2 shot dead in Bangladesh on election anniversary

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Pic: AP.

By AP News Jan 05, 2015

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Two men on a motorbike have opened fire on anti-government activists in northwestern Bangladesh, killing two amid tensions on the anniversary of a general election boycotted by a major opposition alliance last year.

Aminul Haque, a local leader from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, says the shooting took place Monday in Natore district, 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital, Dhaka.

Police would not immediately confirm the identities of the dead, but Haque said they were activists from the party’s student wing.

The Jan. 5 election last year was boycotted by a major opposition alliance led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Tensions heated up recently after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party announced rallies to celebrate the anniversary, while Zia said anti-government protests would take place.

India, Pakistan step up border fighting ahead of Kerry visit

One News Page video

SRINAGAR, India Mon Jan 5, 2015

(Reuters) - Indian and Pakistani troops intensified cross-border firing on Monday, killing an Indian border guard and forcing hundreds of villagers to flee, escalating tensions before visits by top U.S. officials.

India said four Pakistanis planning an attack on Indian soil were killed, although Indian media and opposition parties disputed the official account. The Pakistani army confirmed two civilian deaths from Indian shelling.

Monday's incident, in the Samba district south of Jammu along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, followed the killing of four Pakistani soldiers by their Indian counterparts on New Year's Eve.

A senior Indian official with the border security force said they had retaliated against machine gun and mortar attacks on about 60 positions along a more than 200-km (125-mile) stretch of the border on Monday.

"Pakistani rangers fired rocket propelled grenades in villages near the border and our men have responded," the officer told Reuters.

Amid the growing hostility, India's security agencies last week declared a nationwide alert to avoid militant strikes in the lead-up to visits by top U.S. diplomat John Kerry and President Barack Obama later in January.

Kerry is due to speak at the weekend before an investment summit in Gujarat, at the furthest end of the Pakistani border from Kashmir, the organisers said. Obama will attend India's Republic Day military parade on Jan 26.

Indian media say Kerry will also visit Pakistan, but officials in Islamabad have not confirmed that.

Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have ratcheted up since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called off peace talks in August, with sporadic rounds of heavy shelling pounding civilian villages along a previously peaceful stretch of border.

The South Asian rivals, who have fought two wars over Muslim-majority Kashmir, have traded blame for an upsurge in firing and shelling that started in October last year.

Last week, the clashes stretched beyond the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and touched international waters when Indian Coast Guards said a Pakistani fishing boat laden with explosives blew up in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday accused India of pursuing a low-intensity war by starting unprovoked firing on the international borders.

At least 4,000 Indian villagers have fled their homes since New Year's Eve, officials said, and similar numbers are believed to have fled border areas on the Pakistan side. India closed schools near the border and postponed exams on Monday.

(Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari in Srinagar and Katharine Houreld in Islamabad, Writing by Rupam Jain Nair; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Tom Heneghan)

Dalai Lama rumoured to be appearing at Glastonbury festival 2015

Head monk of Tibetan Buddhism announces his appearance via his website yet reports remain unconfirmed by festival organisers

The Dalai Lama seemingly announced his slot on 28 June at Glastonbury festival. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Allstar/Sportsphoto Ltd

Harriet Gibsone- Monday 5 January 2015

Glastonbury is the home of spiritual enlightenment for thousands festival goers who make their pilgrimage to Worthy Farm each June, but 2015’s event could be a particularly enlightening experience if rumours of the Dalai Lama’s appearance turn out to be true.

On his official website – dalailama.com – Tenzin Gyatso, the 79-year-old head monk of Tibetan Buddhism, seemingly self-announced his slot at this year’s festival, detailing his attendance at the event on Sunday 28 June.

“His Holiness will give a talk at the Glastonbury Festival in the morning,” a post on the site’s schedule section read.

There is now confusion though, over whether the spiritual leader will be appearing. Festival officials refused to comment on Monday on the Dalai Lama’s possible appearance and the original listing on the spiritual leader’s website was removed once news began to circulate.

At present, there still remains a Glastonbury shaped gap in his diary: the Nobel peace prize winner is scheduled to give a talk on The Wisdom of Giving and Receiving in Perth, western Australia on 14 June and a public talk on Buddhism in the 21st Century in Middlesex on 29 June. Perhaps a Pyramid stage gig is still possible.

