News In Brief:

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 1999, 13:59 GMT]
Christians protest against timing of prvincial council elections and Batticaloa youth shot dead by Army.

Christians protest against election timing

Several hundred catholics demonstrated after Sunday mass in nearly 100 churches in Wattale, Kandane, Negombo and Morattuwa, protesting against government plans to hold elections for five Provincial Councils on Maundy Thursday, that falls on April 1.

Rev. Gamini Perera, of the Colombo Bishop House said that demonstrations went on peacefully.

"The demonstrations were not against the Government or in support of any political parties", he added.

Last week, the Sri Lanka Attorney General filed a motion on behalf of the Elections Commissioner in the supreme court seeking its permission to postpone scheduled PC elections.

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Batticaloa youth shot dead

The Sri Lankan Army shot dead a youth at Vanthaarumoolai on Valaichchenai road. His body was handed over to the Eeravur Hospital this morning.

The Army said that they recovered a grenade from the youth.

Meanwhile the SLA said that they had recovered two Claymore mines at Mylambaaveli in the Batticaloa district yesterday.

They said that the mines are belived to have been placed to carry out an attack on an army convoy on the Batticaloa - Polannaruwa road.