#SLelections2015

Footage featuring former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa attempting to attack a spectator at one of his rallies has gone viral on  social media. The incident took place when the former President arrived at the rally in Akuressa in the Matara district. As Rajapaksa walked through the crowd, he seems to be angered by someone. The next minute Rajapaksa attempts to spring on […]

(Counting the votes, Sri Lanka) European Union (EU) election observers today called for a violence free election as they formally began work ahead of the August 17 Parliament election. Chief Observer Cristian Preda, speaking to reporters in Colombo today, said that the EU observers will not give special focus on any part of the country […]

Secretary to the President tells Ministry Secretaries. Secretary to the President P.B. Abeykoon in a special circular to all Ministry Secretaries and Provincial Secretaries has informed them that recruitment, appointments and promotions in the government service should be carried out in compliance with the directives issued by the Elections Commissioner during the election period. The […]

Fifty names to be included as ‘war heroes’; Moves afoot to create public sympathy. The government has received information that plans were afoot to release a “fake” UNHRC war crimes report to benefit the election campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a top government spokesman told the Daily News. The fake war crimes report is […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s main opposition launched its parliamentary election campaign declaring war against an alleged group of 5,000 young men and women deployed to “discredit” former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. UPFA affiliate Wimal Weerawansa told the inaugural campaign rally at Anuradhapura on Friday evening that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has recruited 5,000 youngsters to attack […]

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday said that all media institutions including the private media agreed to implement the guidelines outlined by the department during the election period. He said the private media was exempted from the execution of the Elections Commissioner’s orders under the 19th Amendment. Speaking at a press conference at the Elections Secretariat […]

Sri Lanka’s wartime president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is set to contest in the August parliamentary election. But how would the return of the long-time leader impact the nation’s politics? DW spoke to analyst Alan Keenan. A coalition – formally headed by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena – has nominated Rajapaksa to run in the upcoming parliamentary […]

Refused by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as ‘untouchables,’ the 10 rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres who are contesting from the newly-formed political party Crusaders for Democracy (CFD) claim that they have been misled and discriminated against by the TNA. The former Editor of Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper, Nadesapillai Vithyatharan, 56, who is also contesting from the CFD […]

Following an invitation from the Sri Lanka authorities, the European Union has today started the deployment of an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Sri Lanka to observe the Parliamentary Elections scheduled for 17 August 2015. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, […]

The Election Secretariat yesterday admitted that the Parliamentary Elections Act lacked provisions to compel serving Chief Ministers as well as Provincial Council Ministers to resign before they submitted nominations for parliamentary polls. Western Province CM Prasanna Ranatunga (UPFA), North Western Province CM Dayasiri Jayasekera (UPFA) and Uva CM Harin Fernando (UNP) are in the fray […]

I was of the view that nominations should not be given to the former President to contest under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket at the forthcoming General Election, President Maithripala Sirisena said today (14). – Ada Derana

President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to nominate his arch rival former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the general elections from his party came as a major shock especially to the president’s closest supporters. To make matters worse for them, the president also gave in to the demand that the former president’s allies also be given nomination […]

In Lanka, talk of Cash flow fueling political jockeying, graft charges and memories of rights violations during former president’s rule loom over parliamentary polls by Col R Hariharan. Unfazed by his surprise defeat in the last presidential polls, Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Rajapaksa appears to be back with a bang on the nation’s political centre stage […]

By Upul Kumarapperuma 16 The Roman Empire was plagued by coups, conspiracies and wars nevertheless it was the most formidable Empire in Europe. Julius Caesar became one of the most decorated war heroes after defeating the slave leader Spartacus and his slave army that had caused much humiliation to the Roman Empire, and was later […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who is opposition United People’s Freedom Alliance in Kurunegala has dropped minority Tamils and Muslims from his list of candidates to head a Sinhala-only team. The former leader was not present at the Kurunegala district secretariat to submit nomination forms leaving the menial task to his deputy and former […]

We the undersigned Sri Lankan civil society activists and organizations, wish to bring to your attention human rights issues of pivotal importance to reconciliation, unity, peace and prosperity in our country, which we strongly believe should be included in your party manifestos for the forthcoming General Election. During the campaign period leading to the January […]