With Glastonbury synonymous with an ethos of peace and love, news of his potential arrival on Worthy Farm is a surprising yet well suited choice: pop culture has long celebrated his spiritual and environmental causes, with the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing for him in 2013, and the Beastie Boys’ late Adam Yauch regularly working alongside the leader to raise awareness on the plight of the Tibetan people.

While it would be his debut at Glastonbury, in 2013, the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan monks – The Gyuto Monks of Tibet, who are exiled with the 14th Dalai Lama in north India – performed their chants in the famous Green Fields.

The full Glastonbury lineup is not expected to be revealed until April, with this year’s only confirmed name remaining soul singer, Lionel Richie, who makes his debut on the Pyramid stage on the Sunday. Tickets for 2015’s Glastonbury, which runs from 24th to 28th June, are sold out.

Did British nurse contract Ebola in treatment centre?

MONDAY 05 JANUARY 2015

A charity involved in treating people with Ebola in west Africa says it is investigating how a British nurse in a critical condition contracted the virus in Sierra Leone.

The Royal Free Hospital, in north London, said Pauline Cafferkey's condition deteriorated over the past few days while she was being treated with an experimental antiviral drug.

The Scottish public health nurse had volunteered with Save the Children at the Ebola treatment centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone, before returning to the UK and the charity today said it was urgently reviewing its protocols.

Rob MacGillivray, from the charity, told the BBC he hoped to discover whether Mrs Cafferkey had contracted the virus while at the treatment centre or in the community.

He said: "We have a review on at the moment - we are constantly reviewing our protocols and procedures to ensure staff working in Kerry Town centre take all measures possible to prevent themselves becoming infected with Ebola.

'No stone unturned'

"And because of this very serious event we have put in an extraordinary review to ensure that we do everything can leave no stone unturned to, as far as possible, identify the source of this infection.

"Everybody is exposed to a certain amount of risk working in Sierra Leone at the moment but we will certainly be focusing on how the personal protection equipment was used, how it was put on, and more importantly how it was taken off. The kinds of contact people have had perhaps in Kerry Town centre and perhaps outside so it it will be a very full and thorough review."

Mr MacGillivray added he was "confident" in the protocols the charity had in place and the results of the review would be published once completed.

Mrs Cafferkey, who works at Blantyre Health Centre in South Lanarkshire, was part of a 30-strong team of medical volunteers deployed to Sierra Leone by the UK government in November and had been there for three weeks before returning home on rotation for a break, the charity boss added.

On the ‘known devil’ and Sri Lanka’s choices

Sunday, January 04, 2015

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s call to Tamil voters during a rally in the North this week to vote for the ‘known devil’ is typical of the unabashedly unapologetic tone of his election campaign. After four years of relentlessly rolling back Sri Lanka’s constitutional freedoms and the Rule of Law, much needed humility would have been well in order on the part of this Presidency.

Instead, what we have are arrogant, brash and let it be clearly said, foolish boasts. Even at the bare minimum, the focus is not, (borrowing from opposing candidate Maithripala Sirisena’s theme), on confession of past mistakes coupled with promises of redress.

Calling for governmental sanity
What are the actions of this ‘known devil’ that the Tamils are supposed to welcome back for a third term? Is it that thousands of civilians were herded together during the end of the war? The fact that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) exposed the Tamil people to this horrendous plight scarcely detracts from state responsibility in this regard.

Or is it that post-war, many Tamils remain locked up without charges under anti-terrorism laws despite frantic pleas to be either released or brought before a court of law? Then again, perhaps it is that lands of the war displaced were acquired for building opulent hotels for the benefit of a favoured few? If this is what the ‘known devil’ does, could any other alternative be more ‘devilish?’

Surely, even after all the signs to the contrary in recent Northern provincial elections, the Rajapaksa Presidency cannot think sensibly that merely bringing train services back and building an expressway to the Jaffna peninsula can win the hearts and minds of grievously wronged Tamil citizens?

