Common Opposition candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka yesterday said whatever he does as the President of this country-if he got elected -would be done with the approval of the Parliament.

Addressing a meeting organized by UNP led Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya at Sirikotha yesterday Gen. Fonseka reiterated that he would not be a ceremonial president but would have some powers to monitor the actions of the government to determine whether they are directed towards the betterment of the people. “I will use these powers with the Approval of the House,” he said. (Read More)

The Opposition Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka will declare his assets to the Elections Commissioner when he hands over his nomination papers for the election – on December 17, 2009 –said his Co-Media Spokesman Anura Kumara Dissanayake MP (JVP) yesterday.

Gen. Fonseka will hand over his deposit for the election to the Elections Commissioner today.

Addressing the first media conference organised by the Common Candidate’s Media Office, Mr. Dissanayake said that the elimination of terrorism was only the first phase of ensuring the future progress of the country. He said democracy should be established and strengthened in the second phase.

Mr. Dissanayake said that this task had been launched by the Common Candidate who had led the war against terrorism to a successful completion.  He said that the Constitution was being blatantly violated in this country today. He alleged that even judicial orders were ignored.  (Read More)

The Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFÉ) warned yesterday that non marking of national identity card numbers of 2.6 million voters in the electoral lists would lead to rigging at the upcoming presidential election. CaFFÉ media spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon told a news conference yesterday that most of the voters whose identity card numbers were missing from the lists were from North and the East.

Mr. Tennakoon said the Department of Registration of Persons should make a note of this and determine whether these persons were without the identity cards.

He said the only solution for this problem was to issue temporary identity cards for these persons. However, Mr. Tennakoon explained it was questionable as to how these identity cards could be issued in time for the presidential election as there was only 46 days more for the election. (Read More)

However, if the government wants them to observe the polls, his party would not oppose it, JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told The Island.

There will be over 8,000 polling booths in Sri Lanka. "According to the government, there will be about 20 international monitors coming. The question is how are they going to monitor all polling the booths in the country," he said. (Read More)

While TNA leader R. Sampanthan, MP and Democratic Peoples Front leader Mano Ganeshan, MP are engaged in discussions on extending their support to the common Opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka, Vanni District parliamentarian Shivanathan Kishore and two other TNA MPs are in favour of supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

M. K. Sivajilingam, MP has declared that in the event of any TNA parliamentarians not entering the fray, he would contest the election.

The presidential election is conducted under a preferential voting system. The voter can mark three preferences as 1, 2, & 3 in the ballot paper according to his/her wish. The candidate, if any, who receives more than one-half of the first preference, is declared elected as President.  Where no candidate has received more than one-half of the first preference, candidates who received the highest and second highest number of such votes will stay in the competition and other candidates will be eliminated from the competition. (Read More)

The Police Inspector of Rattota Police who brought a person before court with the charge that he had disfigured a photograph of the President was severely reprimanded by the Additional District Magistrate of Matale Saliya Perera and warned that Court would keep the conduct of Rattota Police under surveillance, specially during the election period.

After releasing H.M. Abeyratne of Madurawala, Rattota who had been produced by Rattota Police on a charge of disfiguring a photograph of President Mahinda Rajapakse, Magistrate Saliya Perera addressing the open court asked the police whether a person could be charged for such an offence under clause 418 in penal code.

The Magistrate said the law of the country is same for every citizen and asked the police not to take judicial powers into their hands. He said there is no bias for colour or political party in Court and added that President is only another individual in Court. The Magistrate warned the Inspector of Police not to lose the respect of the uniform by acting against the penal code.

Members of the JVP who were engaged in propaganda campaign of the common candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka have been attacked at several places yesterday (9th) night and today (10th) morning states the media unit of the JVP.

According to the media unit of the JVP a group of JVP supporters and members engaged in the election campaign at a place between Maradana police station and the flyover was attacked by policemen who had arrived in several police vehicles. One of the vehicles has been identified as a blue coloured double cab bearing Re. No. LF 0644.

At Narahenpita another group of JVP members who were pasting posters have been attacked by a group of thugs and later the thugs have run for protection to CTB dept at Narahenpita. The Minister of Transport is behind this group of thugs who have been deployed to attack those who engage in election campaign of the opposition.

A group of thugs who had arrived in a brown coloured dolphin van had attacked a group of JVP members travelling in a three wheeler near St. Bridget’s Convent at Colombo 7.

A group of members of the JVP engaged in election campaign at Gunasinghepura has been attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van.

Another group engaged in propaganda work at Thunmulla junction at High-level Road was attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van.

A group of JVP members engaged in election campaign at Minuwangoda has been attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a red coloured double cab belonging to the Road Development Board (RDB). A motor cycle belonging to JVP members had been severely damaged in the incident.

Another group of JVP members has been attacked at Weliweriya by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van belonging to RDA. The JVP member Jagath Priyadharshan who was severely injured in the incident has been admitted to Ragama hospital. A complaint No. E 01/07 has been lodged at Weliweriya Police regarding this incident.

Members of the JVP engaged in propaganda work for the presidential election at Meewithigammana Junction at Attanagalle were attacked by thugs who had arrived in two white vans. One van did not have a number plate while the number plate of the other had been covered. JVP members Samanpriya Laksiri and Wasanthe Wijekumara who were injured in the incident have been admitted to Wathupitiwala Hospital.