The Lanka Academic
 
MARCH 20, 2002 EST, USA
 
A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED BY LACNET
 
VOL. 2, NO. 348
TLA FEATURE CORNER
Headline Summary
F R E E      C L A S S I F I E D S
T  O  P      H  E  A  D  L  I  N  E
UNF set to win Lanka civic polls
Gulf-News, 21 March 2002. Sri Lanka's ruling United National Front (UNF) government was set to win yesterday's local government elections which ended last evening amidst incidents of sporadic violence leading to at least three deaths, cases of intimidation and undue political influence during voting hours. Reports from the provinces said voter turnout was low compared to the parliamentary elections held three and a half months ago, but the indications were that the UNF would win a majority of the local councils for which elections were conducted. A spokesman for the elections department said the turnout was around 65 per cent, a 10 per cent less than the figure recorded during the parliamentary elections. A victory for the UNF will help to strengthen the government as this is the first election the government is facing after the December 5 parliamentary elections. More...
Published: Wed Mar 20 17:38:14 EST 2002
Related News Stories
·
 Three people killed in Lanka’s Local polls  - Saroj Pathirana in London
·
 Lankans vote in local elections marred by stray violence  - South Nexus
·
 Lanka's mini poll gets underway  - Times of India
·
 Sri Lanka Holds Local Government Elections  - Nothern Light
·
 ' Peace deal' election for Sri Lanka  - BBC South Asia
·
 Sri Lankans vote in key test of ceasefire support  - MSNBC
·
 Sri Lanka votes in key test for Norway peace bid  - Yahoo India
·
 Local polls test for Sri Lanka's ruling party  - Yahoo India
·
 Leftist party warns of election violence tomorrow  - Frederica Jansz in Colombo
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Observers express concern over violations of election laws
 Gulf-News, 21 March 2002. An independent election-monitoring group in Sri Lanka expressed concern about the violations of election laws during yesterday's local election and said that the majority of the complaints were against ruling United National Front (UNF) supporters... Back to the top
LTTE men threaten officer and refuse to leave area
 Frederica Jansz in Colombo, 3 p.m. SLT Wednesday March 20. Some men from the LTTE are reported to have threatened Army officers with a machete when asked to leave the area of Pachchidikuruppu, north east of Batticaloa... Back to the top
List of seriously flawed local government polls
 CMEV, 21 March 2002. CMEV monitored the local government elections in only 60 local government bodies on March 20, 2002... Back to the top
Latest LG Election Results...
 ICT/news.lk, 21 March 2002. General Elections to Municipal and Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas - 2002 Back to the top
LTTE prepared to end hostilities with all parties
 Frederica Jansz in Colombo, 2.05 p.m. SLT Wednesday March 20. Thamil Chelvam in an interview with state television has said the LTTE is prepared to end hostilities with all parties including Tamil para military groups... Back to the top
A meeting with Karikalan
 Daily News, March 21, 2002. Karikalan alleged that over the years Tamils had been dispossessed of their lands in many areas by Muslims who indulged in sharp trading practices... Back to the top
Minister joins call for lifting of ban on Tigers
 Gulf-News, 21 March 2002. Tamil political parties known to be acting as a front group for the Tamil guerrillas have stepped up their campaign in Sri Lanka calling for the removal of the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ahead of talks with the government... Back to the top
Diplomacy - Peace gets a chance in Sri Lanka
 Yahoo India, 21 March 2002. It is also no secret that India was less than happy when, more than two years ago, Norway offered to facilitate a dialogue between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, says Aditi Phadnis... Back to the top
Sri Lankans ask, where did you go to school?
 The Island/Reuters, March 21, 2002. The Old Boy school network is alive and well in Sri Lanka and experiencing a feeding frenzy with the normal social and business rivalry between alumni of the two best-known schools knocked into overdrive by a cricket match... Back to the top
"Peace process" is like wedding without bride- NSSP
 Saroj Pathirana in London, Wednesday 20/03/02 1745 GMT. Sri Lanka’s current cease-fire and the "confidence building measures" would not lead to anywhere near a solution to the national question unless the authorities put forward a concrete proposal, a senior leader of a leftwing party said... Back to the top
Sri Lanka cuts interest rates
 Yahoo Singapore, Wednesday March 20, 9:07 PM. Sri Lanka's central bank cut key interest rates on Wednesday, citing government plans to raise revenues, but warned monetary policy would remain tight... Back to the top