Impact on the Southern debates
Moreover the Tamil National Alliance’s well positioned support for the South’s call for restoration of the Rule of Law has punctured the Government’s enthusiastic claim that elected minority representatives are advocating separatism. Thus in a most welcome development, we see questioning of this divisive and deadly propaganda refrain in Southern political debates by Sinhala journalists, dramatists, artists and academics for the first time since 2009.

Indeed the appeal by President Rajapaksa to vote for the ‘known devil’ has little resonance in the South as well. Juggernaut-type violations of the law, hourly attacks on the opposition’s rallies, campaign offices and supporters continue even as the Government abuses state resources wholesale. This Friday’s stoning of a well attended Sirisena rally in Pelmadulla is an excellent case in point. But systemic attacks on the opposition only results in more sympathy for a ‘Maithri’ government which a dangerously unstable Government appears not to recognize. Its mindless propaganda includes for example, a sickening advertisement featuring caricatures of Sirisena frontliners cackling over a fire rather like the ancient witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth while a figure in the flag of the United States swoops down on the gold. Yet another advertisement uses disabled soldiers to solicit votes blissfully disregarding the fact that the war disabled had to get onto the streets recently to obtain their due entitlements.

Such cheap gimmicks insults the citizenry as much as when an Indian film actor is paraded to prominently praise the President and strut on a podium with the President’s son while anti-government local artistes are mercilessly kicked. The opposition’s frequent derision of these basic contradictions in electoral strategy can only strike a sympathetic chord. This is what the Government should recognize without relying on its state media hacks and sycophants.

Voting for the opposition with eyes open
On the other hand, the opposition has been equivocal on the abolition of the Executive Presidency and is silent on minority concerns. Maithripala Sirisena’s frank identification of himself as a Sinhala speaking farmer from Polonnaruwa not transfixed by power, prestige or greed and his promise to bring back clean governance awakens recollections of the best of rural Buddhist Sri Lanka. Having said this however, cynicism remains in regard to his far from angelic associates. For instance, the Jathika Hela Urumaya and former government parliamentarians (Liberal, Muslim or otherwise) played a significant part in undermining the 17th Amendment even though they may now shout hoarsely to the contrary.

I recall vividly a heated conversation with one such crossover some years ago in Hulftsdorp when the Government’s throwing aside of the 17th Amendment was justified as being ‘necessary’ for political purposes. These same parliamentarians moreover raised their hand for the 18th Amendment and shamelessly voted for the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. Where were the conscientious objectors then?

Neither does the (intermittent) presence of others on the opposition platform serve to reassure us. Ex-Chief Justice Sarath Silva has thought it fit to raise one of his innumerable legal points recently, this time on the vulnerability of President Rajapaksa to impeachment if he is re-elected. But for the determination of this or any legal issue, we need an independent judiciary. What is the public trust placed in the Supreme Court tasked with looking into challenges? This ex-Chief Justice needs therefore to take a moment to reflect on the sordid political controversies that besieged his Court under the Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa presidencies which set the judiciary well on its way to its eventual decline.

Expectations of a different future
In the final result, days before this pivotal Presidential election, we are faced with an unenviable choice between a regime gone mad and a collection of crossovers repenting for past sins. The Government’s voter base will depend on recipients of the ‘patronage Presidency’ and those laboring under the illusion of gratefulness for post-war ‘peace.’ The opposition vote will be propelled by citizens who desperately want change to bring about social justice and the freeing up of democratic space. The one saving grace in this regard is opposition contender Maithripala Sirisena himself whose deft handling of the election podium and measured tolerance despite grave provocation and deadly attacks evokes praise.

Yet the spirit of collective resistance that is so clearly evidenced now in the Sinhalese polity should be continued post January polls regardless of whoever comes to power. Assuredly this demand, above all, is crucial.

Go Early To Your Polling Booths And Vote For Maithripala Sirisena: Northen Chief Wiggie

January 4, 2015

Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, the Chief Minister, Northern Province has today urged Tamil speaking people to vote for Maithripala Sirisena contesting under the Swan symbol.

