Tag: Sri Lanka
‘s Tamils wary of election spotlight
JAFFNA, January 17, 2010 (AFP) – Scarred by decades of war and official indifference, Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils are now being courted as political kingmakers — a shift that many of them view with bitter scepticism. With a presidential election just two weeks away, the two main candidates have been desperately wooing Tamil voters, offering […]
Sri Lanka orders tighter security after campaign shootings
January 17, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president ordered police to step up security ahead of presidential elections after a second political activist was shot dead this month, an official said Sunday. The ruling party supporter was killed on Saturday in the north-western Puttalam district where several others were injured when they clashed with opposition […]
Opposition says Sri Lanka lied to UN over heavy weapons
January 15, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s opposition Friday accused the government of misleading the UN over the use of heavy weapons during the final stages of fighting against Tamil rebels last year. Sri Lanka’s Tamil community, numbering 12.5 percent of the population, has close cultural and religious links with India’s Tamil Nadu state, which […]
US, Norway deny funding ouster of Sri Lanka president
January 16, 2010 (AFP) – The United States and Norway on Saturday denied funding Sri Lanka’s main opposition to defeat President Mahinda Rajapakse’s re-election bid later this month. Norway, which was the peace broker until the Rajapakse administration withdrew from a faltering truce and escalated a military campaign against the Tigers early last year, denied […]
Sri Lanka central bank created high inflation and reduced wealth: economist
Jan 16, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has created average inflation of 11. 0 percent and must take the blame for impoverishing the people, a senior monetary economist and former central banker has said. After Sri Lanka got independence from Britain, the country had registered growth slightly over that of India, but had […]
Sri Lanka to pay extra interest to senior citizens
Jan 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government will pay an extra 20 percent ‘bonus interest’ for rupee deposits maintained at licensed commercial banks by senior citizens, the Central Bank said. The extra interest will be 20 percent of the interest earned after January 01, subject to a limit of 120,000 per person per year. […]
Sri Lanka presidential hopeful to play policy referee
Jan 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s opposition presidential hopeful retired general Sarath Fonseka has said he may have to play referee between pro free market United National Party and Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. JVP is credited with key initiatives of the post-2004 economic program which proposed expanding state employment, subsidizing fuel and pushing state […]
Sri Lanka state trading firm imports Pakistan rice to cool crisis
Jan 14, 2010 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan state trading firm has imported a stock of rice from Pakistan as domestic prices shot up in a market mired in heavy handed state intervention. Shops run of supplies, a situation known as a ‘shortage’ in economic terms, happens only when there are price controls. Without government […]
‘s ruling party in election: report
January 14, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka stopped using heavy weapons against Tamil Tiger rebels to help the re-election bid of neighbouring India’s ruling party, a top official in Colombo said Thursday. Sri Lanka’s 12.5 percent minority Tamil community has close cultural and religious links with India’s Tamil Nadu state, which was once the staging […]
One killed in Sri Lanka poll attack: police
January 12, 2010 (AFP) – Gunmen in Sri Lanka on Tuesday opened fire on a bus carrying supporters of the main opposition presidential candidate, killing one political activist, police said. Several other people were wounded when unidentified attackers sprayed bullets into the vehicle of campaigners backing Sarath Fonseka, who was not in the area at […]
Sri Lanka public service, rule of law undermined by constitution: rights body
Jan 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s post independence constitutions of 1972 and 1978 and the scrapping of the institution of permanent secretaries has usurped the rule of law and destroyed the impartiality of the public service, a rights body has said. Above the Law Fernando says the 1978 constitution where the president was placed […]
Sri Lanka election violence escalates after killing
January 13, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police Wednesday broke up clashes between political activists as violence linked to looming presidential polls escalated after gunmen shot dead an opposition party worker. Tear-gas was fired to disperse thousands of party workers in the eastern town of Polonnaruwa, local officials said by telephone. About 3,000 opposition supporters […]