Jaffna Muslims express solidarity with LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2004, 15:48 GMT]
"We accept the leader of Libertion Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Pirapaharan, as our leader. We are not in a position to accept the leadership of Rauf Hakeem from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress," said Al Aleem Marleen, President of the Jaffna Muslims Peace Consortium speaking to reporters in Jaffna.
Full story >>

UPFA prepared to talk to LTTE - Kumaratunge

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 February 2004, 13:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday afternoon launching the election campaign of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at Anuradhapura said she is prepared to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to an evening news bulletin of the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). She, however, added that such talks should be held in an open manner, the news bulletin said.


Full story >>

International community should protect Tamils right to vote - TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2004, 15:36 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will appeal to the international community to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to ensure voters in the Liberation Tigers controlled areas in the northeast province to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general election without any interruption, TNA's leader and former parliamentarian Mr. R.Sampanthan said in a meeting of TNA candidates in Trincomalee, sources said. Mr.Tilak, LTTE Trincomalee district political head also participated in the meeting.
Full story >>

TNA, LTTE begin deliberations on manifesto

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2004, 12:00 GMT]
Party leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Liberation Tigers began deliberations on drafting the election manifesto of the TNA in Kilinochchi Tuesday. The meeting was adjourned in the afternoon for lunch. LTTE and TNA leaders said that the deliberation would continue later in the day and on Thursday.


Full story >>

Serious consequences if Tamil voters’ rights are denied – Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 February 2004, 07:28 GMT]
"The consequences will be serious if the rights and wishes of our people are denied," said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, the head of the political division of the Liberation Tigers, responding to reports Wednesday that the Sri Lanka army will not allow the free movement of voters from areas held by the LTTE for polling on 2 April. "We discussed the matter with the Ambassador of Norway today. And we plan to take up the matter with the European Union too," Mr. Thamilchelvan said, speaking to journalists after meeting Norwegian Ambassador for Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Wednesday.
Full story >>

"Elections will strengthen LTTE's position" - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 February 2004, 21:55 GMT]
"We openly state that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is contesting the forthcoming general election on behalf of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," said Tamil National Alliance lead candidate in Trincomalee district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Monday evening when he addressed the first election seminar held at Hindu Cultural hall in the east port town, sources in Trincomalee said.


Full story >>

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.


Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

Call for united vote to TNA in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 2004, 00:05 GMT]
The Federation of People’s Organizations (FPO) in Vavuniya, in a statement last week, has asked the public to vote for the policies of the Tamil National Alliance in order to gain maximum parliamentary representation for the Tamil people, to show the international community that the people are behind the TNA’s policies, and ultimately to find a lasting solution to the Tamil national question.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

LTTE's Special Motorbike Brigade completes training

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 2004, 16:39 GMT]
In an undisclosed location in Vanni, Pirapaharan, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, participated in the passing out ceremony of a crack Motorbike brigade which completed its special training today, sources in Vanni said.
Full story >>

Thamil Eelam sports festival begins in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 2004, 09:19 GMT]
The third annual Thamil Eelam national sports festival commenced in Kilinochchi Friday, organizers said. Commander of the Eastern Front Forces of the Liberation Tigers, Col. Soosai, was the chief guest at the inauguration of the festival on the Kilinochchi playground Friday morning. Several senior officials of the LTTE, including the head of the Sports Division, Mr. S. Paappa were present at the inauguration, sources said.


Full story >>

Tribalist irrationality permeates Sinhala political rhetoric - Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 2004, 03:31 GMT]
Unless extremely prudently handled, developments surrounding the forthcoming election may set in a new political process in which "Sri Lanka's future as a nation-state unit might be at a great risk" warns Professor Uyangoda, in a sobering analysis of the political campaign which he says is "likely to be full of rhetoric of the retrograde kind," in an opinion column that appears in the Friday edition of the Daily Mirror.


Full story >>

Elections commissioner says no to polling stations in LTTE areas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 February 2004, 15:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Commissioner of Elections said Thursday he won’t allow polling booths in areas held by the Liberation Tigers where more than two hundred thousand Tamil voters live. The polling stations would instead be clustered in places controlled by the Sri Lankan armed forces he said. Addressing a press conference at his office in Colombo Thursday at his office he said that he decided to do so for reasons of security, transport problems and land mines.
Full story >>

Donors call for early return to Peace Talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 2004, 15:12 GMT]
"A return to the peace table, along with strict adherence to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, is essential to sustain the peace process for the benefit of all ethnic communities in Sri Lanka," said the the co-chairs of the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka (the United States, European Union, Japan, and Norway) who met in Washington today, in a press release issued by the US State Department.
Full story >>

Mano Ganeshan meets with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 2004, 14:18 GMT]
Western Province People's Front (WPPF) leader, Mano Ganeshan, met with Head of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, in Kilinochchi Wednesday morning sources in Kilinochchi said. "The critical importance of the forthcoming elections lies in the fact the Tamil Nation will use this democratic medium to unequivocally express its aspirations," Mr.Ganeshan told the reporters after his meeting.
Full story >>

Chandrasekaran meets Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 2004, 12:53 GMT]
Upcountry People's Front (UPF) leader and Minister in the United National Front (UNF) government, Mr.P.Chandrasekaran, met with Head of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, in Kilinochchi Wednesday morning and had discussions on ways UPF can forge a common agenda with the NorthEast Tamil parties at the forthcoming elections, sources in Kilinochchi said.


Full story >>

TNA leaders meet to finalize election strategy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2004, 20:22 GMT]
The central working committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the nomination board of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) are planning to meet Wednesday (February 18) morning at the headquarters of the TULF in Colombo, party sources said.


Full story >>

Tamils should vote only for policy-Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2004, 09:43 GMT]
"We unanimously decided today that the Tamil people should vote only for policies of the Tamil National Alliance. This is the wish of our leader and our leadership. Tamils should unite under one leadership and one policy for this election," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan speaking to the press at the conclusion of a three hour long meeting with leaders of the Tamil National Alliance at the headquarters of Liberation Tigers’ political division in Kilinochchi Tuesday. "The TNA will definitely field Muslim candidates," he stressed.
Full story >>

TNA leaders to meet LTTE leadership in Killinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 February 2004, 18:12 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Mr.R.Sampanthan said Monday that vital decisions would be taken in consultations with the leadership of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Tuesday in Killinochchi regarding the forthcoming parliamentary general elections.
Full story >>