Issuing a statement a short while ago he said; “Let me urge you my dear brothers and sisters to go early to your polling booths and vote for Maithripala Sirisena contesting under the Swan symbol and not let the undemocratic measures that the government will most likely take, discourage you. I am reliably informed that they are poised to hinder the vote and possibly target several of us but we must remain strong. I urge you to vote as you did at the Provincial Council Elections. Hold strong and may God give you courage.”

We publish below the statement in full;

My dear brothers and sisters,

We live in confusing times. Oppressed, threatened, intimidated and discriminated against. We are at crossroads where there is no clear sign of resolution of our travails. Which path do we charter? To vote for MR or MS or any other contestant or to boycott the Election. I have grappled with this question as much as you have and have come to the conclusion that we have only one option- to vote for the Common Candidate, Maithripala Sirisena contesting under the Swan symbol. I will lay my thinking before you in the hope that it may help my Tamil speaking brothers and sisters from the North and East, from the Upcountry, from Colombo or from any other part of the Country to make your decision.

At the outset I must say that the TNA as a coalition party has made a decision to support the common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. It is not important whether their decision is right or wrong. Even those who say it was a wrong decision have not come out openly and asked others to vote for Mahinda. Of course I do not refer to the nondescripts who fawn upon Mahinda. Why I refer to this fact is because we Tamils, have been fractured and disunited, which has helped successive groups of politicians to take advantage of and decimate us. In these trying times, we must remain united. Not voting as the TNA has urged would portray us as a divided group with no political power. We have to show that we are a power to be reckoned with; that parties that come to power in the South need us to build coalitions. Voting in numbers will give us that respect and political bargaining power.

Very cogent arguments have been made by several informed groups and even two of my own councillors asking you to vote according to your conscience and in opposition to the TNA call to vote for the Common Candidate. Noteworthy is that no one is asking you to vote for the incumbent President contesting for an anti-democratic third term. In fact, my friends at the Tamil Civil Society Forum have in their recent public announcement stated that the current regime is ferociously implementing a programme aimed at destroying the collective existence of the Tamil people.

You, my brothers and sisters, have witnessed and are witnessing the oppression first hand.

In those circumstances is it not obvious that we should vote against the incumbent to ensure our survival as an ancient and culturally cohesive group? Can we do that by boycotting the election, spoiling the vote or voting for the lesser candidates? No, we cannot. For a vote to be against the incumbent and for that vote to be worthwhile it has to be cast for the Common Candidate. Thus if we want to put an end to our immediate travails and prevent our group from being destroyed we must vote for the only other candidate who can win.

Many questions have been raised about the coalition partners supporting the Common Candidate and whether the Common Candidate himself will continue the subjugation and suppression of the collective rights of the Tamil speaking people.   The honest answer is we do not know for sure. But, we can say, that it will certainly be more difficult for him to do so. You must remember that he is a supported by a diverse coalition, including our Muslim brethren and the party led by Mano Ganesan largely supported by our Upcountry bretheren. He cannot therefore marginalise a particular group easily. His campaign is based on inclusiveness and democracy and therefore it will be very difficult for him to change it. He has also pledged to curb the authoritarian executive presidency and has put forward a credible plan to depoliticise the judiciary and the public service. That would go a long way in helping us vindicate our rights and fight against systematic discrimination. As long as we are faced with a dictatorship we can have no hope of a rights based solution. Opening up democratic space will help us speak to our Sinhalese brethren, who for the first time have understood what it is like to be under the heel of a dictator. They are in a position where they could understand our problems if the space opens up for discussion. The incumbent thrives on keeping us labelled as “terrorists” and there can be no hope of an exchange of ideas or building up of trust. Finally, the common candidate is a farmer’s son from Polonnaruwa who is aware of the problems of an agrarian society. He will be more likely to empathise with our concerns for land rights and our need to get back our agricultural lands.

Others are concerned that we will lose the momentum achieved in international fora. These people possibly fail to understand how these international fora work. Those processes will continue. They will only cease to operate if impartial domestic tribunals are set up and justice is obtained. If justice is obtained we have no reason to complain. It is because we don’t have faith in our domestic system that we seek support from the international community. Of course, given the current system the common candidate will face an uphill task in reinstating such faith, and until such time we will not give up our quest for justice. In any event Geneva would complete its assignment before we repair our Judiciary!

