Jan 27 (Times) Eight months after the Tamil Tigers’ defeat, Sri Lanka stood on the brink of a new and potentially violent political confrontation after the government challenged the legitimacy of the main opposition candidate in today’s presidential election. The poll was a bitterly contested duel between Mahinda Rajapaksa, the incumbent President, and Sarath Foneska, the former army chief who led the campaign against the Tigers before resigning and joining the opposition. more..

Jan 27 (LG) The United National Party has informed the Commissioner of Elections that it has received information of 40 ballot boxes, filled with fraudulent votes, being stored at the Neelbase Navy Camp in Trincomalee. Tissa Attanayake, UNP General Secretary, in a letter to the Elections Commissioner alleges that those boxes are to be switched when ballot boxes are being transported by sea. more..

Jan 27 (National) Ruling party said yesterday it will challenge the main opposition presidential candidate, Sarath Fonseka, if he wins the presidential election, on the grounds that he was not a registered voter. The announcement came after millions of Sri Lankans had gone to the polls under tight security in what was a relatively quiet election day. “We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because more..

Jan 27 (LG) The Sri Lankan Presidential Election to be held on January 26th heralds a critical phase in the social and political evolution of Sri Lanka as a democratic polity. Sri Lanka’s electoral democratic practices such as free and fair periodic elections and a high degree of political participation (around 75%) for a little over eight decades have been widely acknowledged as a distinctive feature of the of the Sri Lankan democratic polity. more..

Jan 27 (SMH) Fears that the Sri Lankan military might intervene in a crucial presidential election were stoked overnight when a large contingent of troops surrounded the hotel where contender, Sarath Fonseka, was staying in Colombo. More than 100 heavily armed soldiers in battle fatigues stood at regular intervals on the roads outside Colombo's Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel where Fonseka and his key supporters had reportedly occupied rooms on the third floor. more..

Jan 27 (BBC) There has been a high turnout in the presidential election but the election was not free and fair, presidential hopefuls say. Siritunga Jayasuriya, the candidate for United Socialist Party (USP), told BBC Sandeshaya that one reason for the high rurnout was it being the first national poll after the military defeat of the LTTE. "The other reason for this voter enthusiasm is that Gen Fonseka, President Rajapaksa's commander in the war against the LTTE becoming his main rival," more..

Jan 27 (Island) Contrary to fears expressed, the first peacetime presidential election, following the defeat of the LTTE last May, was held yesterday (January 26) without any serious incidents of violence, though some elements made an abortive bid to disrupt polling in the Jaffna peninsula. The police and the military said that heavy presence of law enforcement personnel backed by security forces had ensured a peaceful environment. more..

Jan 27 (Island) The Election Secretariat did not accept special identity cards issued to parliamentarians and Justices of the Peace at yesterday’s presidential polls in keeping with a directive given by Polls Chief Dayananda Dissanayake. Dissanayake recently turned down requests to allow MPs and JPs to exercise their franchise on the strength of the IDs issued to them. more..

Jan 27 (Island) Among the persons now in custody in connection with an alleged attempt to cause trouble on the elections day is a retired Brigadier and troops, including commandos. Government sources told The Island that there had been an organized attempt to disrupt polling in some areas by groups of deserters and retired officers. Sources said that Monday’s arrest of one civilian and 19 ex-military personnel by the Gokarella police at Thorayaya, more..

Jan 27 (Island) International monitors, of the People’s Action For Free & Fair Elections, have said that a peaceful environment prevailed in many areas they visited during the pre-election period. They said they noticed enthusiastic preparations being made for the presidential poll. PAFFREL’s international monitors’ statement reported that 14 short term observers had been deployed in five provinces since the January 21. more..

Jan 27 (Island) New Left Front leader and Presidential candidate Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, who went to cast his vote at the Gunawardanaramaya temple at Slave Island, was turned away for failing to produce a valid identity card or an equivalent approved by the Elections Secretariat. He said he had misplaced his national identity card. more..

Jan 27 (Times) Sri Lanka’s presidential election should have been cause for celebration — the first since the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in May, and the first in peacetime in almost three decades. Instead, it has descended into such a travesty that South Asia’s oldest democracy — which gained universal suffrage in 1931 and elected the world’s first woman Prime Minister in 1960 — is barely worthy of the title any more. more..

