Sarath Weerasekara, a retired Rear Admiral for Sri Lanka’s Navy and Rajapaksa ally, has called for the abolition of the 19^th amendment following a successful bid for the Colombo District during the parliamentary elections where he gained the highest preferential votes.

Weerasekara attacked the 19^th amendment claiming that the commissions established under it “crippled the powers of public sector employees” and “curtailed the powers of the President”.

Following the landslide victory by the Rajapaksa’s in the country’s parliamentary election, which they effectively secured a two-thirds majority, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns that the country’s leadership is “waging a campaign of fear and intimidation against human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, and others challenging government policy”.

The Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) M A Sumanthiran responded to what he called “very strange” allegations of vote-rigging this morning, as controversy continued over a dramatic late night recount in an intra-party battle over preferential votes, that saw Sri Lankan troops attack Tamils in Jaffna.

In this interview, we speak to the leader of the Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who won a seat in Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections yesterday.

We discuss the path forward for international accountability, Tamil-Muslim politics, the role of the Tamil diaspora and his response to criticism the party has faced in the past.

In this interview, we speak to the leader of the Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK), the former Supreme Court Justice and former Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C. V. Wigneswaran, who won a seat in Sri Lanka's parliamentary elections yesterday.

We discuss the prospects of international justice, Tamil-Muslim unity, economic development and his response to criticism over his tenure as Chief Minister of the Northern Province.

Hanspeter Mock, the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka joined other states in congratulating the Rajapaksa brothers on their victory in yesterday's parliamentary elections. 

He tweeted: 

The Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Trine Joranli Eskedal also tweeted:

Congratulations to the people of Sri Lanka on a peaceful parliamentary election. We are looking forward to continuing our cooperation in economic development, democracy and reconciliation for all. 

Sasikala Raviraj, widow of assassinated MP Raviraj and a TNA candidate for Jaffna in the recent parliamentary elections, has called on Illankai Tamil Arasu Kacchi (ITAK) leader, Mavai Senathirajah and the Election Commissioner (EC) to investigate the recount of preferential votes in Jaffna, last night.

The statue of former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian and human rights lawyer, Nadarajah Raviraj was covered with several different cloths following a recount controversy involving two TNA candidates in Jaffna last night. 

Nadarajah Raviraj’s statue in Chavakachcheri was covered in black cloth on his face and red and yellow cloth on the bottom half of his statue this morning.

^{Photo: Twitter/@GotabayaR}

Police Legal Division Director SSP Ruwan Gunasekara, said that rallies and parades are banned until a week after the results of the parliamentary elections are announced.

He said, “according to Sections 69 and 70 of the Parliamentary Elections Act” the ban has been enacted to “maintain peace after the election.”

Gunasekara urged the public to respect those laws and maintain peace during the post-election period, adding that action will be taken to non-compliers.