People have also voiced the concern that voting for the Common Candidate is a vote for the JHU, which is opposed to sharing of power with the Tamil speaking peoples. From a legal and moral perspective voting for a candidate who stands for multiple issues does not mean that you are supportive of all the issues of that candidate. This applies with stronger force when a person is supported by a diverse group with diverse interests. No one can claim that a vote for Maithripala Sirisena is a vote for the JHU. I see this as an opportunity to engage with members of the JHU who are committed to democracy and make them understand our problems.

Most importantly, a vote against the regime is a vote for democracy. We have said that the Sinhalese are suffering today because they turned a blind eye when we were being discriminated against and oppressed. We must not make the same mistake. We must show them that as Tamils, we will always support democratic processes and stand up to tyranny. We will win their respect and gratitude. Even if we don’t, our honour and dignity will remain unsullied.

Let me urge you my dear brothers and sisters to go early to your polling booths and vote for Maithripala Sirisena contesting under the Swan symbol and not let the undemocratic measures that the government will most likely take, discourage you. I am reliably informed that they are poised to hinder the vote and possibly target several of us but we must remain strong. I urge you to vote as you did at the Provincial Council Elections. Hold strong and may God give you courage.

Justice C.V.Wigneswaran

Chief Minister

Northern Province

The Truth About Ananthi Sasitharan

(Ananthi Sasitharan and her husband, LTTE political commissar  Sasitharan alias Ezhilan)

 by Sunanda Deshapriya-04/01/2015 

Ananthi Sasitharan has become a darling of Rajapaksa regime because of the call for Election boycott.

Now Rajaakasa regime has reinforced Ananthi’s call by unleashing a terror campaign to stop Northern Tamils voting. Strange bed fellows, isn’t it? Ananthi must be happy that Rajapaksa regime is following her call to boycott.

Rajapaksa regime’s plan is to block the anti Rajapaksa vote in the Northern Province and to get all pro Rajapaksa people to vote. EPDP and other Pro Rajapaksa groups might be able to mobilse around 20-30 percent of vote in Northern Province. They will not listen to Ananthi.

Rajapaksa knows that Tamil vote could be crucial in this election.

In 2005 he paid millions to the LTTE to enforce an election boycott. LTTE obliged. That is how Rajapaksa came to power in 2005. Tamils had to pay for the blunder, as whole world knows.

Now Ananthi Sasitharan has taken the same slogan as in 2005 and campaigning for a boycott.

Ananthi Sasitharan comes to Geneva Human Rights Council sessions regularly. Her trips are organised by one Bosco from France. At every session Bosco can be seen waking proudly with Annathi within the Palais des Nations , the UNHRC building in Geneva. Bosco keeps a close watch on her life a guardian.
This Bosco is a strange fellow. In 2012 he made a big fuss saying that he was beaten by a Tamil speaking group in close proximity of the Sri Lanka embassy in Geneva. He claimed that he was hospitalised as a result.

A good hearted European gentlemen, who is genuinely working for rights of Sri Lankan people took up his case and wanted to take some action. In one of the informal meetings he organised on this issue the question was raised whether is thee a hospital record and police complaint made. Bosco disappeared without providing any answers. That was the end of attack on Bosco.

Bosco is not part of any of the Tamil Diaspora groups and he is not invited to any of the discussions on Sri Lanka organised by Human Rights Groups. He is a lonely operator.

Some time back another Tamil gentlemen living in France, who has been to Geneva HRC at least two decades published an article questioning this Bosco’s credentials. He produced a photograph of this Bosco attending a meeting with EPDP leader Devananda in Jaffna and taking photographs. It was alleged that the meeting was a pro-Rajapaksa Tamil Diaspora group who were visiting Sri Lanka.

In June 2014 Bosco brought 5 people from Vanni to Geneva to attend the HRC session. He booked rooms at the Palais des Nations for 4 side events to be held on Sri Lanka. Out of four, three had to be cancelled for reasons better known to him and Ananthi only. Only one side event was held, with less than 10 participants. Ananthi was the main speaker.

Bosco seems to be having enough resource to coordinate lots activities, including trips, accommodation etc..