Editorial, the Statesman. Mahinda Rajapaksa who was voted out by the people of Sri Lanka barely six months ago is poised to stage a comeback with the support of betrayers in the governing United People’s Freedom Alliance. The decision to give nomination to Rajapaksa to contest next month’s parliamentary election was taken at a UPFA […]

Patali Champika Ranawaka of the JHU said the Front, if elected to power, would attach top priority to making the country prosperous. The United National Party (UNP)-led United National Front for Good Governance will strive for unity among all ethnic communities in Sri Lanka, promotion of reconciliation and devolution of power, according to leaders of […]

(Editorrial/Sunday Observer) The issue of massive corruption in government has never before been raised as it has been during and after the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Very early in the first Rajapaksa presidency, a very powerful government minister became known as ‘Mr. Ten Per Cent’ for his predilection for commissions on the side for various projects […]

The United Left Front (ULF) formed by breakaway groups of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Communist Party and the Democratic Left Front, will contest the upcoming general elections with the UNP led alliance, its chairman Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne said. In a statement issued to the media, the ULF said that it will align itself […]

A new group consisting of ex-LTTE cadres called Crusaders for Democracy insisted that they do not have an ‘Eelam objective’ behind their decision to enter mainstream politics in Sri Lanka. Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Nadesapillai Vithyatharan, the former editor of a Jaffna based newspaper, said the Crusaders for Democracy, of which he is a […]

A new Business Times (BT)-Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB) poll this week, just as the momentum takes off in the August 17 election Print   campaigning, has concluded that many respondents feel the Government has failed to take action against corrupt persons. A majority view however was that the cost of living had improved under the […]

Elections Commissioner (EC) Mahinda Deshapriya has requested prospective candidates of the forthcoming Parliamentary polls to hand in their assets declaration forms along with their nominations.An Elections Dept official said that assets declaration could be handed over within three months, but the EC has requested that presenting them along with their nominations would set a good […]

Broad political front to protect ‘January 8 mandate’. CBK to make special announcement next week CBK to make special announcement next week: Several UPFA stalwarts decided to join the UNP yesterday to form a broad political front for the forthcoming Parliamentary election with the aim of protecting the ‘January 8″ mandate. Several ex-Parliamentarians of the […]

(Rauf Hakeem announcing the decision) The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has decided to contest on the UNP ticket at the upcoming general election, SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem said today. He said the SLMC would contest under the UNP ticket in the districts of Puttalam, Kalutara, Ampara,Kurunegala,Kandy, Gampaha and Trincomalee while contesting under the ‘Tree’ […]

( File photo of Nov 18, 2014 when the JHU left the Rajapaksa regime./ FCA ) – Sri Lanka’s main party of Buddhists monks is set to join the United National Party (UNP) in forming a new coalition to contest upcoming parliamentary election, political sources said a short while ago. Talks with JHU’s Champika Ranawaka […]

(Saman Rathnapriya speaking at Civil Society meeting on 9th; (c) s.deshapriya) Sobhitha Thera turns down President’s request. President to explain his position on July 13Rasika Jayakody Key civil society members, who were instrumental in the election victory of President Maithripala Sirisena in January, have expressed disappointment over the nomination process of the UPFA during a […]

Fresh issue over UPFA national list slots. President Maithripala Sirisena, after lengthy negotiations with different stakeholders of the UPFA, has agreed to offer conditional nominations for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to conditions laid out by the President, Rajapksa should only contest from Hambanthota and he will not be named as the Prime Ministerial candidate […]

(Puravesi Balaya co-convener Saman Ratnapriya addressing the media on 06th .) President Maithripala Sirisena should make a clear statement on whether he has agreed to give nominations to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa from the UPFA since the people have not been formally informed of the decision, Puravesi Balaya co-convener Saman Ratnapriya said. President Sirisena will […]

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has rejected nominations for TNA Provincial Council member Anandi Saseetharan to contest the August 17 Parliament elections. Saseetharan had requested nominations to contest and enter Parliament but the TNA had today rejected that request. The TNA had noted that Saseetharan has already been given several privileges by the party and […]