Tag: politics

December 2, 2009 (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday pushed Sri Lanka to grant full freedom to 130,000 Tamil civilians who have been allowed out of camps where they were detained following the island’s ethnic conflict.The government said the camp inmates, who were displaced in the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels, were now free […]

November 30, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka will Tuesday allow thousands of civilians to leave state-run camps where they have been detained since the military’s victory over Tamil Tiger separatist rebels, a senior official said.About 128,000 men, women and children who were displaced during the final stages of the conflict remain in heavily guarded military […]

VAVUNIYA, December 1, 2009 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan civilians held in state-run camps following the island’s ethnic conflict were allowed to walk free Tuesday, ending their internationally-condemned detention.Men, women and children were given their first opportunity to leave the northern Manik Farm complex since their incarceration over seven months ago. But […]

SYDNEY, November 30, 2009 (AFP) – Australia unveiled Perth on Monday as the venue for the next Commonwealth summit in 2011, as the international club’s latest gathering ended in Trinidad and Tobago.Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said it was a “tremendous opportunity” for the west-coast city, which is at the heart of the country’s commodities boom. […]

November 29, 2009 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan general who led troops to victory over Tamil separatists after decades of war formally announced on Sunday that he would try to unseat the president in January elections.Sarath Fonseka declared he would stand against President Mahinda Rajapakse, who claims credit for the defeat of Tamil Tigers in […]

November 28, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ex-military chief has said he plans to run for the presidency in January elections in a bid to unseat his former boss Mahinda Rajapakse.Meanwhile, a group of opposition parties met elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake late Friday after he formally announced the date of the presidential poll, an opposition […]

Nov 27, 2009 (LBO) – Achala Jagoda, a parliamentarian representing the National Freedom Front, an ally of the ruling coalition has been appointed the island’s new tourism minister, the government’s information office said.Nandana Gunatileke, the former minister left the NFF, which is a breakaway faction of Sri Lanka Marxist Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Gunatileke has […]

November 27, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s electoral office said Friday that presidential elections would be held on January 26, with President Mahinda Rajapakse expected to face his former military chief Sarath Fonseka.“Elections will be held on the 26th of January,” Dayananda Dissanayake, the commissioner of elections, told AFP by telephone. Rajapakse, 64, called the […]

November 23, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse Monday announced he was calling a snap election to seek a second term, six months after his security forces defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. President Rajapakse said in a statement that he was seeking a fresh mandate after completing four years in office out of […]

November 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former military chief, General Sarath Fonseka, will challenge his ex-boss President Mahinda Rajapakse in upcoming elections, a key leftist opposition party announced Tuesday.The JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, which had earlier backed Rajapakse, said they secured an agreement with Fonseka, 58, to stand against Rajapakse, who on Monday […]

November 23, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka will hold early presidential elections within months, media minister Anura Yapa told reporters on Monday, after government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels six months ago.However former army general Sarath Fonseka, who is widely credited with the military strategy that secured victory in May, is expected to stand […]

November 20, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former top military officer who resigned last week promised on Friday to “fight for democracy” amid reports he will challenge the president at upcoming elections.General Sarath Fonseka, who quit as chief of defence staff following a spat with President Mahinda Rajapakse, said he was committing himself to restoring […]