Cabinet spokesman Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said that the truth remained un-assailed and undamaged whatever General Fonseka said or did in his vendetta against the Rajapaksas and the government. (Read More)

According to Senior DIG in charge of the Secretariat Gamini Nawaratne, not a single major incident had been reported so far. He said that all parties in the Presidential race were sticking to rules and regulations, except for minor violations.

Nawaratne said additional road blocks have been set up and Police patrolling has been intensified to ensure smooth campaigning.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he will never allow anyone to destroy the people’s democratic right to elect their representatives through the exercise of their franchise without let or hindrance.

As much as he liberated the Motherland from cruel terrorism, he will dedicate himself to protect and safeguard democracy in this country for the benefit of the future generation.

He said so addressing a group of nearly 3,000 UNP supporters in the Kandy district who crossed over to the SLFP to support his candidature at a meeting held at President’s House in Kandy on Wednesday. The President who said that it was the duty of UNPers to safeguard democracy, said the present leaders of the grand old party with a history of 60 years had betrayed democracy for petty selfish gain. The President said that while he was there to protect and safeguard democracy in the SLFP and the UPFA, the UNP had no leader to protect democracy in that party as all its leaders had betrayed democracy. (Read More)

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has instructed senior government officials including Ministry Secretaries not to make media statements advantageous or disadvantageous to any of the candidates in the fray, officials said.   

The instruction has also been issued by the Commissioner in a gazette notification to the Central Bank Governor, commanders of the three armed forces and the IGP as well. According to the regulations, none of these officials could participate in TV programmes and talk shows as well.

The copies of this circular had been sent to Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and all the Ministry Secretaries. (Read More)

An official Government response has not been sent to the letter written by Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday.

He refuted the statement made by the Disaster Management and Human Rights Secretary Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha which indicated that a reply had already been sent.  On Monday Prof. Wijesinha forwarded to the Daily Mirror a draft letter which he intended on sending to the UN Special Rapporteur and confirmed the following day that the letter was sent.  War crimes:  Govt. reply not sent yet “I sent it this morning,” he told a private TV station. (Read More)

The process of removing cut-outs, banners and other election propaganda material is progressing slowly with policemen still being used to fulfill the task, DIG Gamini Navaratne who is in charge of election activities, said.

As the cost of removing all the propaganda material is being estimated at Rs.12 million, the police have decided to deploy policemen to carry out the task. Delays in removing such material have to be faced, he said.

Earlier Senior DIG Nimal Mediwaka said two labourers would be provided to each police station to be assigned the job of removing the propaganda material.

JVP parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha yesterday challenged the Editor of the news paper that published a statement reported to have been made by the common opposition Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka on betraying the armed forces, to provide any proof of Gen. Fonseka having actually said it.    

Addressing the 11th convention of the Inter Company Employees Union   JVP parliamentarian K.D Lalkantha said that the newspaper reported that “Common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka says Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed a key ground commander in the north that all LTTE leaders must be killed and not allowed to surrender”.

“If Sarath Fonseka had made such a statement, that is totally wrong and that is betraying the armed forces. But he denied the statement”, Lalkantha said. The former editor of the same newspaper had reordered the telephone conversations between the editor and himself during the period of trade union activities.  (Read More)

The TNA recently met with the Opposition candidate explore ways and means of reaching a pre-poll agreement. The MP said that at a meeting held on Tuesday (Dec 22) they decided to seek a meeting with the President to discuss their proposals.

He has said that if District Secretaries found it necessary to attend such meetings they would need to obtain prior approval from him.

This instruction has been given since all District Secretaries would function as returning officers during the election.