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The Island Home News Page Three Wednesday 6th January, 2010 3 by Ifham Nizam Polls violence up - NEM The Dehiwela National Extension of Emergency not to Zoological Gardens Director by Don Asoka Wijewardena Duminda Jayaratne has decided to continue in the The Network for Election Monitoring, in top post at the Zoo though on an update of its January 2 report, said 250 Monday he decided to give Presidential Election-related complaints of up his post following condi- violence had been recorded. Up to January tions laid by Sports and – PM 4 about 143 persons had sustained injuries, curb opposition activities Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge. it said. by Saman Indrajith month. need without being biased to attempts will strengthen the NEM Executive Director Dr. Uditha "We do not need to extend the partisan politics," he said. hands of terrorism and its Gunasekara told The Island that violence rime Minister Ratnasiri emergency to achieve our politi- "Although many have for- remaining elements. Zoo director had risen day-by-day throughout the coun- Wickramanayake yester- cal aims. We are not that bank- gotten, our valiant troops are Only those who oppose try. Most election related incidents were Pday said that threats from rupt. This is a still engaged in cleaning and defeating terrorism and reset- changes mind fights between political party supporters, both within and internationally, national require- mopping up operations in the tling internally displaced peo- attacks on rival party supporters resulting in were not over yet, although ter- ment North. They are detecting ple. Can oppose the motion to injuries, attack on party offices, intimidation rorism had been militarily and I large caches of armaments extend the state of Emergency. Jayaratne and threats, use of firearms and destruction defeated. The need for an exten- request the and ammunition." "But while doing so, every- told The of properties, he said. members in "We know that some sec- one must keep in their minds Island yester- sion of the state of emergency Complaints on violation of election laws was to counter these threats this august tions are not happy to see that one fact that history will day: had been rampant. Illegal election propa- and not to suppress political assembly to the government completes its someday decide who the real “Following ganda activities and obstruction to propa- enemies of the government, as remove their mission of resettling those heroes and villains were," he cordial discus- the opposition claims. tinted who had been battered by the said. sions with the ganda work had also risen, he further said. He moved the motion seek- glasses conflict for three decades. "I invite the opposition to be Minister I Dr. Gunasekara added that incidents of ing the extension of the State of and have That's why they try their best among those who deserve love decided to con- abuse of State properties, police partiality a look at to turn around the victories and respect of people of this tinue with the and influence on public opinion had been Emergency for one more Lokuge this we have achieved. But these country", the PM said. work. As I continuing though the Election went to thank Commissioner had issued strict instructions him, he requested me to stay related to the election. back and continue with the projects at Pinnawela and Exodus of Ridigama. The Minister said that he Govt. family would shortly get Cabinet approval to get a further members? extension of one year, by Saman Indrajith Jayaratne said. He also said that Lokuge Family had no objection of my being members of Director in the Sri Lanka Customs while holding the government top post in the Zoo. ministers Jayaratne works at the Zoo have left the on a voluntary basis. country or Jayaratne said that his are in the priorities would be the com- Lakshman process of pletion of the Rs. 2500 mil- leaving the lion Pinnawela Project and country ahead of the Rs. 1750 million Ridigama January 26th presidential Project. polls, parliament was told He said the Pinnawela yesterday. project, where the country's UNP Badulla district MP second zoological garden is Lakshman Seneviratne told being constructed would be parliament yesterday that completed by December. the daughter of one minis- However, the Ridigama ter had already left the Safari Park only the initial country, while the wife of work would be completed another was due to leave on Mano Ganesan is surrounded in Jaffna by parents and relatives of missing people after the end of a campaign meeting, within this year. Wednesday. attended by Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and other opposition leaders. Tamil diaspora website Plans were afoot to setup Puthinappalakai.com claimed that irate relatives were disappointed that the issue of missing people was not discussed at the second elephant