Jan 27 (DN) Susil Premajayantha said they have given a letter to Elections Commissioner informing that New Democratic Front candidate Sarath Fonseka had violated election laws by appearing before the electronic media and making open statements about his not being able to vote for himself as a Presidential candidate. “Presidential candidate Fonseka was telling the electronic media why he did not cast his vote, and more..

Jan 27 (DN) The UNP Pradeshiya Sabha member and two others who was taken into custody and produced before Court on suspicion for opening fire on a group of people who were proceeding to a UPFA rally resulting in the death of a youth and injury caused to 10 others, was yesterday placed under protective custody until February 3 on the orders of Puttalam District Magistrate Sesiri Herath. more..

Jan 27 (DN) The Government has taken measures to develop the historic, sacred Thiruketheeswaram kovil in Mannar for the convenience of a large number of devotees coming from both Sri Lanka and India. Northern Province Governor Major General G.A.Chandrasiri said a plan has already been drawn up to complete the development of infrastructure facilities under the first phase before Maha Sivarathri day which falls on March 13, 2010. more..

Jan 27 (DN) Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha addressing at the Republic Day celebrations in Colombo said that India emerged as a force driving change in the world. After hoisting the national flag the Indian envoy stressed that democratic principles and the way of life of Indians should continue. India had ably demonstrated that it was a functioning democracy. Indians chose their governments through the ballot and by taking democracy to the grass roots. more..

Jan 27 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's top opposition candidate said troops had surrounded his hotel on Wednesday, after polling in Sri Lanka's first post-war presidential election ended with the revelation that he was not a registered voter. Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition said it would challenge General Sarath Fonseka's eligibility in court, after the Election Commission said the fact more..

Jan 27 (AFP) The United States on Tuesday commended Sri Lanka on the high turnout in its first post-war presidential election amid a brewing dispute over the opposition candidate's legitimacy. "We commend the people of Sri Lanka for a 72-percent turnout. That is something that is truly remarkable," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. As polls closed, the government said it would contest the legitimacy of more..

Jan 27 (TC) A report by The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV): Interview with Asanga Welikala, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives over the confusion arising from key presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka not having a vote, and the confusion significantly fueled by State media that he is ineligible to be elected as President as a consequence: more..

Jan 27 (NPR) Sri Lanka's Tamil minority may hold the key in Tuesday's election, held in the aftermath of the decades-long civil war with Tamil rebels. When President Mahinda Rajapaksa called the election, it seemed like a shoo-in for him, but as former army chief Sarath Fonseka joined the fight, the campaign turned bitter. more..

Jan 27 (Xinhua) President Mahinda Rajapaksa took initial lead in the postal votes counting in the island's presidential election with the main challenger being former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. According to statistics issued by the Department of Elections, Rajapaksa got 69.33 percent of the postal votes in the central district of Ratnapura while Fonseka got 30.37 percent. more..

Jan 27 (DBS) The Presidential Elections held on January 26th 2010 has concluded. Though the results are not yet officially released at the time this is being written “unofficially” it does seem very clear who has won. This crucial election at a historic juncture invoked and evoked a great deal of interest and controversy. A great many people were concerned observers of the political scene these past few months. more..

Jan 27 (LP) Organizations must value their Human resources said Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Sarath Amunugama. Making his keynote address on human resources development in Colombo recently he said that the services of human resources were of vital importance to any type of organization. Productivity increases when employees are motivated with sound morale. The management of human resources was a difficult task because more..

Jan 27 (LG) As the election count goes on, some issues that may surface are some of the most basic issues raised in this election: these are abolition of the executive presidential system, ending corruption, restoring respect for human rights particularly in relation to freedom of expression and the minority rights. The opposition forcefully raised the issue of abolition of the executive presidency and ending of corruption. more..

Jan 27 (LG) An election which was marked by violence throughout seems to indicate further violence as the counting goes on. At this moment several reports have confirmed that the hotel occupied by the common candidate for several opposition parties, Gen. (Rtd.) Sarath Fonseka, has been surrounded by the armed forces. The area has been cordoned off and people moving about the vicinity are being searched. more..

