Given below is an analysis of the spaces, provided for candidates of the presidential election in the front page, and in the news continued in an inner page printed and published by Associated Newspapers of Ceylon(ANCL) in Sinhala, Tamil and English from the 20th to 26th December 2014. A qualitative analysis developed based on the […]

[Sri Lanka: protest against 18th Amendment] Sri Lanka is facing a crucial presidential election on January 8. Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternative (CPA), a well-reputed independent think tank in Colombo, will periodically be answering questions on issues pertaining to the political climate in Sri Lanka via our special segment […]

[Militarised Jaffna, the Tamil heartland] by Sivamohan Sumathy- What is striking about the 2015 elections? It is the upsurge in the call for democracy and the call to put an end to aggression, arbitrary actions. Significantly, it has opened up spaces for the minority community, the minority voter, to once again find a voice within […]

by Vishwamithra 1984- “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” ~ Alan Watts One more week for the Presidential Elections. The people of Sri Lanka are being asked to make a decision and it’s going to be the most crucial political […]

Sri Lanka prepares for what could be the closest presidential contest in its history. THE plan seemed such a simple one. Mahinda Rajapaksa called an election in November expecting to breeze past a shambolic, divided opposition and take an unprecedented third term as Sri Lanka’s president. The poll, on January 8th, would be two years […]

by Dr Lionel Bopage, President, Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Dear High Commissioner I am writing as President of Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka (AAGGSL), an organisation committed to positively subscribing to the establishment of […]

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has given careful consideration to the positions and pronouncements of the two main candidates at the upcoming Presidential election and has also undertaken an extensive process of consultation to hear the views of the Tamil speaking people, particularly those in the North and East. As the political leadership of the […]

Presidential Election 2015: Media Communique 8 /by Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV). 29th December, Attack on ‘Yowun Parapura’ street concert in Gokarella, Kurunegala District CMEV received information of an attack at Kumbukgete junction in the Gokarella area where a street concert was taking place with an audience of about 150 people. Youth artistes such […]

[CW election observers in Sri Lanka, Sep 2013] Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has reiterated that ”the people of Sri Lanka should be able to freely exercise their franchise, in an enabling environment marked by transparency, a level playing field, and adherence to the laws and norms that govern a credible and peaceful election. For this, key […]

[A polling area in the the north of Sri Lanka when local elections were held in July 2010. Photo: IRIN] 29 December 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has conveyed his “strong expectation” that the Government of Sri Lanka will ensure “the peaceful and credible conduct” of its upcoming Presidential election, scheduled for the […]

[TNA leaders with Rajapaksa after the budget speech, Oct, 2014] Sri Lanka’s major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is likely to support the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena and its decision will be made public tomorrow at a press conference in Colombo, sources said. “The Tamils have faced the worse and continue […]

[A Facebook creation of Salman Khan and Rajapaksa group] President Mahinda Rajapaksa today noted the threat of Facebook being used to push for regime change in Sri Lanka. Speaking at an election rally in Hanwella, the President said that the youth and being drawn to believe false propaganda using Facebook. He said that one should […]

We being Australians of Sri Lankan origin,concerned about democracy, good governance and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, call upon all Sri Lankans to vote at the forthcoming presidential elections to enable urgently needed political, constitutional and administrative reforms, especially abolishing the executive presidency. Based on historic experiences of many countries, we cannot imagine that all the […]

[Aluth Parapuara; face book logo] Some young artistes were attacked by political goons while they were conducting a campaign in support of presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena at Kumbukgate in Kurunegala. The young artistes’ collective “Aluth Parapura” spokesman Udul Premaratne said they came under attackwhile distributing leaflets among the people. He said the attack was carried […]

by Jayadeva Uyangoda– Less than two weeks more to the Presidential election, scheduled for January 08, 2015, the political temperature of the country is rising amidst incessant rain and unusually cold December weather. The signs are that violence may increase, for the simple reason that the stakes are quite high at this election. At present, […]

