Ganeshan addressing a news conference at the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo, responding to a question that there was a strong tendency that the TNA would forward a Tamil candidate, he stated that it was too early to comment on it, but in the event they forward a Tamil candidate, the DPF would request the Tamils in the North and East to cast their second preferential vote to Gen. Fonseka.

Ganeshan expressed confidence that Gen. Fonseka would win the Presidential election adding that President Rajapaksa’s vote base had eroded over the last few months as he had not been able to address the main grievances of the Tamil speaking people.

The Supreme Court yesterday advised the Attorney General to submit, for court perusal, a confidential assessment report of the security granted to General Sarath Fonseka, subsequent to his retirement from the posts of Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of Defence Staff.Security granted to Fonseka at present will remain the same till December 11, 2009 the next date of hearing. The fundamental rights violation application filed by Fonseka, complaining that his security was inadequate was supported in Court yesterday by Romesh de Silva, PC.

The Counsel said that Gen. Sarath Fonseka had been the Army Commander for four and a half years. During that time, most of the LTTE leaders, including Prabhakaran had been killed. Fonseka’s life was under LTTE threat. The State recognized the need for security of persons under threat from the LTTE. The State provided0 adequate security to the widow of Lakshman Kadirgarmar and to the retired Navy Commander, Vasantha Karannagoda, the Court was told.

Responding to The Island queries at his inaugural press conference at the JAIC Hilton, Fonseka said that legislation should be introduced to block crossovers. UPFA National List MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who had clashed with the SLFP leadership over its failure to act on COPE findings, yesterday accepted UNP membership and received the post of Organiser for Maharagama. (Read More)

Opposition parties have taken the January 26 Presidential Election as a challenge and they are confident of winning it, Attanayake said, adding that a new government will also be formed after the general elections to be held by April.

He said that Presidential candidates from registered political Parties should hand in their deposits of Rs. 50,000. Others had to deposit Rs. 75,000 before 12 noon of December 16, 2009.He said that the accepting of nominations would take place on December 17 between 9.00 and 11.00 a.m. and persons could file their objections to the Commissioner of Elections on the same day between 9.00 and 11.30 a.m.

Mayor L. B. Aluwihare presided."Victory over the LTTE terrorism is not a one-man show. Credit must go to several actors including President Mahinda Rajapaksa", Sena Dissanayake, a Senior Municipal Councillor said.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is currently looking at five options to be taken at the upcoming Presidential election, but the final stand is to be decided at the Parliamentary group meeting scheduled for next week, party sources said.

Party sources said that one section of the TNA has highlighted that they should talk to the two main candidates and support one of them while some others are pressing to field a Tamil candidate representing the party with the possible support of other likeminded Tamil parties.   

A second source said some TNA MPs do not want to   support of any of the two main candidates,

 but leave it open for the Tamil people to decide.  There are views within the TNA that they should campaign for Candidate Wickramabahu Karunaratne identified by them as a person who has espoused Tamil aspirations throughout history. (Read More)

The Election Secretariat said yesterday 1.95 million voters in the 2008 electoral register which is the official electoral register that will be used for the January 26 presidential election had not disclosed their national identity card numbers and they must apply for a temporary ID card before January 15, 2010 if they do not posses a national identity card card.

The Elections Commissioner has also made arrangements for displaced voters in the Jaffna District who live in and around Colombo to cast their votes at a nearby polling station.

Those who are eligible for this facility must check the Jaffna Electoral register which is in display now at the Wellawatte Post Office. They can obtain the relevant information and forms from the same place, Mr. Dissanayaka said.

The Elections Secretariat will set up 10,857 polling stations at 14,093 Grama Niladari Divisions in 160 electorates for the January 16 Presidential Election for 14,088,500 voters, a senior official of the Elections Secretariat said yesterday. (Read More)

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday that the next Presidential election is the second chapter of the second independent struggle which is going to be held on January 26. The first independent struggle was the  defeat of terrorism, he said.

Addressing a Special Convention of the National Freedom Front at the Sugathadasa stadium MP Weerawansa said that the government expects to develop the country’s economy, Buddhist heritage, the education sector and reduce unemployment. .......... (Read More)

Of some 300,000 men, women and children displaced at the end of war in May, about 120,000 remained in government-run welfare camps in the North.

Northern Province Governor Major General (retd) G. A. Chandrasiri yesterday told The Island that those still at welfare centres were given the freedom of movement effective Tuesday (December 1).

A senior government official told The Island that the government also welcomed Elections Commi-ssioner Dayananda Dissanayake’s decision to invite foreign personnel, including European Union representatives to monitor the presidential as well as parliamentary polls. (Read More)