Jan 27 (UNP) At an urgently summoned Press briefing at Tans Asia Hotel today (27), Deputy leader of the UNP said, following the tail end of the announcement of election results, the Govt. is posing a threat to the life and career of Gen. Fonseka the closest rival candidate of President R.ajapakse by holding him captive at the Hotel Trans asia where he is residing at the moment. While the elections results are still not fully released , and more..

Jan 27 (LT) The soldiers of security forces, who have been surrounding Cinnamon Lake Hotel since last night, not allowing Gen. Fonseka and several other political party leaders supporting him to leave the hotel, entered the hotel a few moments ago. According to reports they are attempting to apprehend Gen. Fonseka. At the moment tourists who were in the hotel are being evacuated. more..

Jan 27 (LT) The secretary of a powerful minister of the government and his gang of thugs have broken into Sri Bodhirajaaramaya Pirivena at Thambiligala at Nawalapitiya and shot dead Ven. Matara Wimalananda Thero say reports. One of the thugs who had come for the assassination too has died in an explosion at the site. The Secretary of the Minister and the thugs had arrived at the temple in a Montero jeep, a double cab and another vehicle and aimed a barrage of gunfire. more..

Jan 27 (LT) Apolitical Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka has accused President Rajapakse and his government of intimidation and has said his staff had received threatening phone calls. Gen. Fonseka had told CNN that Army soldiers and commandos tried to enter the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel shortly after he and opposition party members arrived there on Tuesday. His security forces told the soldiers they could not enter the building, so they stayed outside, Gen. Fonseka had said. more..

Jan 27 (CT) The government does not intend to arrest opposition candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka presently staying in Hotel Trans Asia in Colombo, said military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara. He said a group of soldiers had been sent to the hotel to arrest army deserters who are accompanying the former Army chief. Nine deserters who had been with the common opposition' presidential candidate have already been handed over to military police, said the spokesman. more..

Jan 27 (GV) The presidential campaigns concluded officially a day ago and the “Programme for Protection of Public Property” (4P) calculated and exposed the cost of advertisements by each of the two main presidential candidates. Incumbent president as UPFA candidate had spent LKR 377.9 million says 4P, while the UNF-JVP Common Candidate had spent LKR 80.5 million. The actual cost of running these mega campaigns are, far in excess of these calculated millions on advertisements. more..

Jan 27 (BBC) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war, state TV reports. Although the final results are yet to be declared, Mr Rajapaksa appears to have won more than half the votes cast. But his election rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka, has rejected the reported result and said he will challenge it. more..

Jan 27 (BBC) Early results in Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war put the president in the lead. Armed troops have gathered around the hotel where his rival for the presidency, General Sarath Fonseka, is staying in central Colombo. Charles Havilland reports. more..

Jan 27 (CaFEE) Compare to the Pre- Election violence, the overall performance of the Presidential Election was peaceful, except for few incidents in the North. There were 117 incidents reported ; some of them are violent in nature and the others which violate the Election Law from the mid night of the previous day to the time which the elections concluded today. The majority of the incidents were related to the illegal propaganda campaigns carried out by the supporters. more..

Jan 27 (AP) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa won a resounding re-election victory Wednesday, beating back a challenge from his former army chief, who rejected the official results and said he feared arrest as troops surrounded his hotel. The capital was tense even as people hit the streets in celebration, setting off fireworks, waving Sri Lankan flags and holding up posters of Rajapaksa. more..

Jan 27 (DM) The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFE) said yesterday that bomb explosions and lack of transport for the displaced persons had led to the low voter turnout in the Jaffna District yesterday. CAFE spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon said that the turnout in Jaffna District had been around 7.5 percent at 2.30 pm last afternoon. He said this excluded the residents of the North who had cast their votes in Colombo and Puttalam. more..

Jan 27 (CI) The captain Mitchell Marsh's impressive 97 set up Australia's entry into the Under-19 World Cup final, but not before they were given a huge fright by a committed Sri Lanka. On a tense day it was Australia's first-class players who had the major impact, with Marsh backing up the effective bowling of Josh Hazlewood and Alister McDermott, as they sneaked to 206 for 8 with nine balls to spare. more..