[Rajapaksa brings Bollywood stars to his campaign] by Ahilan Kadirgamar– Sri Lanka is facing a crucial election, possibly its most important since 1956 when the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) came to power. For the first time since S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike split from the United National Party (UNP), the two-party system may be reconfigured as members […]

Siritunga Jayasuriya– I returned from my Jaffna and Vanni campaign tour this morning and am obliged to convey the general sentiments of the Tamil people in those districts. In fact the same sentiments were expressed by those in the East a week ago, when I was in the East where I had a nasty experience […]

Presidential Election 2015: Media Communique 7/by Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) 27th December, Public Property Misuse in Kantalai, Trincomalee District CMEV was reported of an incident of public property misuse on 27th December. A SLTB Bus (WP NP 4979) had been used to transport about 200-300 persons from around Kantalai to attend a programme […]

In a desperate attempt to win over voters President Mahinda Rajapaksa has imported huge amounts of wrist-watches and clocks with his label to be distributed among population. This kind of distributing gadgets to win elections has never seen in Sri Lanka before. Elections Commissioner has already stopped number of such schemes planned by several ministries. […]

Human Rights Commission Of Sri Lanka Issued A Directive To All Public Officers Of Sri Lanka On The Presidential Election 2015. December 26, 2014 A directive has been issued to all public officers of Sri Lanka on the Presidential election 2015 by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. The main intention of this directive […]

(Jaffna Tamils lined up for voting, Sep 2012;AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Interview with  Prof. Paul Newman- Dr. Paul Newman is a Professor of Human Rights at the University of Bangalore, India. He is one of very active intellectual form India, Who are very concerning about Tamil Nation Issue in Sri Lanka. He was express his views […]

[We are united – Rauf} Leader of the main Muslim party of Sri Lanka, former minster Rauf Hakeem says that important sections of the 18th amendment to the constitution we surreptitiously introduced by the government and they have expressed regret for supporting the amendment on several occasions. Mr. Rauf Hakeem was speaking at a press […]

27 December, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Social Indicator, the survey research unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives conducted an island wide pre election opinion poll with the objective of identifying Sri Lankan voter perceptions and attitudes on key topics being discussed in the lead up to the election and thereby contribute to the current political […]

[Colombo South Container Terminal] Sri Lanka’s Colombo South Container Terminal (CSCT) has been completed by a Chinese contractor without following the quality standards of construction stipulated in the contract, according to a revelation made by the consultancy company. Hong Kong based AECOM Consultancy Company has brought to the notice of Sri Lankan authorities that a […]

Open public defiance has beaten the ‘white van’ culture by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena – Oscar Wilde’s bitingly satirical remark that ‘high hopes were once formed of democracy’ but this has come to mean simply ‘the bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people,’ could not be better suited for Sri Lanka’s election processes. […]

[Chandrika Kumaratunga’s car too was attacked] On the day governing party goons attacked a opposition group including former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga the police had instructed the Out Patient Department (OPD) doctor of the Beruwala base hospital  Ms, Samarasinghe,  not admit any casualties to the hospital, says CMEV communique. As a result a supporter of […]

Friday Forum has requested the Elections Commissioner to take the proposed  deployment of 152 riot squads and setting up of road blocks in the run up to the Elections , (as stated in the Daily Mirror newspaper of 24th December)  under  him. The Friday Forum statement says ‘that they be deployed under you and  and […]

(Ex-LTTE members touring south] Image- MoD) [TamilNet ] The occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka has forced around 4,000 former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are under the captivity of the so-called Civil Security Division (CSD) in Vanni, to vote for the incumbent SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa through postal voting, […]

Around 8.30 PM today (25th) an armed gang has arrived at the Member of Parliament Mangala Samaraweera’s office in Hakmanaa, Matara district and destroyed the cut-out of the name board. The gang has taken away number of flags and placards as well. At the time of the attack Mr. Samaraweera was not in the office. […]

An armed group has attacked a Common Candidate’s office in Eravur in the Battticaloa district. Over twenty armed men arrived at the office at 12:30am local time and began smashing up the posters and banners, before setting the place alight with petrol and running from the scene, Tamil Guardian reported. Eleven people, who were inside […]