- While politicians focus on northern polls, Govt. embroiled in huge national and international issues
- Minister Weerawansa defends hedging faux pas, demands that top officials be punished; and Jayasundera responds
The Hambantota Suriyawewa international cricket stadium [File photo]
Two years after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas, both Sri Lankans and the government are reaping some peace dividends.
The biggest dividend for Sri Lankans is the confidence to move without fear of bomb explosions that had caused loss of lives and limbs. To the government, which quite rightly took the credit for that transition after two and half decades of war and violence, priding itself for development activity and pledging to provide a better environment for those in the once ravaged areas, has become a priori read more..
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Psy-ops cows opposition in North- Intimidation before northern poll
Sunday 17 July 2011
y Rathindra Kuruwita
The government is carrying out a systematic and calculated psychological operation to create a fear psychosis in the North leading to the July 23 Local Government (LG) elections, claim election monitors. The army and police are openly obstructing the election campaign of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and intimidating the candidates, said Campaign For Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) spokesperson, Keerthi Tennakoon. “The first meeting of the TNA was attacked and during their subsequent meetings the authorities deployed hundreds of army soldiers who videoed those who attended those meetings. The people will not turn up when that is the case,” he said.
Meanwhile JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath told LAKBIMAnEWS that there is no freedom of movement, expression, or peaceful assembly in the North, and an election held in such conditions will be nothing but a sham.
“Minister Pavithra Vanniarachchi even lives in the navy commander’s official residence. Ministers give various incentives to the masses,” Herath said.
“It is a ‘Mary had a little lamb’ scenario. Whenever our supporters do door-to-door campaigns the army follows them and this scares the people. Certain areas in Killinochchi are made totally out of bounds for candidates’, he added.
However, government spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that apart from occasional misunderstandings there were no serious incidents, and the misunderstandings too occurred as the security forces had not been properly informed whenever there was a need to do so.