During the September session of the UNHRC, the Human Rights High Commissioner attend a side event to interact with NGO participants. In September 2014 it was the new High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein who participated in the side event. After the side event was over he shook hands with everyone. Ananthi Sasitharan too lined up for the occasion. Bosco was ready with the camera. Then the photograph was published with the caption: Ananthi Sasitharan meets New High Commissioner!

Number of UN documents on Sri Lanka has stated that LTTE is responsible for crimes against humanity. All the resolutions passed by the UNHRC on Sri Lanka too have condemned the LTTE for such crimes.

Now Ananthi says that ‘’ “Maithripala Sirisena is associated with a genocide, is someone I will be calling to face justice at the UN. Therefore I cannot ask our people to vote for him.”

Very good!

She needs to get Bosco to invite her for the 2015 March session of UNHRC and campaign for her position.

Before taking others before the UN, Annathi needs to tell the world about her husband, who was a LTTE leader himself.

What is the Ananthi Sasitharn’s position on LTTE crimes against humanity? She is making much noise about others; shouldn’t she make her position public on LTTE crimes against humanity before that?

This is the acid test for the human rights defenders like Ananthi Sasitharan. They will call for accountability only from others not from LTTE.

Ananthi’s position of election boycott is her democratic right.

But it is not difficult to understand her position will be advantages to Rajapaksa regime.

During the Northen provincial council election Ananthi’s residence was stoned. A prominent women’s human rights defender was altered by some one  in Jaffna. She immediately called a sympathetic minister in Rajapkasa cabinet and pleaded to take some action. Few minutes later Minister called back and said ‘ Don’t worry, No harm will happened to her, I called the boss, We want her to get more votes’’

So it is time for Ananthi Sasitharn to pay back Rajapaksa.
– Sunanda

Traitorous secret agreement between Basil and LTTE Transnational Eelam govt. P.M. Rudrakumaran exposed with evidence..

(Lanka-e-News -04.Jan.2015, 11.30PM) The secret e mail message sent by Sri Lanka’s Minister of economic development Basil Rajapakse to the Transnational Eelam government Prime Minister Rudrakumaran which is formed outside Sri Lanka ,that payments can be made at this election too just like at the Presidential elections 2005 , if the voters of the north can be made to boycott elections at least by 10 % , has been exposed ! Lanka e news inside information division has been able to lay hands on a true copy of this sly illicit e-mail message .

This e-mail was passed to the media by a group that has broken away from the LTTE Tamil diaspora. Following the defeat of the LTTE the Tamil Diaspora has got split up into about ten factions. Basil has written this mail to Rudrakumaran after the visit of Ramposa of South Africa to Sri Lanka (SL) who acted as the intermediary between the two parties .

Basil had mentioned in his letter that if 10 % votes of the Tamils can be obstructed successfully and boycott staged like how it was done in 2005 , the payments can be similarly made as before , and Rudrakumaran side can share that sum with father Emmanuel and Nedhiyawan .

Further, Basil has promised that this payment can be made in two parts either before or after the election. Ponniah of Udayan newspaper had joined in the propaganda activities regarding the election boycott , and he with KP are to do the needful towards that.

Basil had not only promised cash but also succumbed to other terms to please the LTTE . Among them is the re- settlement of the displaced people of Sampur; the reduction of high security zones after elections; and the implementation of the recommendations in the Maxwell Paranagama commission .

Going by the election boycott campaign that is being conducted in the north amidst military security by Anandi Sasitharan ,(wife of former LTTE leader Eleelan) a very strong ally of the LTTE , who is a provincial council member, jointly with Udayan newspaper , it is very evident that this mail message is true , and the monies have already been paid.

The Rajapakses have provided a brand new Prado intercooler vehicle with garage No. 002 /4 to Anandi since day before yesterday to engage in this campaign to canvass the election boycott.

A satellite phone too had been given to her , and Army Major Pathirane is in charge of her security detail . Since yesterday morning , 5 civil security police officers have also been added to her security detail by the government .

The e-mail clandestine traitorous message sent to the Prime minister of Transnational LTTE Eelam government , Rudrakumaran by no less a person than a high profile minister Basil Rajapakse who has betrayed and deluded the very people who elected him on the belief that he would serve them lawfully and honorably, is included herein.

