TNA must capture atleast 21 seats - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 2004, 18:29 GMT]
"The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) must capture at least twenty one of the thirty one of parliamentary seats in the forthcoming general election to show the international community that the northeast province is the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people despite attempts by Sri Lanka governments to tamper with demographic balance with several state aided colonization schemes," said the TNA leader and the lead candidate in the Trincomalee district addressing two election meetings in Trincomalee town Sunday morning.


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LTTE urges support for TNA in Pt.Pedro election rally

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 2004, 01:16 GMT]
"The national leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.V.Pirapaharan fully supports the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the forthcoming general elections. We appeal to Tamil voters to vote for the TNA for its policy. We will not ask voters to cast their votes for particular individual candidates in the TNA lists," said the LTTE senior activist Mr.Arasanna addressing the first TNA election rally held in Point Pedro.


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UNICEF provides school building for Nochchikulam students

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 March 2004, 16:16 GMT]
About fifty students of resettled families in Nochchikulam village in the Morawewa division in the Trincomalee district Thursday moved into a new building, which has been constructed with the funds provided by the UNICEF. The children of the resettled families studied under tree shades till the completion of the semi-permanent building. UNICEF Trincomalee zone head Ms Gabriela Elroy declared open the building Thursday.


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TNA campaigns, Thiriyai to vote after two decades

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 March 2004, 14:25 GMT]
A group of resettled villagers attended a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) election meeting held Wednesday evening after twenty-one years in Thiriyai, a traditional Tamil village in Trincomalee which was completely destroyed in military operations launched by the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.


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CTTU urges members to work for TNA's victory

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 March 2004, 11:47 GMT]
Twenty thousand members strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union (CTTU) Friday issued a circular to its zonal and district secretaries to participate in election rallies and seminars in support of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidates contesting the forthcoming general election in the northeast province, which has been fixed for April 02nd.


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Monks' Sinhala Buddhist call will derail Kumaratunge - NSSP Leader

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 March 2004, 04:23 GMT]
Dr. Vickremabahu Karunarathne, the leader of the leftist Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), when asked if United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has any chance of getting absolute majority in the 2 April elections said that "with Buddhist Monks contesting separately, openly proposing 'Sinhala Buddhist' dictatorship, it is very unlikely that United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) could become first in any of the districts."


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Amended US court ruling protects WTCC, FeTNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 March 2004, 17:22 GMT]
Judge Audrey Collins has issued an order dated March 3, 2004 which provides that World Tamil Co-ordinating Committee (WTCC) and Federation of Tamil Organizations of North America (FeTNA), as well as their members, are covered by her January 22, 2004 injunction permitting the provision of "expert advice or assistance" toward the peaceful and lawful ends of the LTTE and the PKK, legal sources in California said.
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TNA holds election meeting in Trinco Muslim village

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 21:08 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, Mr.Sampanthan, launched the village level campaign for the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district from Pulmoddai, a traditional Muslim village, about 60 km north of the eastern Trincomalee town Tuesday. Two meetings were held in Pulmoddai in support of the sole Muslim candidate in the Trincomalee district list, Mr. A.H.Sahul Hameed, sources said.
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Code of conduct for parties, public officials issued

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 13:39 GMT]
A National Advisory Council appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga released a code of conduct for political parties, voters and public officials to be adhered during the elections and during the post poll period. The Council under the Chairmanship of Ven Dr. Bellanwila Wimalaratna Nayaka thero released the code of conduct at a meeting at the Ministry of Interior on Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka Elections: News in Brief

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 01:14 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a party fielding Buddhist monks in parliamentary elections, begins its campaign in Kandy, candidates withdraw nominations in Digamadulla and Batticaloa, and a Tamil candidate dies of heart-attack in Nuwara Eliya, media reports said.
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TNA holds its first election rally in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 17:34 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) held its first election rally in Trincomalee Sivan Kovil Veethi Monday evening. "The forthcoming general election has been thrusted on the country as chauvinist forces in the south could not digest the contents of the Interim Self Governing Authority proposal submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the United National Front government,” said TNA leader and the lead candidate in the Trincomalee electoral district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, addressing the rally.
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TNA manifesto released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 10:10 GMT]
A political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka should be based on the recognition of the Tamil speaking people’s homeland, the Tamils’ identity as a distinct nation, and their right to self-determination, according to the manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance, which was released at a press conference in the TNA’s elections office in Jaffna Monday. "The Sinhala nation should come forward soon to resume peace talks with the Liberation Tigers for establishing the Interim Self Governing Authority," the manifesto states.
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TNA starts house to house campaign in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 06:47 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance began a house to house campaign in Valigamam North and in Vadamaradchi in Jaffna. “We wanted to start on a quiet note, going directly to the people to understand their problems and attitudes”, said Mr. Selvarajah Gajendran, a TNA candidate and a former President of the Jaffna University Students’ Union. On Sunday the TNA held an introductory public meeting in Chavakachcheri.
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Trinco education project launched for resettled students

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 22:43 GMT]
The Trincomalee Children Welfare Fund (TCWF), with the financial assistance from a group of Trincomalee Tamils domiciled in Canada, has launched a special education development project for students of displaced Tamil families who have been resettled in Tamil villages in the district.
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Southern political forces fear TNA's strength - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 20:30 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the lead candidate of the party in the Trincomalee electoral district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, said that southern political forces are jittery that the TNA would be returned with about twenty seats to the new parliament in the April polls as a kingmaker, addressing TNA activists Sunday morning at the Hindu Cultural Hall in the eastern port town.
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TNA manifesto to be released shortly

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 20:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance is to release its election manifesto for the forthcoming general election during this week. It is under preparation, said the TNA leader and the party's lead candidate in the Trincomalee district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Sunday.
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Colombo appoints Police officer to deal with election violence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 16:08 GMT]
Colombo appointed a senior Police officer to deal with election violence for the first time in Sri Lanka’s post independence history as more than 30 persons were reported injured in clashes between supporters and members of political parties campaigning for the 2 April polls to the island’s Parliament. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Mr. Jayantha Wickremaratna has been put in charge of the special desk for election violence at the Sri Lanka Police Headquarters in Colombo. The officer has been appointed in addition to the DIG who is normally in charge of elections.
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Objection against TNA using HOUSE symbol rejected

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 13:38 GMT]
The Commissioner of Elections Mr Dayananda Dissanayake Friday rejected the objection made against the Tamil National Alliance contesting in the name of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and its election symbol "HOUSE," as the challenge was made after the closure of the nomination for the April 2nd general election, sources said.


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Missing Vadamaradchchi fisherman's body recovered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 13:02 GMT]
The decomposed body of the missing Vadamarachchi fisherman Mr. Kanagaretnam Ratnam Sivanandam (31) was recovered Saturday morning by fellow fishermen floating in sea close to the Northern coastal area of Inparuty, fishries sources said. Sivanandan was reported missing since last Monday when a group of Indian poachers with swords attacked three Vadamarachchi fishermen while fishing in Sri Lankan waters.


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Vanni franchise issue awaits resolution

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 02:20 GMT]
91,864 Tamil voters residing in Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu adminstrative divisions comprising the Vanni electoral district live in areas controlled by Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and face the prospect of being denied their franchise if the Election Commisioner fails to provide a suitable arrangement to locate the polling booths in accessible areas, political sources said.
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