orphan- “We understand that Fonseka’s campaign meeting in Jaffna, as stated in a notification in Jaffna newspapers, allegedly inserted by Mano age in Sri Lanka for which many have booked tickets Ganesan. The web report also claimed that close relatives of missing people formed a major part of the audience at the he said that they are in the to leave the country”, MP opposition meeting in Jaffna last Saturday, adding that a large number of residents in the district were not interested in this process of looking for a suit- Seneviratne said. He was month’s poll. able location. speaking during the debate on the extensions of the emergency. As the popularity of common candidate of the Three JVP supporters injured in attack opposition General (Retd.) Three JVP supporters were seri- out the attack. Following this inci- Sarath Fonseka increases, ously injured and admitted to dent a large number of JVP sup- the government politicians Karapitiya Hospital when an uniti- porters launched a protest cam- are leaving the country as fied gang attacked their propagan- paign at Yakkalamulla junction they too are convinced of da office at Dadapitiya junction in yesterday afternoon. inevitable loss of the gov- Yakkalamulla on Monday night. JVP Galle District MP G. H. ernment candidate in the U. G. Siripala, Nissanka Ajith Kumara, Southern Deshapriya and K. L. Lakshman Provincial Councillor Nalin forthcoming election, he were admitted to Hospital. Hewage and other prominent JVP said. The goons have arrived in a jeep activists participated in the without number plates and carried protest. Opposition accuses Govt of depriving it of democratic rights by Saman Indrajith eight days for the Dissanayake to express my opin- month of January. ion in this regard, all I have to say The Opposition yesterday JVP is that I am allowed to express my accused the government of Parliamentary opinion on an issue not agreed to depriving it of its democratic Group Leader by both sides only when a vote is rights by continu- Anura Kumara taken and the result is a tie," ously postponing sit- Dissanayake said Speaker Lokubandara said. tings of Parliament. that Parliament met Leader of the House Health The government only once in Anura Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva capitalises on its December and only three days in scoffed at the Opposition's claims numerical superior- November last year. and said that they ity to limit the sit- "It seems that they'll limit the were just making tings of the House, number of sittings of the month allegations. thereby avoiding of February to a single day. This He called upon answers to the prob- Joseph single day too is used to pass the the Opposition MPs lems of the public, Emergency regulations to under- to be pragmatic. the Opposition said. mine and suppress the democratic "Both Government Chief Opposition Whip Joseph rights of political opponents of and Opposition Michael Perera said that the gov- the government. members need time Nimal ernment wanted to limit the num- "We ask the Speaker: do you to engage in election ber of sittings for the month of acknowledge or approve this anti campaigns. Everybody is busy January to a single day. The democratic plan of the govern- with the ongoing Presidential Opposition was thus deprived of ment which uses its numerical Election. And this is not some- its Parliamentary time. superiority to undermine the thing unprecedented. After the commencement of supremacy of parliament?" "Every time a Presidential public business and presenting "The Speaker's Election is on, the sittings of the the motions by Leader of the duty is to ensure the House have been limited. If you House, Health Minister Nimal dignity and rights of think this is undemocratic, then Siripala de Silva proposed that sit- MPs both the gov- take your case before the general tings be adjourned till February 5. ernment and opposi- public, then they'll decide who is Perera said that the government tion. The proposal right," he said. wanted "to shut down Parliament made by the govern- The government's proposal was and thereby escape answering the ment deprives us of passed without any vote being Opposition. our rights," he said. Lokubandara taken. "The questions we raise, during Speaker W. J. M. the question time and adjourn- Lokubandara said that ment debates, are on behalf of the when the Standing public. Without the sittings of Committee on Parliament we have no forum to Parliamentary Affairs met question the conduct of the gov- last time, Opposition Leader ernment or raise the issues of the Ranil Wickremesinghe general public and obtain solu- stood against the govern- tions for their problems," he said. ment's plan to limit the He said that the Opposition number of sittings and would not agree with the govern- demanded that his opposi- ment's proposal to adjourn sit- tion be registered.

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