---------------------------
by     (2015-01-04 23:25:15)

Voting Scenarios:Will it be third term and old politics, or a new President and new politics?

by Rajan Philips-January 3, 2015, 5:52 pm 

Mahinda Rajapaksa won the 2010 presidential election polling 58% of the votes against Sarath Fonseka’s 40%. All he needs to do to win this time is to manage the leaks from that high water mark and make sure that his share of the vote stays above the 50% mark. He won the 2005 election by a squeaker with 50.29% of the votes and a vote difference of 180,786 over Ranil Wickremesinghe. He knows a win is a win even if he manages just one vote over his third presidential rival in 10 years. The narrowest of win will be good enough for Mahinda Rajapaksa(MR) and he has the state machinery to clampdown on outcries of fraud and to start his third term under a worse cloud of controversy than he will end his second term.

Voting Scenario Will It Be Third Term and Old Politics, Or a New President and New Politics by Thavam Ratna

Mahinda Rajapaksa Should Gracefully Withdraw

By Laksiri Fernando -January 4, 2015

Dr. Laksiri Fernando

Mahinda Rajapaksa should withdraw, gracefully I must say, from the presidential race, not merely because he is losing, but because he has lost all credibility for contesting for a Third Term.

This election is an unwarranted one, an utter waste of money, energy and patience of the people. What was intended in the Constitution (1987) was for the incumbent to go for the full 6 years of the second-term, before he or she gracefully retires. But for some reason, Mahinda became so greedy and wanted a Third-Term and no term limit at all.

Who can say he is indispensable for the country?

Even the previous provisions in the Constitution were extravagant. Sri Lanka is the only country which has 6 years for one term. The norm is 4 years. In addition, JRJ opted to call for premature election after 4 years for the second term. He made provisions for it under the 3^rd Amendment. MR already utilized that provision in 2005.

Then MR wanted a premature election for a Third Term as well. That is the whole debacle of this election. The abuse of power and the abuse of constitutional provisions. In effect, what he is asking is another marathon 8 years. If MS wins, his term is limited to 6 years. What a disparity or discrimination. MS has already said that the term of the Head of State should be 4 years.

MR is already 69 years of age. He has already completed 10 years. He is visibly work fatigue. If he goes for another term, that means 18 years. He could easily become a puppet of one of his brothers, most probably the military one. Anything can happen during that time. Sri Lankan voters should be fools to give a blank cheque to such a person under such circumstances.

We all know how he won the 2005 election with a slender margin. That was thanks to (Mr.) Prabhakaran’s boycott generosity. Not that MR was necessarily bad at that time. However, people probably wanted a change after experiencing a UPFA president since 1994. This was prevented by the Tamil voter boycott.

However, he did a good job in defeating terrorism and the LTTE. Also some development. People paid their gratitude by electing him by a big majority in 2010. Then he soon betrayed their trust. He said in his manifesto that he would be a Trustee. But he didn’t keep that trust of the trustee. He didn’t make any indication that he would go for another or a Third Term at that election. People assumed that it would be his last term.

Read More

Intimidation And Threat In This Presidential Election

| by Rifai

( January 5, 2015, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Democracy is all about people’s free will to choose their political leader. It is all about people’s choice and power. People are the foundation of democratic communities. If Mahinda is rejected by people he should be ready to leave his presidency with human dignity and respect as we have seen all other political leaders in the world. Indeed we have seen our former presidents evacuated the office of presidency with respect and dignity. Yet, Mahinda seems that he wants to stay on power until he dies or someone in his family inherits him. That was the crafty plan of Mahinda. Yet, people have rejected him and people want to bring back the democratic values into Sri Lanka once again. Yet, Mahinda and his supporters do not see like that. In order cling into power Mahinda supporters have been unleashing violence across the country. They think that through violence they could win this election and yet, it will backfire on them soon. This is an utter wrong miscalculation. You cannot bully people in this modern world.

All election forecasts tell us that Maithri will win this election overwhelmingly with a landslide victory. People in north want openly says that they want to see a political change in Sri Lanka and people in South are eager to see a change in politics in Sri Lanka.

