Source: BBC – By Saroj Pathirana There has been a mixed response from London’s Sri Lankan diaspora to President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s re-election at the presidential elections. Mr Rajapaksa secured a sweeping victory over his main rival Gen Sarath Fonseka, who has rejected the result. While Mr Rajapaksa’s jubilant supporters celebrated the news, the response from […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president on Monday sacked 12 senior military officers over what one army source said were fears of a coup after last week’s presidential elections. They included three senior major generals and two brigadiers accused of interfering in politics during campaigning for January 26 election, in which President Mahinda […]
News Source: AP COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – An official says Sri Lanka’s president has revoked the expulsion of a Swiss radio journalist who asked a critical question at a government news conference. Karin Wenger, the South Asia correspondent for Radio DRS, had been ordered to leave the country by Monday. A spokesman said Sunday that […]
News Source: BBC The office of ‘Lanka ’ newspaper in Sri Lanka was sealed off by officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) this afternoon. This is the latest of a series of measures against the press in Sri Lanka. The weekly publication, Lanka, said the police action came a day after its editor, Chandana […]
Source: AT – By K.T.Rajasingham Now that the Presidential election is over and Mahinda Rajapaksha has been elected for the second term as the President of Sri Lanka and the call for the arrest of Retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka is becoming more louder and louder for his excesses. The retired General, who contested against his […]
Asian Tribune – S Murari – Pic – Reuters President Mahinda Rajapaksa today called on all Sri Lankans to join hands with him to build the country. Talking to reporters at the Election Commission shortly after he was formally declared winner in the sixth presidential election, Mr Rajapaksa said it was now clear that the […]
Source: BBC – Pic – Reuters Excerpts of a letter by Gen Sarath Fonseka to Sri Lanka’s Elections Commission, following his defeat in the presidential poll. The letter has been translated from Sinhala. “Dear commissioner of elections. Before and after handing over the nomination papers, President Rajapaksa’s election campaign has made great use of state […]
Source: BBC President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been declared the winner of Sri Lanka’s presidential poll but the outcome was immediately rejected by his challenger. Gen Sarath Fonseka promised a legal challenge to the outcome of the ballot, the first since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war. The Elections Commission declared […]
Source: BBC President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won Sri Lanka’s first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war, state TV reports. Although the final results are yet to be declared, Mr Rajapaksa appears to have won more than half the votes cast. About 100 armed troops have surrounded the Colombo […]
Source: The New york Times – By LYDIA POLGREEN COLOMBO, Sri Lanka —As voters streamed to the polls on Tuesday in Sri Lanka’s first election since the defeat of the Tamil Tiger insurgency, the Tamil vote has emerged as the bloc that could decide the winner. The incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had hoped for an […]
Source: AFP COLOMBO (AFP) – At least four explosions were heard in Sri Lanka’s ethnic Tamil heartland of Jaffna ahead of Tuesday’s crucial presidential vote, an independent election monitor told AFP. Residents in the northern peninsula counted the pre-dawn blasts, but the source of the explosions was unclear, said Sunil Jayasekara, a monitor for the […]
Source: Lanka Truth Under the present Rajapakse regime the SLFP is being dragged on an undemocratic path that leads to family domination says former President Chandrika Bandaranayke Kumaratunga. Ms. Kumaratunga said this to the media after the special discussion she had with the political Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka today. […]
Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma The Chief Incumbent of the Birminham Buddhist Vihara, the President of the Midlands Buddhist Association in the UK, the President of the Buddhist Relief Organisation (IBRO) attached to the United Nations (UN) and the Vice President of the Sri Lankan Sangha Sabha of the UK, Venerable Dr. Witharandeniye Kassapa […]
Source: Lanka Truth The noble task of defending sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Motherland he has undertaken cannot be defeated by an army coup or any other conspiracy says apolitical Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka. He said this at the final press conference he held before the presidential election. Leader of UNF Ranil Wickremasinghe, […]
The last day of campaigning is underway, ahead of Sri Lanka’s Presidential election. President Mahinda Rajapakse and his rival, former army chief General Sarath Fonseca will hold their final rallies later today. Both candidates are confident of victory in the bitterly fought contest. The campaign has been marred by more than 700 violent incidents, including […]
Colombo, Jan 22 (PTI) Sri Lanka today announced to donate 1000 kilogrammes of tea for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti that hit the Caribbean nation on January 12. This donation is in addition to the financial pledge of USD 25,000 made by the Government soon after the news of the earthquake, an official […]