Jan 6 (TC) Our Constitution makes it clear that the People are sovereign and that their sovereignty is inalienable. However, for practical reasons, the Constitution provides for the legislative power of the People to be exercised by Parliament, consisting mostly of elected representatives, and, in respect of certain specific situations, directly by the People at a Referendum. more..

Jan 6 (LG) While Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka passed yet another week bickering over the apparently burning question of who deserves most credit for the war victory, a small fishing boat carried five Tamils to India. They claimed to be refugees. Sri Lanka could never be their home, they told a journalist reporting for The Hindu from Ramanathapuram, because they would always be treated differently. more..

Jan 6 (LG) The General�s bombshell entry to the highest race in the country, the presidential election, has been viewed and criticised by some as a plot by the UNP led JVP dominated common opposition to use and misuse the General as a pawn to topple the Rajapakse brotherhood and capture power in parliament, with the politically stagnant Wickremasinghe�s strategy of circumventing this election nicely blended with the JVP�s eternal strategy of showing off more..

Jan 6 (TN) Gen (retd) Sarath Fonseka, Common opposition candidate postponed his scheduled visit to Batticaloa Tuesday to address an election meeting in Batticaloa. However, he went to Ampaarai and addressed a meeting. Propaganda meeting in Batticaloa would be held on a later date, according to a spokesman of the opposition election campaign. The Batticaloa meeting was postponed as police intimated to General Fonseka that more..

Jan 6 (TN) A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier shot himself to death in Point Pedro while another soldier took his life by taking poison in Palaali, police sources said. Incidents of suicide among SLA soldiers have increased in recent times and SLA authorities are conducting a survey to find the cause of the suicides, sources in Jaffna said. The bodies of the two soldiers have been sent to their respective hometowns more..

Jan 6 (TC) Since the Sri Lanka (SL) war began in 1983 , SL�s political agendas have been dictated not according to the wishes of the politicians or the astrological calculations, but by the requirements of Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Wanni jungles. Not only the SL�s politics but even the election of a President of SL was determined by Prabhakaran. more..

Jan 6 (GV) It is probably not the incumbent President himself in charge of the massive re-election campaign which has no qualms about misusing State property and public finances or perverting telecoms regulations to deliver propaganda via SMS. Yet to date, there has been no official statement or clarification over these clear reports of gross misappropriation of public resources. In yet another bizarre example of a campaign gone berserk, more..

Jan 6 (GV) In the upcoming presidential election a new voter base will be in play. A generation of first time voters whose futures will depend on the winner of next month�s election, are faced with deciding which candidate has the right vision to take this country forward and more importantly the credibility that would ensure the implementation of that vision. Even with all the lofty rhetoric being spewed by the front runners, more..

Jan 6 (LBO) Rice, the staple food of Sri Lankans, is in short supply and its price is on the increase. At retail shops, many popular varieties of rice are not available. Rice available at controlled prices is of inferior quality. The popular varieties are available, according to traders, at premium prices above the controlled prices. So, the consumers have only two choices. One is to buy the inferior quality rice available in the shops at controlled prices. more..

Jan 6 (AT) In a stormy meeting of the Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group that lasted well over 6 torturous hours, the SMS leadership managed ultimately to scrape through by a razor thin majority of just two votes to endorse the candidature of the oppositions� �uncommon� candidate retired General Sarath Fonseka. The maneuvers of the SMS leadership to entrust to take decision to more..

Jan 6 (SLW) Professor Harendra de Silva, Professor of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, of Kelaniya University has been shortlisted along with nine other eminent individuals for this year's British Medical Journal Group Lifetime Achievement Award. The international peer-reviewed medical journal BMJ presents its Group Awards to recognize pioneering individuals and more..

Jan 6 (GDI) SLFP General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena today claimed that opposition candidate, Gen.Sarath Fonseka was pleasing LTTE sympathizers overseas by uttering statements which were anti-national in nature and harmful to security interests of the nation. He said the dream of the UNP and the JVP was to see the defeat of the troops and not the LTTE to put the blame on President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Jan 6 (GDI) "Sarath Fonseka is politically inexperienced to rule a country. War experience is not a criteria to rule a nation.Therefore, Fonseka has to learn much about politics like a child who begins life from breast feeding', observed Minister DM Jayaratne today. He recalled history to state that all wars won in the ancient times were won under the guidance and leadership of kings. more..