People have been intimidated and threated in this election in very part of the country. Opposition party members have intimidated the supporters of Maithri all over the country. Sometime supporters of Maithri have been attacked and physically injured. They use the bullying tactics to obstruct people coming to Maithri’s meetings. Yet, Mahinda supporters failed to realise this was an utter failure and mind sets of losing party. The more they intimidate the more support Maithri will get. People will cast their protest votes in this situation. By these types of action and behaviours Mahinda will lose more votes. This will create a wrong perception in the minds of people. If you cannot win the hearts and minds of people how could you will win the votes of people? You cannot force people to vote for you rather you have to convince people to vote for you and yet, actions and behaviours of some Mahinda supporters have been bad. So how could they win votes? I think that these people have done great damage for Mahinda by their actions and attitudes. These attacks on Maithri supporters would have won thousands of sympathy votes for Maithri.

It has been reported that more than 900 election related violent incidents have been taken place in recent days. Post –and pre-election related violence has dramatically increased in recent times. Sometime post-election related violent acts are more revengeful. Victorious people have a habit of revenging the defeated party members. This takes place in many forms and ways. Sometimes, soon after the election result is declared, the members of party who won the election attack the properties and houses of defeated party members. Sometimes government officials of defeated party are transferred for remote areas as an act of a political revenge. This uncultured and uncivilised violence should be stopped. We are now living in this modern world of information revolution. These types of violent acts will tarnish the good name of Sri Lanka among international community. Such acts of violence do not bring any good for any one in Sri Lanka.

In this presidential election alone so far, we have seen dramatic increase in violence. It is really shame for Sri Lanka. It is reported more 90% of violent acts are perpetrated by ruling party with the support of security forces. The security forces are in delicate situations. It is difficult for them to maintain neutrality in these case. If they do not support the ruling party members they will be punished.

In some places, police and security officers could not prevent the perpetrators of violence. Today, all political meetings are video recorded by modern technical devices. So it is not difficult to collect evidence and proof. It is pathetic that political parties are bias when they deal with the perpetrators of these violence. The ruling party will never punish the perpetrators of violent acts from their party members. After all, it is in the name of president they are doing these all violence.

Yesterday, Maithri’s meeting was pelted with stone and more than 6 people are injured. This is unpreceded level of violence in this election. Many more violent incidents took place in recent time across the country. MR supporters physically attacked opposition party members. CKB meeting in Beruwala was attacked, Maithri’s meeting stage was burned down in Galle, monks from MR supporters attacked a group of monks from Maithri supporters in Polannaruwa, and artists were attacked in Kurunagale. Likewise, barbaric attacks are still continuing. Most of these attacks are being carried out by MR and co supporters. The perpetrators of these violence must be punished.

All election forecasts tell us that Maithri will win this election overwhelmingly with a landslide victory. People in north want openly says that they want to see a political change in Sri Lanka and people in South are eager to see a change in politics in Sri Lanka. I think that more 70% people in Sri Lanka are eager to see a change. It is people’s verdict on him and Mahinda should be ready to accept this people’s choice. It is not his fault his family and friends messed him around this time. He should blame himself for his heedlessness and sloppiness. His second term is full of corruption and wastage. No pterionic Lankan will accept this type of ineptitude from any leader. He should a big heart to accept defeat and leave his office with respect and dignity. In politics success and failures are unescapable. So we hope that MR will accept his fate soon. 

We will see a vibrant leader soon in Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksas are US citizens; they carry out a contract here

SUNDAY, 04 JANUARY 2015

Those who are in Rajapaksa regime do not want the country to be a unitary state. Gotbhaya, Basil, Dallas, Chandima Rasaputhra do not expect to live in this country for long. That’s why they have houses in the USA. They are US citizens and have been here for 9 years. However, they have not given up their US citizenship. Every now and then they run to the USA to renew their citizenships. They are carrying out a contract in this country. They buy houses in the USA with the money they get from the contract. Their motherland is the USA. That’s why they need Rajapaksa to win the election,” said the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka.

Rajapaksas Are US Citizens They Carry Out a Contract Here by Thavam Ratna