UNF committed to achieve lasting peace - Wickremesinghe

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2004, 16:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe launching the election campaign on behalf of the United National Front (UNF) Thursday evening at Kandy, appealed to the people to vote for the UNF which he said is committed to taking the peace process forward, political sources in Kandy said. Mr Wickremesinghe said that his new government would strengthen the existing ceasefire, rebuild the economy and achieve lasting peace by working towards a fair and just political solution to the ethnic conflict.


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UPFA, UNP to launch election campaign Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2004, 14:48 GMT]
Two major Sinhala political parties, United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and United National Party (UNP) led by Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe are to launch their election campaign with rallies scheduled to be held in Anuradhapura in the north central province and Kandy in central province on February 26 Thursday, political sources said.


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Wickremesinghe appeals for renewed mandate for peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 2004, 14:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe Sunday addressing the special convention of the United National Party (UNP) held at Colombo New Town hall appealed to the voters to give his coalition a fresh mandate with absolute majority that will enable him to take the peace process forward and to build a new nation in the next six years, political sources in Colombo said.


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Sri Lanka Elections: News Brief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 2004, 12:06 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) plans to submit nomination papers in the districts of NorthEast at the same time Monday noon, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is to compete in Jaffna alone, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission is exploring ways to help people in LTTE controlled areas to exercise their right to vote, EPDP and EPRLF (Varather faction) to contest jointly in Jaffna, and in Nuwara Eliya district Hill country Tamils to fight the elections in four fronts, popular Jaffna dailies Uthayan and Veerakesari reported in their Sunday Edition.
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Maheswaran nominated UNP candidate in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 February 2004, 14:06 GMT]
Mr. Thiyagarajah Maheswaran, former minister for Hindu Affairs and ex MP for Jaffna, will contest in Colombo as a candidate of the United National Party, sources said. UNP officials said that the ex minister was expected to sign nomination papers for the electoral district of Colombo Saturday evening. Mr. Maheswaran announced last week that he was not contesting the April elections to Sri Lanka’s Parliament in Jaffna and was retiring from politics.
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SLMC Athaullah faction joins SLFP-JVP alliance

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 2004, 13:08 GMT]
A key breakaway faction of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the main partner of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government said Friday that it is joining the SLFP-JVP alliance to contest the April elections to Sri Lanka's Parliament in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Digamadulla and Vanni. The announcement by this powerful faction of the SLMC, led by former minister of highways Mr. A.L.M Athaullah is seen as a setback for Mr. Wickremesinghe's coalition.
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"Sinhala border villagers fear renewed war"- Provincial Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2004, 20:26 GMT]
"Sinhalese people in border villages of the northeastern province live in fear of a renewed war following Sri Lanka President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge's recent action of taking over the three key ministries and the formation of a political alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna," said a People's Alliance Provincial Minister Mr.K.B.Tennekon Tuesday at an event held at the United National Party (UNP) headquarters Sri Kotha to mark his joining the UNP, media sources said.


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Sri Lanka facing instability - PM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2004, 14:02 GMT]
In a special address to the nation on a private TV station Tuesday night, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is facing instability because of the actions of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The cease-fire agreement is in jeopardy and the economy has suffered because of her action, he said. “We could have brought an impeachment motion against the President. We could have cut off funds to the three ministries taken over by her. Instead we hoped to work with her”, deplored Mr. Wickremesinghe in his TV address.
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Maheswaran says won’t contest April polls

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2004, 17:11 GMT]
Mr. T. Maheswaran, who was Minister for Hindu Affairs in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front (UNF) government, said Sunday he does not intend to contest elections to the Sri Lankan Parliament in April. Mr. Maheswran was the only Tamil from the UNF to be elected from the island’s northern parts in the Parliamentary polls in December 2001. Speaking at the opening of the renovated Karainagar Multi Purpose Co-operative Society Sunday morning, the ex minister said that he plans to retire from politics.
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"Tamil party support needed for stable govt"-UNF minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2004, 16:38 GMT]
Senior minister in the United National Front (UNF) government, Dr.Rajitha Senaratne, addressing a meeting in Ratnapura Sunday said that no stable government could be formed after the forthcoming general election without the northeast Tamil parliamentarians and that the United National Party (UNP) is prepared to collaborate with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) after the forthcoming general election, political sources said.


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Sri Lanka Elections: News Brief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2004, 11:51 GMT]
Key members of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) are likely to join the United National Front, Sri Lanka's Police force's leaves have been suspended, Thamilchelvan returns to Vanni from European trip and Anandasangaree continues to scuttle Tamil National Alliance efforts to formulate a coherent election strategy, according to local media reports.
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Marxists reject Sri Lanka's truce with Tigers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 February 2004, 19:51 GMT]
The SLFP-JVP Alliance will not abide by the cease fire agreement (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers, instead it would try to negotiate a new CFA, the powerful propaganda secretary of the JVP, Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, told the latest issue of the Sinhala weekly "Lanka". He charged that the CFA Mr. Ranil Wickremesighe signed with the leader of the LTTE in February 2002 poses a clear threat to national security. Informed Sinhala political analysts say "Lanka" is a paper backed by the JVP.


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Turmoil cost lucrative Thai trade pact – ex minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 February 2004, 09:57 GMT]
Thailand cancelled a lucrative bilateral trade agreement with Sri Lanka, which was scheduled to be signed last Monday, after President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved Parliament. Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe cancelled his official visit to Thailand for the signing of the agreement when President Kumaratunga sacked the Parliament at midnight last Saturday. Ex Minister of Plantation Industries, Mr. Lakshman Kiriella who was sacked by President Kumaratunga on Wednesday said Sri Lanka would lose 160 million rupees a year without the trade agreement with Thailand.
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Moragoda resigns from the UNF cabinet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 15:52 GMT]
Mr.Milinda Moragoda, a senior minister in the United National Front government of Sri Lanka and a key member of the UNF team in peace talks with the Liberation Tigers, Wednesday submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, sources said.
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CWC - UNP talks commence on forming alliance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 14:55 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) said Wednesday that it has commenced talks with the United National Party to forge an alliance to face the forthcoming general election, which is scheduled to be held on April 2. The CWC is a constituent of the United National Front government.
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Sri Lanka President proposes truce committee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 13:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga proposed a committee to discuss matters relating to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers. The President made the proposal during a meeting with the head of the Sri Lanka truce monitoring mission, Maj. Gen. Tronde Furuhovde Wednesday in Colombo.
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Former colleague slams Sri Lanka's President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 11:46 GMT]
Mr. S. B Dissanayaka, MP, a controversial Minister in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's cabinet, called Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga an utter liar and fraud, addressing a press conference in Colombo Wednesday.
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Dissolution of Sri Lanka Parliament unethical - G.L

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 February 2004, 07:10 GMT]
"The dissolution of Parliament is unethical", said Prof. G.L Pieris, spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's care taker government addressing a press conference in Colombo Monday.
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UPFA ex-co to work out election strategy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 2004, 16:22 GMT]
The executive committee of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance(UPFA), formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). will meet Monday to work out the strategy to face the snap general election, which is to be held on April 2nd. Party sources said.
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General elections would create more confusion - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 2004, 04:27 GMT]
Commenting on the dissolution of parliament and the scheduled general elections in April, the parliamentary leader of the Tamil National Alliance, Mr. R. Sampanthan, said Sunday that the general elections would lead to more confusion in the country as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which clamored for the elections "to salvage the country from the current political uncertainty," have no clear-cut policies to solve the Tamil national question.
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