The UNP executive committee that met this morning also discussed the problem of the party nominations for Monaragala district.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the media later that the leader of the district team ex-MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and the deputy leader Ananda Kumarasiri are under the probe.

Nihal Chandrasiri was appointed as the acting district organizer for Monaragala district while a disciplinary investigation is carried out properly, he said. (Read More)

Addressing a press conference, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that his party was concerned about possible election malpractices at this election, and therefore the presence of foreign monitors would be important.

Mr. Attanayake said that the party would launch its election manifesto on March 16 outlining fresh measures to bring down the cost of living.

Meanwhile, UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara told Parliament during the debate on the extension of the state of emergency that the election authorities had planned to import paper from India to print ballot papers. (Read More)

The UNP members of the Western Provincial Council is to request party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to look into the omission of provincial councilor C. Y. P. Ram’s name from the party’s Colombo District list for the upcoming general election in April.

A resolution in this regard was passed at the group meeting of the UNP Western Provincial Council members last morning prior to yesterday’s sessions.

UNP Member of the Provincial Council Sujeewa Senasinghe who moved the resolution had said such irregularities would affect the party. He was of the opinion that the opportunity which the party has to win the Colombo District at the coming general election will be affected by such a move.

They were also of the opinion that the party should do justice to Mr.Ram.

All the members who were present at the group meeting has approved this resolution according to sources.

It has been reported that party leader Ranil Wickremesighe had assured Mr. Ram that he would be UNP’s mayoral candidate for Colombo at the next local government election in 2011

Parliament was reconvened yesterday on a presidential proclamation to pass the emergency regulations for a further period of one month.They switched their allegiance to the government and accepted ministerial portfolios during the presidential election period. Subsequently, the UNP expelled them from the party. However, the two dissidents went to court against their expulsions. 

However, after the dissolution of Parliament on February, they withdrew their cases as the Supreme Court dismissed the cases. (Read More)

People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) spokesman Rohana Hettiarachchi said he personally visited several districts and a large amount of propaganda material is still on display.  “I visited several districts in the Southern province and through the observations it was evident that although the posters were removed, the cut-outs and the banners were remaining,” he added. 

Hettiarachchi asserted that the reason behind the tendency to leave out the cut-outs and banners could be the political pressure on the authorities responsible of removing the propaganda material. “We also noticed that the majority of the material belonged to the candidates contesting from the ruling party.”  (REad More)

Transparency International  Sri Lanka reiterated yesterday it would carry out monitoring duties regarding the usage of state resources during the upcoming parliamentary election campaign, despite opposition it may face from government as stated in a report by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, spokesperson for Transparency International, Shan Wijayatunga said it would continue its work during the forthcoming elections, as it had done at the presidential election. 

Commenting on a report on the AHRC website which stated government was campaigning against the organization and was planning an arrest of its Executive Director J C Weliamuna, the spokesperson said they had not been directly approached as yet, and they had become aware of the threat only after reading the report themselves. (Read More)

She alleged that the Commissioner had made conflicting statements when he announced the results of the January 26 Presidential election.

Rosia Senanayake, who is also the opposition leader of the Western Provincial Council, said that she is not "fighting" for preferential votes as Colombo District voters know that she stands for the truth, freedom, democracy, dignity of women and against corruption and bribery.

"There must be at least 25 percent of women represented in Parliament. How can 4 percent of women be heard among 96 per cent of men. There should be more women involved in politics at all level," Mrs. Senanayake said. (Read More)

UNP’s Kurunegala District candidate and Galgamuwa organizer Upulangani Malagamuwa who joined the party from the SLFP (M) came under attack yesterday, allegedly by the supporters of another UNP candidate.

Ms. Malagamuwa told Daily Mirror that she had been manhandled by the attackers. She said her arm had been twisted twisted by one goon.

She and her supporters had been proceeding towards Galgamuwa at the time. They had been attacked just after they had crossed the Meeoya Bridge. Ms. Malagamuwa said several of her supporters were injured in the attack.

She said that one supporter’s ear had been injured and he had lost his hearing in that ear.  Another had received injuries to his mouth. However no one had been hospitalised.

Ms. Malagamuwa said she and the other candidate had been asked by the party leader to meet him at party head quarters ‘Sirikotha’ today to resolve the issue.

The incident took place on Monday evening when the van was on its way after attending a rally in the area.

The injured are now receiving treatment at the Embilipitiya Base Hospital while the van which was stoned and attacked with poles had been severely damaged.