All party committee to monitor polls

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 February 1999, 16:58 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President met leaders of the political parties contesting provincial council election April 1 today at the Temple Trees, her official residence. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the SLMC Mr.M.H.M Ashraff and Ceylon Workers Congress chief and Minister for Livestock Development Mr.S.Thondaman were among those present.
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News in Brief

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 February 1999, 13:44 GMT]
Minster's son charged with assault; President to discuss forthcoming elections with opposition leader and UNP plans to censure Government over appointment of new Secretary General of Parliament.
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Pandemonium in Sri Lankan Parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 February 1999, 00:03 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Parliament was abruptly adjourned today following pandemonium that erupted in the house when the main opposition party, the UNP, held up large pieces of paper marked X and shouted slogans against the ruling party for rigging elections in the North-western province (NWP) last month.
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United States willing to facilitate peace

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 February 1999, 19:57 GMT]
The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Carl Inderfurth, had an informal discussion with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Opposition leader's office this morning from 11.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. said diplomatic sources.
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UNP stages mass rally

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 February 1999, 12:14 GMT]
More than ten thousand protestors blocked traffic this afternoon at Hyde Park Corner in the heart of Colombo at a mass rally and sit in organised by Sri Lanka's main opposition party the UNP. Slogan chanting demonstrators burnt mock coffins marked "Death of Democracy" at the venue.
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UNP convoy ambushed

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 January 1999, 22:39 GMT]
Violence in Sri Lanka's Northwestern Provincial polls continued as armed persons suspected to be members of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) shot at and stoned a convoy of campaign vehicles in which opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP's general secretary Gamini Athukorala were travelling at Marawila this morning.
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NLF chief candidate assaulted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 January 1999, 08:46 GMT]
The chief candidate of the New Left Front (NLF) which is contesting elections to Sri Lanka's Northwestern Provincial Council was seriously injured last night when they were severely assaulted by group PA members and supporters near Waariyapola in the Kurunagala district.
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Appoint Election Monitoring Committee - Opposition

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 January 1999, 14:09 GMT]
If the Government has a genuine intention to hold a free and fair election it should appoint an independent committee to monitor the forthcoming North-Western Provincial Council elections, said the Sri Lankan Opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, at a campaign rally held in Vennappuwa yesterday.
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Speculation over new Jaffna Mayor

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 November 1998, 20:31 GMT]
The Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, Mr. Raviraj, is expected to be nominated as the new mayor of the Jaffna Municipal Council, said TULF sources today. The sources said that the TULF officials are holding discussions with Mr. Raviraj urging him to accept the post.
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Grenade blast at Katunayake

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 November 1998, 00:05 GMT]
A Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) trooper guarding the runway at Colombo's Katunayake International Airport accidentally fired a rocket-propelled grenade at around 9.00 a.m., shortly before the plane carrying the British Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett landed.
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UNP calls for deal with India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 November 1998, 22:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition leader, Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe, said today that the Sri Lankan government should immediately sign an economic treaty with India to solve its problems. He was speaking at a meeting for UNP organisers in Paatadumbara, in the Kandy district this morning around 11.30 a.m.
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Business leaders court UNP

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 October 1998, 20:06 GMT]
The ICRC declined an informal request by the leaders of the Sri Lankan business community to take relief supplies donated by them to the people living in areas of the Vanni region which are under the control of the Liberation Tigers. Meanwhile a delegation of Sri Lanka's top businessmen met the UNP leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo this evening.
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Minister charges UNP-LTTE conspiracy

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 October 1998, 03:15 GMT]
Gen.Anuruddha Ratwatte, Sri Lanka's deputy minister for defence, charged that the opposition leader Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe was in cahoots with the Liberation Tigers.
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Civilians drafted in error

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 October 1998, 19:44 GMT]
Innocent Sinhala civilians may also be among the hundreds of deserters who are being picked up and sent off to the war front in the Sri Lankan government's current drive to replenish the ranks of the Sri Lankan army (SLA) , said human rights workers today.
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UNP releases SLA casualty figures

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 October 1998, 00:15 GMT]
(News Feature) The leader of the main Sri Lankan opposition party, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe said in parliament today that over 1900 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops had been killed and 2000 wounded when the Liberation Tigers overran the Kilinochchi SLA base complex last week. Mr. Wickremasinghe's sources were said to be from SLA HQ and Military Intelligence.
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Military solution within the next year — Ratwatte

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 September 1998, 20:00 GMT]
"Our president began to talk to the LTTE with an open mind in 1995, to bring about peace and unity in this country, but the talks collapsed when they suddenly attacked ships in Trincomalee harbour, and now, the government is determined to build peace after wiping out terrorism", said Mr. Anuruddhe Ratwatte, the deputy minister for defence.
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UNP accused of treason

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 September 1998, 20:12 GMT]
A Sinhala language newspaper, Silumina, run by the state owned Lakehouse group accused the opposition United National Party and its leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, of committing treason against the Sri Lankan state.
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Priests meet fasting protestors

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 September 1998, 15:06 GMT]
The second day of the token fast undertaken by displaced persons in front of the Mullaitivu secretariat was well attended, said sources. Over 300 men, women and children participated in the fast, which started at 5.00 in the morning and went on till 5.00 in the evening.
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Northern Ireland peacemaker meets UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 September 1998, 06:38 GMT]
Prof.Thomas Grant Frazer of the Ulster University's Dept. of political science who had played a role in the peace process in northern Ireland, currently on a visit to Sri Lanka met the leader of the United National Party for discussions yesterday afternoon.
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G.L Pieris to hold meeting with Tamil groups

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 August 1998, 18:52 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government's Minister for Constitutional Affairs Prof. G.L Pieris will hold a meeting with all the non-LTTE groups on September 10 to discuss the issues which are delaying the implementation of PA's devolution package, said sources close to the Minister today.
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