SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem told The Island yesterday that he along with his party Secretary General had an hour long meeting with Issadeen on Thursday night. Hakeem also said that Issadeen would address the election rally of Sarath Fonseka at Ampara on Monday(18).

The following is the full text of a statement issued by the Janata Party: It is surprising that some representatives of the defunct LTTE terrorist floated Tamil National Alliance (TNA) are in India canvassing support of Tamils of India for Opposition candidate General Fonseka in the Presidential elections in Sri Lanka. Polling date is January 26th.No Indian concerned for the welfare of Tamils of Sri Lanka and their future can support any candidate who has on, his side the LTTE stooge outfit the TNA which seeks a separate Eelam.

The UNP’s Polonnaruwa District leader, Earl Gunasekera, MP, addressing a news conference in Colombo, produced video evidence of a UPFA mob, led by Minister Sirisena, his thugs and some members of the STF, physically preventing a group of UNP demonstrators from proceeding to the 28th mile post on the Polonnaruwa road, where opposition meetings are usually held."A few days before Minister Sirisena led the assault on us, he publicly proclaimed that no green flag would be permitted to be displayed in Polonnaruwa. Having kept his promise on January 13th,he is now trying to get 12 of our leaders arrested, on a false charge of damaging public property."

The postman had told the police that the polling cards were snatched away from him. Kadugannawa police, in the course of investigation, found that the polling cards were hidden by the postman himself.

Karunaratne, one of the 22 candidates in the presidential election fray, believes there is absolutely no difference between Rajapaksa and Fonseka, fielded by the UNP-JVP-SLMC-TNA-Mano Ganeshn combine.

Responding to The Island queries, the veteran politician said that both were equally responsible for the death and destruction caused during the war and nothing could be as ridiculous as expecting them to settle the national problem. He said that the international community was gunning for them over war crimes though it steadfastly had backed the Sri Lankan offensive against the LTTE

A presidential candidate Rev. Battaramulle Seelarathna thero announced his withdrawal from the Sri Lankan presidential race on Thursday in order to support the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa.  

Rev. Battaramulle Seelarathana, one of the 22 candidates in the Jan.26 poll told reporters that people must support Rajapaksa against the main challenger, former Army chief General Sarath Fonseka.  "The president finished the war and liberated this country from terrorism so people need to appreciate it," Seelarathana said.   He said he was withdrawing in support of Rajapaksa.   Seelarathana came forward from his party, the Janasetha Peramuna or the Front for Public Welfare.

The Presidential Secretariat issuing a statement said the government will not tolerate any acts of violence against civilians, politicians, local and international observers and journalists in the current situation.

"Action has already been taken to apprehend those responsible for this violence and the attack on the journalist, and make them face the full force of the law," the statement said.

"The Government will not allow anything to undermine this historic election, the first since the end of a quarter of a century of organized terrorism in Sri Lanka – under which free and fair elections were regularly obstructed – and the people in all areas of the country now have the freedom to participate in the electoral process," it added.