Jan 6 (GDI) "The President's victory is certain as the rising sun and the moon. Therefore, on the morning of January 27 the president will embark upon his second term in office as the President has done his duty by the country and especially for the Muslim community.", Minister of Petroleum Research A.H.M.Fowzie said at the media briefing held at the Mahaweli Center today (06). more..

Jan 6 (MoD) The Elective Reconstructive Orthopedics & Rehabilitation ward was opened on 29th December 2009 by G.A. Chandrasri, Governor, Northern Province at General Hospital Vavuniya. This ward was built by the NECORD project at cost of Rs. 8 Mn. Patient who recovered after the surgeries will be admitted for orthopedics care such as physiotherapy, management and rehabilitation. Medical San Frontieres (Holland) will provide Equipment for this unit. more..

Jan 6 (GDI) The Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has given priority to upgrade all higher educational institutions in the country to build a highly literate society. Accordingly, several measures have been taken following a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa that all university issues be given urgent attention., a Professor of University Grants Commotion Gamini Samaranayeka said more..

Jan 6 (MoD) Security Forces Headquarters, Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) by the year end on 31st December has been able to resettle 3037 displaced civilians in the district and commence function of seventeen government schools after renovations. In the aftermath of de-mining work carried out by Army de-miners, the SFHQ (KLN) on the instructions of Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Commander, SFHQ-(KLN), more..

Jan 6 (MoD) Six hundred war heroes of the SLAF and their families were honored at a function organised by the Sri Lanka Air Force at the Ekala Air Force Base. The "Guwan Viru Upahara" was organised jointly by the Director of welfare and the Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit, with the aim of honoring Sri Lanka Air Force war heroes and their families. The Service personnel and their families were awarded gifts after the occasion. more..

Jan 6 (LT) MP Basil Rajapakse, who had tried to defend the DIG when others participating at the discussion the Commissioner of Elections had with representatives of the candidates for the presidential election accused him of favouring the Rajapakse regime at the election, had walked away when they had made fun of him for defending the DIG. more..

Jan 6 (LeN) Following countless complaints by the candidates and party Secretaries of gross violations of election laws, assaulting opposition party members and intimidation of them which are militating against the conduct of a fair and free Presidential election, the elections commissioner (EC) Dayananda Dissanayake convened a meeting today (05) summoning the Presidential candidates and Party secretaries. more..

Jan 6 (LeN) The International leader of the PLOTE Organization Rajan Sivaraja and a group of frontline members of the Organization have, at Vavauniya decided to give their wholehearted support to Gen. Fonseka at the upcoming Presidential elections. Even as this announcement of this decision was made, the PLOTE leader of the Northern Wanni District, Bowji and some prominent members have declared that they would not support the present President at the elections. more..

Jan 6 (LT) Former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva stated that he boarded the political stage �for the first time in his life� since he could not stand by and watch President Rajapakse violate all constitutional norms. Sarath N Silva made these comments addressing a huge rally at Ampara yesterday (05th) held in support of General Fonseka. more..

Jan 6 (LT) A procedure to be carried out in the manner of a media display targeting the presidential election and basing on human rights has been reported. Accordingly, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is to receive a letter from a so-called international organization, suppose to be a committee of the UNO, asking him for explanation regarding war crimes. This letter has been designed as a response to the letter on war crimes sent by more..

Jan 6 (LT) Temple Trees sources declared yesterday that Minister Arumugam Thondaman clashed with UPFA�s all powerful Basil Rajapakse over a discussion that was to be held with the President but for which, President had nominated his brother MP Basil Rajapakse. Minister Thondaman was at Temple Trees to discuss a housing project for plantation workers due to come up in Lindula Nuwara Eliya. more..

Jan 6 (LT) �Instead of holding a fair and free election the government is sabotaging the election campaign of the opposition. While continuing to engage in such vile moves they tell us not to engage in hostile politics. We ask the masses to comprehend who really is engaged in hostile politics and then come to their decisions,� said the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva. more..

