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JVP protest calling for Navy veteran SF’s release blocked The police yesterday morning to contest baton-charged a group of JVPers, who launched a protest at the Digamadulla Tangalle main bus stand, calling for the immediate release of opposition on UPFA ticket presidential candidate General (retd) The UPFA will field retired Rear Sarath Fonseka. Admiral Sarath Weerasekera from the Police headquarters said law- enforcement authorities had to use Digamadulla district. Well-informed force after protesters refused to leave sources told The Island that the bus stand. Weerasekera, who had played a critical role in building the Civil Defence Force Continued on page 2 `Vol. 29 No. 79 Monday 15th February, 2010, 28 Pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper –Late City Edition during the Eelam War IV, received an invitation from the government to con- test the Digamadulla electorate - hence Petes beat Joes his recent retirement The Fonseka affair: A national from the CDF. Weerasekera held sev- A perfect consensus on to bag WPRFU eral important appoint- ments in the Navy during blunder? nominations sevens his career before being 6 11 16 asked to strengthen the CDF as part of the over- all security strategy Sarath UPFA members jostle for nominations: against the LTTE. Weerasekera Forget SF’s utterances and forgive him, Prelates tell MR NFF, UNP dissidents seek lion’s share by Cyril Wimalasurendre KANDY - The four Mahanayaka Piyasiri, Ven. Rathana quit Kalutara Thero including the prelates of Malwatte and Asgiriya in a joint mem- PM on National List, son to contest orandum have urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release General JHU nominates 2 monks on national list (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka and his col- leagues in custody. Mervyn Silva to vie for Gampaha votes The Mahanayake Theros have told the President that hatred cannot be M. H. Mohamed to exit election race conquered and therefore disregard what Fonseka had uttered during elec- UPFA won’t accept Socialist Alliance move tion times. The joint memorandum was for- by Shamindra Ferdinando warded to President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the signatures of the he constituent parties of the ruling SLFP-led UPFA, dissident UNP MPs, most Ven. Mahanayake of Malwatte who had supported President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the last Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha TParliament and other political crossovers will receive at least 100 slots Sumangala, most Ven. Mahanayaka to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls. The breakaway JVP faction, the decision regarding the national list was Continued on page 2 National Freedom Front (NFF), wants the yet to be finalized. lion’s share–– 20 slots––with two in the NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, Gampaha District. Jayantha Samaraweera and Buddhadasa NFF sources told The Island that Vithanaachchi will contest from Colombo, New CDF Piyasiri Wijenayake and Anjan Umma Kalutara and Kegalle Districts respec- were planning to contest from the tively. commander Gampaha District. Wijenayake, NFF spokesman M. who entered Parliament on the Musammil told The Island that Retired Rear previous occasion from the NFF candidates would contest Admiral Ananda Peiris Kalutara District, moved to 19 out of 22 electoral districts will succeed Sarath Gampaha, where, he felt, he stood leaving Jaffna, Vanni compris- Weerasekera as the a better chance of retaining his ing Vavuniya, Mannar, Director General of the seat. Mullaitivu and Batticaloa out. He Civil Defence Force Sources said that of the 10-mem- did not want to reveal details until (CDF). A spokesman ber NFF parliamentary group, they finalised discussions with UPFA for CDF told The eight would contest the April 8 General Secretary, Susil Premjayantha, Island that Peiris, who polls with two taking national MP. had joined the CDF in list slots. The national list seats are likely JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Ananda February last year as the Mrs. Lakmani Welgama, Chairperson, Upali Newspapers Limited and her daugh- to be reserved for Tourism Minister Waranasinghe told The Island that they Peiris additional director opera- ter offer flowers at the Kelaniya Raja Mahaviharaya on Saturday (Feb 13) to mark Achala Suranga Jagodage, who successful- would field five candidates in Gampaha tions, would take office today (Feb 15). A the 27th anniversary of the disappearance of Upali Wijewardene, the founder ly contested the Ratnapura District at the (Ven. Athuruliye Ratana), Champika veteran with 35 years of experience with Chairman of the Upali Group. (Photo Nihal Chandrakumara) last parliamentary polls and M. Ranawaka (Colombo), Kandy the navy, Peiris had held several impor- Musammil. However, others said that their Continued on page 2 tant positions, including Squadron Commander of the FAC (Fast Attack Craft) Squadron and Squadron Commander of the Fast Gun Boat Karunanidhi urges Squadron. UPFA-CWC deal sealed: President to keep 9 on govt. list promise of devolution Land acquired at Yala and CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will Nilaweli for ‘army resorts’ H’tota nominations ready to be signed not remain a mute specta- Army Chief Lt. Gen. Jagath Sudarshini by Shamindra Ferdinando Hambantota District early this Parliamentary Elections Act, tor if there is failure or week. each party would field three delay in implementation of Jayasuriya during a recent visit to the The UPFA has accepted the A 10-member UPFA list for candidates more than the actual assurances by Sri Lankan Eastern Province, assured officers and Jeyaraj’s CWC’s request to field nine can- Hambantota led by Chamal number of repre- President Mahinda men that holiday resorts would be Rajapaksa would include sentatives didates on the UPFA ticket in Rajapaksa, given at the established in the wife on seven districts, including Nirupama Rajapaksa, Mahinda elected from area for the benefit Amaraweera, newcomer Namal each dis- time of the recent presi- Colombo. of them and their UPFA Rajapaksa, one member each trict. dential election, on devo- UPFA General Secretary families. Minister Susil Premjayantha from the National Freedom Twenty- lution of powers to Sri Lankan Tamils, Gampaha yesterday said the two parties Front, the Communist Party two candi- DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Addressing had finalised an agreement. and the Mahajana Eksath dates Minister M. Karunanidhi said. troops stationed in list According to him, the CWC Peramuna. Premjayantha said would be “The DMK government will not hesi- the area, he said would field three candidates in the remaining three slots were fielded in that the Army had Slain Chief tate to pressure the Union government Nuwara Eliya, Badulla (2), likely to be given to SLFPers. Colombo, 21 obtained land from Government Whip Responding to The Island in for appropriate action,” the South Indian Matale (1) Kandy (1), Ratnapura Yala and Nilaweli and Minister queries, the Education Minister Gampaha, 13 leader said in a statement. It would (1) and Colombo (1). He said areas for this pur- Gen. Jagath Jeyaraj that negotiations with other dismissed speculation that he in Kalutara, behove a fair and just democracy to fulfil pose. Jayasuriya Fernandopulle’s constituent parties could be would seek a UPFA national list 15 in electoral promises once the polls were wife, Sudarshini, finalised within the next week, slot. He said he would contest Kandy, 8 over. Continued on page 2 though the UPFA was ready to from the Colombo District. in Matale, Susil On the Sri Lankan government’s will contest from He said in keeping with the the Gampaha dis- finalise nominations for the Continued on page 2 arrest of former Army chief and defeated trict on the UPFA Opposition presidential candidate Sarath ticket. A medical Fonseka, Karunanidhi said: “We know specialist by pro- UPFA sets conditions for PC ministers that in the history of Sri Lanka, then and now, all were betrayed and killed.” fession, Dr. The UPFA would not allow Susil Premjayantha told The Had they failed to enter Fernandopulle is any provincial councillor hold- Island that President Mahinda Parliament they could return Rulers of Sri Lanka would not have the chief SLFP ing ministerial rank to contest Rajapaksa had directed that to their respective provincial forgotten the way Alexander the Great organiser of the the upcoming parliamentary members should resign their councils but would not be able treated the defeated King Porus. polls. ministerial portfolios, though to regain ministerial portfo- Katana electorate. Continued on UPFP General Secertary they could remain members. lios. page 2 Chandrasiri Weerasinghe captured this scene at Elephant symbol : UNP amenable to alternatives – Ranil Bristol Street, Fort, yesterday. Police re-opened the road over the weekend on a presidential by Piyasena Dissanayake UNP was amenable to negotiations with a shameless act with which the govern- their verdict on this issue. People should directive. It had been closed for several years Although the UNP view to forging an opposition alliance, ment tried to gain some advantage over line up to vote against the government due to the threat posed by the LTTE. Working committee had UNP and Opposition leader Ranil the opposition at the forthcoming that committed a shameless act of send- decided that the UNF should Wickremesinghe told the media yester- General election. ing former commander to jail while treat- contest the next parliamen- day at the Oppositition Leader’s official He said that the people’s indignation ing former terrorist KP in luxurious tary polls under the residence. over the arrest of former army com- palaces,” Wickremesinghe said. Elephant symbol and the UNP Leader said that the government mander would be reflected in the results He said that it was now clear that this colour, Green, if there were seemed to have adopted the slogan, ‘KP to of the forthcoming General Election. government had rigged the January 26 alternative proposals from the the Castle, SF to the gallows.’ “The upcoming elections are the best Presidential polls. Ranil leaders of other parties, the He called the arrest of Fonseka a opportunity for the people to express Continued on page 2.

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