Jan 27 (AFP) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse won a bruising re-election battle Wednesday that left his main rival in apparent fear of assassination as heavily armed troops surrounded his Colombo hotel. The elections commissioner said Rajapakse had secured 57.9 percent of the popular vote in Tuesday's presidential election -- the first since the military victory over Tamil Tiger rebels more..

Jan 27 (BT) If Australians think about Sri Lanka in other than cricketing contexts, it will most likely be in connection with the island's bitter civil war and the flow of asylum seekers unleashed by the end of that conflict. The seaborne asylum seekers whose desperate plight last year revived contention about refugee policy in this country were Sri Lankan Tamils, which gives Australians - whatever stance they take in the so-called more..

Jan 27 (Hindu) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for all Sri Lankans to work together to rebuild the war-torn nation in the wake of his re-election victory. Mr. Rajapaksa spoke on Wednesday in his first comments since he was declared the winner in a hard-fought presidential election. His challenger has rejected the results. He said that no matter who people voted for, he would work as the president of the whole nation. more..

Jan 27 (SMH) When Mahinda Rajapaksa was asked how confident he was of victory in the final days of the country's fierce election campaign, he said "look at my face". His beaming smile exuded a confidence that proved to be well placed. Despite a robust challenge from his main rival, General Sarath Fonseka, the President registered a thumping victory. more..

Jan 27 (SMH) The Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been resoundingly re-elected, riding a wave of support among the country's Sinhalese majority after defeating the Tamil Tigers last May. National television called the election for the President after nearly 85 per cent of ballots were counted. Official results showed Mr Rajapaksa, 64, ahead by 4.99 million votes to 3.39 million. more..

Jan 27 (Reuters) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa won re-election on Wednesday in an historic post-war vote but his chief rival called for the results to be nullified after soldiers surrounded him in a luxury hotel. Official results showed Rajapaksa winning 57.8 percent of 10.4 million votes cast against 40.2 percent for former army commander General Sarath Fonseka, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said. more..

Jan 27 (ANI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Wednesday congratulated Sri Lanka’s incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his re-election in Tuesday’s Presidential elections. Rajapakse achieved a landslide victory in Sri Lanka’s sixth presidential election, defeating his main rival, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, more..

Jan 27 (TA) Sri Lanka's opposition parties have cried foul over election violations as President Mahinda Rajapakse looked set to claim an easy victory in a bitterly fought poll, and government troops surrounded the hotel of his challenger, who appealed for foreign protection. With nearly 85 per cent of ballots counted last night, official results showed Mr Rajapakse, 64, had secured more than 50 per cent of the total 9.84 million votes cast. more..

Jan 27 (AFP) A Buddhist monk and another man were killed in a grenade attack on a temple in Sri Lanka's central town of Gampola on Wednesday as presidential election results were being released, police said. Police spokesman I.M. Karunaratne said four others were wounded and a curfew had been declared in the area. Karunaratne said the motive was under investigation but local officials said they suspected the attack was politically motivated. more..

Jan 27 (TN) The government Wednesday denied any kind of involvement in the manipulation the presidential election results. The Secretary General of the ruling UPFA government, Susil Premjayantha at a news briefing held Wednesday evening denied the allegation that a senior presidential advisor had been seen in the office of the Commissioner of Elections. more..

Jan 27 (Guardian) President Mahinda Rajapaksa today won a resounding victory in Sri Lanka's first election since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, confounding predictions of a close race. His main rival, General Sarath Fonseka, the former head of the army, immediately disputed the result and said he feared arrest. In a letter to the election commission, Fonseka said he would begin legal proceedings to have the result annulled. more..

Jan 27 (C4) General Sarath Fonseka has yet to concede, but it’s pretty clear he’s lost Sri Lanka’s presidential election. The indication is that President Mahinda Rajapaksa won by a substantial margin, although the opposition is crying foul. The general is now holed up in a hotel in Colombo. He has reasons to be fearful. This has just appeared on YouTube. Gripping stuff. Sri Lanka has a history of post-election violence and reprisal. more..