Tamil organisations across the world called on the international community to recognise that both candidates in the Sri Lankan presidential election have rejected a United Nations investigation into mass atrocities and offered no political solution to the Tamil people. In a joint New Year message, 63 organisations pledged to work towards “dignity, freedom, justice, and peace” for the Tamil nation, adding they were hopeful the upcoming United Nations investigation into mass atrocities “will lead to accountability and remedial justice for genocide, war-crimes, and crimes against humanity committed against the Tamil people.” The statement went on to add, “As the Sinhala leaders campaign for the next Sri Lankan Presidential election scheduled for January 8th 2015, the International Community should be cognizant of the belligerent declarations by both major Sinhala candidates against the OISL investigation."
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa warned that “powerful countries” were attempting to destroy Sri Lanka, in an apparent reference to the United States. Rajapaksa, who is also brother of incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa, said “powerful countries always try to destroy countries which attempt to be sovereign by rejecting colonisation and slavery.” Speaking at an event in Avissawella, Rajapaksa went on to reference events in Iraq, Korea and Vietnam, implying that the United States had attempted to “destroy” these countries. “We saw this happening in Iraq during the...
Reiterating her refusal to tow the party line and endorse the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, the Northern Provincial councillor, Ananthi Sasitharan said she could not ask the Tamil people to vote for someone who was responsible for the genocide of the Tamil people. Stating that she went to the people and asked them to vote for me in order to voice the aspirations of homeland, nation and self-determination. Given this, it would be wrong for me to go and ask them now to vote for someone else. "Maithri was the minister responsible for defence during the end of the armed conflict in Mullivaikkal when most of the genocide [of the Tamil people] took place," Ananthi told journalists at a press briefing on Saturday.
Gunshots were fired at an opposition rally as Maithripala Sirisena left the stage on Saturday. The shots were fired at the stage after a clash between ruling party supporters and opposition supporters broke out. The UNP MP of the North Central Province Janaka Samarasinghe was injured during the shooting and admitted to hospital reports, Colombo Page .
A third Northern Provincial Council member has voiced his dissent over the Tamil National Alliance's (TNA) decision said the party should not have endorsed either candidate. Stating that both candidates did not represent the Tamil people's interests M. K. Shivajilingham told journalists at a press briefing on Saturday that he had called for the TNA to be silent and let the Tamil people decide what to do. "That bus has already gone however," he added. "They have decided to endorse Maithri and there is no point in signalling for a bus that has already departed." "I have no more to say on this now. I had previously said let us be silent and let the people decide, but now they [TNA] have announced [their support for Maithri]." "However at least now, lets acknowledge and ensure that our political decisions take into account our strengths: the Tamil Nadu people and our Tamil diaspora."
Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena said that he is a “patriot” of Sri Lanka, stating he was the Acting Defence Minister during the final days of the armed conflict in May 2009. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Maithri assured readers he is a “patriot” saying, “I was the Minister in Charge of Defence during the last two weeks of the war in which most of the leaders of the LTTE were killed with General Fonseka at the helm of the Army.” “Prior to that I have acted as the Minister of Defence five times during the height of the war.”
Sri Lanka’s incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa has called on the Tamil people of the North-East to vote for him in the upcoming presidential elections, calling himself “the known devil”. Speaking in Jaffna through an interpreter, Rajapaksa said , "The devil you know is better than the unknown angel… I am the known devil, so please vote for me."
Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry slammed the European Union (EU) after it called on the government to conduct elections without “fear and violence” on Friday. In response to the EU call, Sri Lanka released a statement saying, "Domestic elections are not for foreign government representatives to be prescriptive about, that too, a few days ahead of the polls." The statement went on to say, “It is therefore surprising that the EU Heads of Mission in Colombo should have resorted to a press statement on an issue of a strictly domestic nature. Such an initiative could bring into question the bona-fides and objectivity of their intervention.”
The body of a family man was found in a house in Kanakarayankulam region in Vavuniya district on Thursday evening, reports Uthayan . The man, identified as a 37 year old father of three, named Deni, was originally from Maharampaikulam and worked as a mason in Kanakarayankulam for a long time. He was found dead by a neighbour who went out to his house to see him. Kanakarayankulam Police are reportedly investigating the death.
Photograph Uthayan The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) began campaigning for the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena in Batticaloa district on Thursday.