Protesters yesterday called a press conference at the Hotel Nippon where they attacked the Opposition over the media ban. A spokesperson told The Island that rebels had no right to call a press conference on behalf of the National Forum of Journalists. (Read More)

Fonseka had alleged abusive, unfair publicity by these institutions.

Upul Jayasuriya, counsel for Fonseka, consequently said he would file an amended petition.

Justice Shirani Tilakawardene and Justice N G Amaratunga: Did you think we will not read and detect these mistakes. Please correct the mistakes and come.

The Court granted time till Friday for the amendments.

The three media institutions are the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation the ITN and the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. (Read More)

The United National Front yesterday requested Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to appoint a Competent Authority to monitor the government controlled media during the Presidential Election campaign.

Deputy Leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya said, at a news conference in Colombo, that the State media was violating all norms of independent reporting and needs to be checked.

"We request the Elections Commissioner to appoint a Competent Authority, who can ensure that the government controlled media gives equal coverage to all candidates contesting the Presidential Poll. The character assassination of our common candidate General Sarath Fonseka should be halted," he said. "We also appeal to the Commissioner to ensure that UPFA politicians, including Hudson Samarasinghe and Sudarman Radaliyagoda, are not given control of electronic media news dissemination, until the election is over. (Read More)

Nominations for the sixth Presidential election will be received by Elections Commissioner Dayanada Dissanayaka at the Elections Secretrariat at Rajagiriya today with a total of 23 candidates – 18 from political parties and five independents – making their deposits by 12 noon yesterday, including the two leading candidates, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gen. Sarath Fonseka.

Candidates from registered political parties are required to deposit Rs. 50,000 while an independent candidate has to deposit Rs. 75,000. Deposits will be forfeited if a candidate failed to obtain a minimum 1/8 of the total valid votes polled, Election Secretariat spokesman said.

An independent candidate contesting the Presidential election must be either a sitting member or a former member of Parliament to be eligible to contest. (Read More)

This is the CaFFE letter to the Election Commissioner protest against the biased LIVE coverage on Presidential Nominations.

After handing over the deposit, Mr. Sivajilingam told the Daily Mirror that he would solicit the support of all TNA MPs for his candidature.

 “I am not concerned about the party’s decision. I have decided to contest independently. TNA MP N. Sri Kantha also accompanied me to hand over the deposit,” he said. (Read More)

Political parties contesting the Presidential Election in 2010 have been instructed to remove all posters, banners and cutouts of their Presidential candidates by December 17. Police stations around the island have been instructed to remove any remaining cutouts and banners after December 17, said Western Province senior DIG Nimal Mediwaka.

However, police said that cutouts which did not carry an election or party related symbol would not be removed as they would not violate election laws. Police media spokesman SSP I.M Karunaratne said

this when asked by journalists whether some major cutouts in the city were not in violation of election laws.

“We have informed all the candidates to start removing their cutouts and banners. It will be easy for the police to continue the process of removing them. The police will take all necessary measures and special programme will be carried out to remove them in an efficient way unlike in other previous elections,” he said. (Read More)

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday that the recent statement reportedly made by General Sarath Fonseka that the Defence Secretary had ordered the killing of LTTE leaders who offered to surrender has led to a war crimes investigation that is to be prepared against Sri Lanka.

He said that soon after General Fonseka made the controversial statement, a great amount of discussion took place in the international sphere. “The BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera have highlighted this careless statement of his. This statement was made with the aim of depicting the President in a negative way. However, what such statements would do is harm the country and the future Governments of Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Minister said that General Fonseka had done this in an attempt to fulfil his own political aspirations. (Read More)

The Opposition’s Common Candidate General Sarath Fonseka signed nomination papers for the upcoming Presidential Election at his political office in Colombo 7, last morning.

Members of the two main opposition parties supporting General Fonseka - the UNP and the JVP - were present at the occasion along with leaders of the major religions.

The General called on the people not to get hoodwinked by the mud-slinging campaign being carried out by certain parties to bring disrepute to his name and the services he had rendered to the armed forces and the country.

“Certain people are trying to tarnish my name by misinterpreting what I say, but I ask the people of this country not to consider these accusations but help me to go forward and keep my promises,” he said. (Read More)