Jan 6 (LG) The Subatathi Programme at prime time on 6th January returned to a blatant violation of the election laws by devoting itself entirely to attack the election promises of increase of salaries of government employees by General Sarath Fonseka, the common candidate of the opposition. Mahinda Rajapakse, the government�s candidate was portrayed as the only reliable candidate that government servants should vote for. more..

Jan 6 (LT) In a letter to the Elections Commissioner, the Professionals Guild for Human Rights has stated that the Government�s recent snap decision to provide cost of living allowance for government servants will affect postal votes directly and indirectly. The Guild has asked the Elections Commissioner to take steps to have the circular to this effect withdrawn with immediate effect. more..

Jan 6 (GDI) "General Sarath Fonseka has a psychology similar to the German dictator Adolf Hitler. That is why he has said if he wanted, he would have used military force to topple the government.Today he is having a democratic card in his hand but marching forward to establish a military rule�, said UPFA General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena at the press briefing more..

Jan 6 (Island) "The opposition speakers are spreading false rumours stating that I owned so many institutions and large houses which were bought out of funds collected illegally. Alleged banks accounts could be checked if the opposition wants to examine them as I am ready to give letters of authority to them giving my approval for such investigations. more..

Jan 6 (wsws) A report published on December 31 by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) detailed how public resources and security personnel are being used on a massive scale to boost President Mahinda Rajapakse�s re-election campaign. The report notes that �abuse of public resources at elections seems to be a continuing activity in every election in Sri Lanka,� but �the trend seems even more ominous at the current president election�. more..

Jan 6 (LP) Sri Lanka Election Secretariat said that 401,118 public workers were qualified for postal voting. The Secretariat also said that out of the total applied, 57,036 have been rejected. According to the Election Secretariat, the ballot papers are being dispatched now for the postal voting that is to take place on January 12 and 13. The Secretariat is in the process of establishing voting centers in more..

Jan 6 (UNP) UNP Gen. Secretary Tissa Attanayake addressing a Press briefing at the UNP media unit yesterday (05) said, the Govt. is so desperate and bankrupt that it is using violence and murder tactics to win the elections. When people are clamoring for a peaceful free and fair Presidential election, the Govt. is usurping laws ,stoking violence and trying to ride on lawlessness to win elections. more..

Jan 6 (AT) A group of Sri Lankans living in the State of Texas announced that they are with the people of Sri Lanka to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the re-election as the President of Sri Lanka. They reiterated that President Rajapaksa showed his exemplarily leadership by defeating the terrorism in Sri Lanka without bowing down to the tremendous pressure from various local and international forces. more..

Jan 6 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday stressed that he would never merge the North and the East under his administration. He said certain elements in the Opposition are changing its tune when they go to the North with the sole objective of winning the election. The President was speaking at a meeting with handicraftsmen, representatives of National Poets Association and Dhamma school teachers more..

Jan 6 (DN) Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishad Bathiudeen told Parliament that Sarath Fonseka was the chief obstacle to resettle the IDP living in relief centres in the North. He said Fonseka had advised Security Forces to continuously keep around 280,000 IDPs in welfare centres. The Government was able to accelerate the resettlement once Fonseka resigned from his post. more..

Jan 6 (LeN) Attorneys at Law Shiral Lakthileke and Ravi Jayawardena, members of the corruption watch said, the Central Bank has extensively relaxed the exchange control regulations to enable any amount of money to be remitted out of the country. They alleged that this action of the Govt. is to make room for the rulers, their stooges, cronies and acolytes to take out their funds amassed through frauds and corruption officially unaccounted. more..

Jan 6 (DN) Rice production has been an important and valued mainstay in Sri Lanka's agriculture from times immemorial in its long and glorious history. Rice is not only the staple food of Sri Lankans but the production of paddy also provides employment to rural people, reduce the gap between the rich in urban areas and the poor living in rural, agricultural regions, and cut down the imports of rice from overseas countries appreciably, saving valuable foreign exchange. more..

