Dissanayake was released today evening at 4.00 p.m. (Sri Lankan time) after President Mahinda Rajapakse granted him a presidential remission. Although he was sentenced for two years on charges of contempt of the Supreme Court, he was released one year, two months and ten days later. Dissanayake was sentenced to prison incidentally when Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga was the President.

Although stripped off his civic rights, Mr. Dissanayake addressing a large gathering at Colombo's Viharamahadevi park declared that he will continue his political career. His wife Thamara Dissanayake was the first to greet him as he came out of the Welikada prison with a sheaf of betels, thereby followed by his sons, other family members and colleagues.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also called upon Dissanayake's supporters to continue their struggle until SB is granted his civic rights.

"Tomorrow we begin to work for our party, let's get together and work for the forthcoming local government elections together to ensure the UNP is victorious in most local authorities. Even if we can't solve the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) nomination list problem, let us look at other alternatives like contesting under an Independent Group to secure the victory at the CMC," he added.

Discuss this story Published: Fri Feb 17 15:37:44 EST 2006

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka - 's President Mahinda Rajapakse expressed confidence that Geneva talks would assure a productive start to the peace process.

Addressing a multiparty conference in Colombo to explain the peace process, Rajapakse said that the focus of the talks would be on ``implementing a meaningful cease-fire.''

Also Friday, the government released from prison four members of the Sea Tigers, the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said Helen Olafsdottir, a spokeswoman for a European cease-fire monitoring team.

Rebel spokesman Daya Master confirmed the release of the four men, who were arrested in October while allegedly filming the Trincomalee harbor, where Sri Lankan navy has a base. The government also withdrew charges of violating the country's anti-terrorism act.

The move was seen as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the Feb. 22-23 peace talks

The rebels plan to reciprocate by releasing a Sri Lankan policeman from their custody Saturday, said another rebel official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The policeman and two colleagues in September strayed into rebel territory while chasing an alleged pedophile from Britain.

The Tigers launched a violent campaign in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils in the northeast, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. The civil war killed 65,000 people before the cease-fire was signed in 2002. Peace talks broke down a year later over rebel demands for wide autonomy.

Associated Press writers Dilip Ganguly and Bharatha Mallawarachi contributed to this report.

Discuss this story Published: Fri Feb 17 10:29:04 EST 2006

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that legal action would be filed against the decision by the election authorities which is set to cost the party the control of the capital city for the first time in over three decades.

The UNP list of candidates for the Colombo Municipal Council was rejected Thursday due to the inclusion of an underaged candidate.

Wickremesinghe said the officials should have allowed the candidate to be replaced with another rather than reject it. More... Published: Fri Feb 17 16:51:53 EST 2006