nominations for Monaragala district. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the media later that the leader of the district team ex-MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and the deputy leader Ananda Kumarasiri are under the probe. Nihal Chandrasiri was appointed as the acting district organizer for Monaragala district while a disciplinary investigation is carried out properly, he said. (Read More) |
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General election: Moneragala fiasco |
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2010-03-09 |
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Former Moneragala UNP provincial councillor Tissa Kuttiarachchi yesterday filed a fundamental rights violation petition in the Supreme Court asking it to nullify the UNP nomination list for the Moneragala district as his name had been omitted from it. He said his name had been erased and another name inserted instead. In his petition filed through Paul Ratnayake Associates, he cited the Elections Commissioner, UNP candidates Madduma Bandara and Senaka Ratnayake among others as respondents. He said Mr. Ratnayake’s name had been inserted instead of his. Mr. Ratnayake was neither nominated by the UNP nor had he signed the nomination papers in the presence of the UNP General Secretary. (Read More) |
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Madduma Bandara tells his part of the story |
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2010-03-06 |
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“I heard of my removal from the UNP District Chairmanship of the party through the media. I may be deprived of all positions, but I shall not leave the party”, Moneragala District parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara told a media gathering at his residence.
“I was not notified of my removal. The General Secretary has asked me to attend the Executive Committee Meeting of the Party on March 9. I reiterate I handed over the document given to me by party head quarters to the returning officer”, he said.
“There is a rumour I removed a name from the list of nominations.
“My father was murdered because he was a UNP activist. Although my paternal uncle who brought me up --Dharmadasa Banda-- joined UPFA, I did not leave the party. I have been undefeated in politics for over thirty years.
I was a parliamentary representative for twenty years. No allegation of fraud or corruption were ever brought against me. The people of Wellassa are with me because I practised clean politics. I am indebted to them forever. ” (Read More)
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Sripathi s widow on UNF ticket but supports UPFA |
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2010-03-06 |
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Sripathi Suriyaarachchi’s widow Dilrukshi who is contesting from the Gampaha district as a United National Front (UNF) candidate yesterday met President Mahinda Rajapaksa to pledge her support to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the presidential media unit reported. Ms. Suriyaarachchi was the leader of the SLFP (M) group in the Gampaha district.
The Media Unit quoted Ms. Suriyaarachchi as saying that she decided to support the UPFA as there was no clear-cut policy in either the SLFP (M) or the UNF and that in contrast, the UPFA under the leadership of President Rajapaksa had a clear vision and programme to take Sri Lanka forward.
She had said that based on the policies adopted by her late husband she would campaign for the UPFA and ensure its victory. (Read More)
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UNP to punish Madumabandara of Monaragala |
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2010-03-05 |
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The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday its Moneragala District leader Ranjith Maddumabandara would be punished for his alleged involvement in omitting the name of Tissa Kuttiarachchi from the UNP nomination list. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a public meeting the party had taken steps to punish those who worked against the interests of the party irrespective of their position. “We will not allow any one to reduce the party’s vote base,” he said and assured that justice would be done to Mr. Kuttiarachchi whose name was omitted from the UNP’s Moneragalla district nomination list. Mr. Attanayake said the party would discuss the matter at the working committee meeting on Tuesday and an inquiry would also be held. (Read More) |
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