Jan 6 (Island) The government yesterday announced in Parliament that the 17th Amendment to the Constitution had no practical value now. Chief Government Whip, Dinesh Gunawardena said the 17th Amendment was now defunct and there was no use in talking of its provisions. Both the government and the Opposition must share the responsibility for the situation, he said. more..

Jan 6 (Island) The government gave the JVP 24 hours to prove that the common candidate of the Opposition, General (Retd) Sarath Fonseka had never been involved in corrupt arms deals, or accept the fact that the Marxist party was supporting a corrupt candidate. Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that General Fonseka had powers to carry out procurement of arms below Rs. 25 million. more..

Jan 6 (Island) Election campaigns in this country are usually characterised by vitriol, bile, venom and loathing. But, the present presidential hustings, where stakes are extremely high, have opened a new low in electoral politics. One's gorge rises at the unspeakably opprobrious vilification campaigns carried out by the government and the Opposition. Both sides seem to have taken the discerning public for a bunch of suckers who more..

Jan 6 (UNP) The Digamadulla UPFA District Organizer Mayantha Dissanayake also joined the UNP yesterday. After joining he addressed the Presidential election campaign rally at Ampara held in support of the Opposition common candidate General Sarath Fonseka. Mayantha Dissanayake is the son of Late Gamini Dissanayake a former Minister in the UNP Cabinet. Oozing with confidence that General Fonseka will no doubt be the next President of the country, more..

Jan 6 (DM) A high powered legal team headed by Attorney General Mohan Peiris has been successful in negotiating with three foreign banks that had entered into the hedging agreement with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to settle the dispute between the two parties amicably. A source close to the official negotiating team told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the Deutsche Bank, CITI Bank and more..

Jan 6 (DM) If there�s a time tunnel Sri Lanka could well have held elections in the past this year. Nowhere in the Sri Lankan campaign history have �past� activities of candidates mattered so much as this time that we virtually have started dwelling in the past as if we have absolutely no future. It certainly is the fervent hope of the nation which is sick and tired of seeing dirty linen being washed right at their door steps that the two candidates would more..

Jan 6 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has not renewed the annual contract of Sri Lanka national women�s team coach Chitral Mendis and would advertise the post in the newspapers next week calling for applications for the post. The management of SLC is reportedly not happy with the performance of Mendis and are looking at appointing a high profile coach with experience at the highest level in the game, SLC sources said. more..

Jan 6 (DM) A complaint against E-Sri Lanka initiative, a network to connect government institutions will be lodged with the Bribery and Corruption Commission, Attorney-at-Law cum UNP Kotte Organiser Shiral Lakthilake said yesterday. �E-Sri Lanka a project undertaken by Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) is very corrupt and we will be lodging a complaint with the Bribery and Corruption commission soon,� more..

Jan 6 (CI) Sri Lanka have called up Mahela Jayawardene to boost their injury-hit squad midway through the tri-series in Bangladesh. The team has lost the services of three men on this tour: Tillakaratne Dilshan picked up a groin injury during the first game against Bangladesh, Chamara Silva fractured his thumb during training, and Muthumudalige Pushpakumara injured his shoulder in the game against India. more..

Jan 6 (DM) The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), at a press briefing a short while ago, confirmed that the party has reached a unanimous decision to extend support to General Sarath Fonseka at the forthcoming Presidential elections. TNA leader R. Sampanthan said that following talks with Fonseka and incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa the party was of the opinion it more..

Jan 6 (DN) The Central Bank will initiate the transformation of the framework of Employees� Provident Fund (EPF) to a Banking Model under its policy plans for 2010, Central Bank Governor, Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. Making a presentation on Monetary and Financial Sector Policies for 2010 at Central Bank on Monday, he said that the Central Bank designs and implements policies as per its agency and ancillary functions for sustainable economic growth and more..

Jan 6 (DN) Former Chief Justice Sarath Silva who has thrown his lot with the UNP/JVP combine in support of Sarath Fonseka has made a case for the merger of the now fully demerged North Eastern Province. It was a Supreme Court Bench headed by the former CJ himself who in a famous judgement effected the demerger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces which came to be separate units under the 13th Amendment in terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord. more..