Kandy Sangha MR’s re-election as President

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`Vol. 29 No. 81 Wednesday 17th February, 2010, 36 Pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper – Late City Edition

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South Africaat Twenty

by Chitra Weerarathne

General (retd) SarathFonseka yesterday filed apetition in the Supreme

Court, requesting that the re-election of Mahinda Rajapaksaas President of Sri Lanka at theJan. 26 polls be declared void.

The petition requested theCourt to declare the return ofMahinda Rajapaksa as undueand to declare Sarath Fonsekathe duly elected President of SriLanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksawas named the first andElections CommissionerDayananda Dissanayake the 22ndin a list of 26 respondents (Seepage 6 for full list and text of thepetition) cited in Fonseka’s peti-tion.

The petition also requestedthe Court to order a scrutiny ofall the ballots cast at the poll tobe carried out by theCommissioner of Election andhis officials in the presence ofthe petitioner and the other can-didates at the poll or their repre-sentatives.

The petition said that due to aviolation of election laws andcorrupt practices committed bythe first respondent, MahindaRajapaksa, the majority of elec-tors had been prevented fromelecting the candidate of theirchoice, namely Fonseka, and/orthe result may have been affectedby acts of intimidation, violationof laws and the commission ofcorrupt practices.

The alleged acts of miscon-duct committed by Rajapaksa,include, general intimidation ofelectors from December, 2009 toJanuary 2010, treating of personsto food and drinks between theperiod November 11, 2009 toJanuary 26, 2010, at TempleTrees, at the Kandy President’sHouse and the AnuradhapuraPresident’s House. Acts of

Bribery during the periodNovember 23, 2009 to January 26,2010, use of State Resources,making of false statements,

regarding the personal characterof Fonseka, and non-compliancewith the presidential electionlaws.

The petition said Rajapaksawas guilty of corrupt practice oftreating, under section 77, readtogether with section (1)(c) of the

Presidential Election Act.Rajapaksa was guilty of corruptpractice of Bribery under sec-tion 79 read together with sec-tion (1)(c) of the PresidentialElection Act. Rajapaksa wasguilty of making false state-ments under section 80(1)(c),read together with (1)(c) of thePresidential Election Act.Rajapaksa was guilty of miscon-duct under various other circum-stances, stated in Section (1)(a) ofthe Presidential Election Act.Therefore declared result shouldbe voided.

The petition cited as falsestatements, announcementsmade by Sarath Kongahage,Razik Zarook, KalingaIndratissa, HudsonSamarasinghe and WimalWeerawansa, that the petitionerwas not qualified to be elected asthe President of Sri Lanka andthat if was elected he would bedisqualified.

Those false statements werebroadcast without a break untilthe close of poll at 4 p.m. by SriLanka Rupavahini Corporation,SLBC, Lakhanda and otherTelevision Networks.

Fonseka petitions SC againstMR’s re-election as President

The UNP and JVP yesterday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the results of therecently conducted Presidential election. Somawasa Amarasinghe, leader of the JVP addresses themedia outside the Supreme Court after filing the petition. With him were UNP stalwarts, JohnAmaratunga, Ravi Karunanayake and JVP ex-MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake

(Photo-Sujatha Jayarathne)

Allegations of computer fraud dropped

Police headquarters said that secu-rity provided to all Members ofParliament (MP) had been withdrawnwith effect from Tuesday on theinstructions of the Inspector Generalof Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya.

A senior police official said thatthe decision was taken following therecent dissolution of Parliament. Theofficial said that security contingentsassigned to Ministers, Non-CabinetMinisters and Deputy Ministerswould remain.

The Opposition accused the gov-ernment of undermining security offormer MPs. Dr. JayalathJayawardena said that this was a moveby the government to intimidate oppo-sition candidates contesting the forth-coming General Elections.

(See page 3 for connected story)

MPs lose bodyguards

by Ifham Nizam

The Cabinet is expected take uptoday the 35 MW Broadlands HydroPower Project. A delay in its imple-mentation causes a staggering month-ly loss of Rs 200 million due to a dis-pute among senior officials.