LTTE declares Trincomalee Eelam capital
 Hindustan Times, March 19,2002. The LTTE today declared this eastern port town and a major Sri Lankan naval base the capital of a future, independent Tamil Eelam... Back to the top
War premiums imposed at Sri Lanka despite ruling
 Hoovers Online, march 20. WAR risk premiums are still being levied on some ships calling at Sri Lanka, despite the joint war risk committee recommendation that they are no longer necessary, a Sri Lankan official has charged... Back to the top
UNHCR says Sri Lanka still fragile
 BBC South Asia, Tuesday, 19 March, 2002, 17:42 GMT . he United Nations refugee agency says, despite the current peace process in Sri Lanka, the situation is still too fragile for any large-scale repatriation of refugees... Back to the top
President, premier at loggerheads
 Gulf-News, 20 March 2002. President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the ruling United National Front (UNF) are at loggerheads over the security situation for today's local government elections with the president insisting deployment of armed forces for the elections and the government refusing to accede to the demand... Back to the top
Will peace ever return to paradise?
 Japan Times, 20 March 2002. Foreign visitors to Sri Lanka have been singing its praises since the days of Marco Polo... Back to the top
On the road in Sri Lanka
 Japan Times, 20 March 2002. While security concerns deter many visitors, traveling in Sri Lanka can be very rewarding because there is so much on offer and few other tourists to crowd the experience... Back to the top
CMEV reports without seeing
 Daily Mirror, march 19. Two Convenors of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) yesterday admitted their monitors had been advised to leave the most violent electorates to avoid physical injuries and therefore did not witness violent scenes they reported about... Back to the top
UN says too early for S.Lankan refugees to return
 MSNBC, march 19. The United Nations refugee organisation said on Tuesday that even though the peace process had taken off in Sri Lanka it was too early for any large-scale return of refugees... Back to the top
Jaffna - Vavuniya road to open
 Frederica Jansz in Colombo, 10 a.m. SLT Tuesday March 19. The main Jaffna Vavuniya highway will soon be reopened. Reports from the north say the LTTE have already begun work on the highway and are de mining areas... Back to the top
LTTE rejects US charge, woos India
 HT, 19 March 2002. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has said that it would not bow to any threat from any quarter, including the United States... Back to the top
Sri Lanka football captain remanded for robbery
 Dulshan de Silva in Colombo, 1.15 p.m. SLT, Tuesday 19th March, 2002. Sri Lankan football star Roshan Perera is in Bogambara remand prison in Kandy after being arrested over an alleged one million rupee robbery in Dambulla... Back to the top
'Rescue Karaikal fishermen'
 The Hindu (Southern States), 20 March 2002. The Meenavar Viduthalai Vengaigal (Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) organisation has called upon the Chief Minister, N... Back to the top
Rice genome data row
 BBC, March 18. A row has broken out over public access to the complete DNA sequence of the rice plant... Back to the top
Displaced Sri Lankans starve as politicians play
 Asia Times, march 14. By Renuka Senanayake PUTTALAM, Sri Lanka - It was unbearable hunger that recently drove hundreds of placard-carrying displaced people to protest outside the main government office in Puttalam, a fishing town 330 kilometers north of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo... Back to the top
Timeline: Sri Lanka
 bbc, 19 march 2002. 1505 - Portuguese arrive in Colombo, marking beginning of European interest... Back to the top
US puts pressure on Tamil Tigers to help Sri Lanka peace bid
 Yahoo Singapore, 19 March 2002. The United States has stepped up pressure on Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels to fall in line with a Norwegian-backed peace bid or face a major international crackdown, diplomats said here... Back to the top
US and Sri Lanka in talks on military cooperation
 Yahoo Singapore, 19 March 2002. The United States is holding talks with Sri Lanka on increasing military cooperation while supporting Norwegian attempts to broker peace in the island, a top visiting US official said here... Back to the top
S.Lankan President's Call for Troop Deployment During Local Elections Rejected
 People's Daily, 19 March 2002. The Sri Lankan government has rejected the request of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to deploy armed forces to maintain law and order on Wednesday when local government elections are due, The Island newspaper said on Tuesday... Back to the top
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