The Island reliably learns that asenior official of the Power andEnergy Ministry is determined tooffer the project to a bidder whosequotation is USD 30 million higherthan that of the Technical EvaluationCommittee recommended bidder’s.

Five Firms forwarded bids, four ofthem were Chinese companies whilethe other was an Iranian firm.

Cabinet to take upBroadlands project

A holy mass was offered yesterday at the Carmel Convent Mattakuliya in memoryof the founder of Upali Group of companies the late Upali Wjewardene. The masswas conducted by Rev. Fr. Chrishanth Jayalath. Directors, Senior Managers and aGroup employees participated. (Photo-Kamal Bogoda)

by Don Asoka Wijewardena

A large number of bus commutersincluding students travelling fromGampaha, Nittabuwa, Kadawatha andWelivariya to Colombo were inconve-nienced yesterday morning (16) as privatebus crew struck work on routes No 200,180,514 and 138 due to an attack by long dis-tance bus crew on their colleagues. Busowners said the strike would be called ofonce the police arrested the culprits.

The Lanka Private Bus OwnersAssociation would inform PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa of the high handedactivities of two politicians, protesting buscrews said.

A politician had instigated long-dis-tance bus operators to attack short-dis-tance buses and he had instructed thepolice not to take action, the Bus Owners’Association alleged.

Passengersstranded as busmen strikeby Jayantha de Silva

Colombo Chief Magistrate JanakiRajaratne on Monday allowed an applica-tion by the Colombo Crimes Division andordered several TV channels to hand overcompact discs containing the videofootage of the recent incidents at

Hultsdorp involving supporters ofGen.(Retd) Sarath Fonseka and a factionopposed to him.

The Magistrate ordered Sirasa,Swarnavahini, Rupavahini and the DeranaChannels to hand over the compact discsdepicting the stone throwing incident.

Attack on Sarath Fonseka supporters at Hulftsdorp

TV channels ordered to give police video footage

Presidential election petition

Inside

The petition did not makeany reference to theOpposition’s main allegation inthe wake of the Jan. 26 pollsthat President MahindaRajapaksa had won a secondterm through a computer fraud,a claim vehemently denied byElections CommissionerDayananda Dissanayake. TheUNP, JVP and the SLFP (M

Wing) alleged that the election

staff had collaborated with thegovernment to perpetrate anunprecedented computer fraudto deny Opposition candidateGeneral (retd) Sarath Fonsekavictory at the January 26 polls.JVP leader dubbed the allegedcomputer fraud, ‘computer jil-maat’. The non-inclusion of thismuch publicised allegation hasraised many an eye brow inpolitical and diplomatic circles.

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

by Cyril Wimalasurendre

KANDY – The four Mahanayakatheros yesterday decided to put off aspecial meeting of the Maha Sanghascheduled for Thursday (Feb 18) at theMahamaluwa opposite the Sri DaladaMaligawa to discuss the situation in thecountry in the aftermath of the recentlyconcluded presidential polls.

The Maha Nayaka Theros, who hadconvened the meeting recently follow-ing representations made by the jointOpposition issued notice of cancella-tion on Tuesday afternoon.

Kandy Sanghapowwowput off

by Norman Palihawadana Southern Provincial Councillor

Nishantha Muthuhettigama andGalle District UPFA candidate, whohad a running battle with actressAnarkali Akarsha in the run-up tolast year’s elections to the SPC, yes-terday said that he would not clashwith veteran film star GeethaKumarasinghe over manape in theGalle District.

Mutuhettigamawon’t fightGeetha

Nishantha Geetha

Continued on page 2

Pay hike for workersMeals at Temple TreesAbuse of State mediaArmy top brass on TV

False claim on polls dayViolence, intimidation

Discarded ballot papersTNA-SF secret pactAbuse of state property

Counting without agents

Allegations at a glance

Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

Kumaritashvili’s bodyflown home fromWinter Olympics

Navy headquarters said that a Lt.Commander, who was on holiday haddrowned in the Nachchaduwa wewa inAnuradapura.

Sources said that the Navy officerhad gone there with an actor and a for-mer MP monk..

Lt. Commander drowns