With a presidential election just two weeks away, the two main candidates have been desperately wooing Tamil voters, offering them the same social, economic and political opportunities enjoyed by the Sinhalese majority.

The incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapakse, and his main challenger, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, are both Sinhalese.

If they split the Sinhalese vote, then the support of the Tamil electorate could prove decisive. Hence their overtures to a community that for the most part views both men with deep suspicion. More...Discuss this story Published: Sat Jan 16 23:16:22 EST 2010

The US embassy in Colombo said it "strongly" rejected the charges made by a ruling party legislator that he was given 30 million rupees (265,000 dollars) that had come from the US and Norwegian embassies to defect to the opposition.

Legislator Mohamed Musammil told reporters in Colombo Friday that he was given a suitcase full of the cash to defect and support the main opposition presidential candidate, Sarath Fonseka. More... Discuss this story Published: Sat Jan 16 16:28:09 EST 2010

"People of Sri Lanka have a golden opportunity to see a democratic nation if they vote him (Sarath Fonseka) to power", he told reporters here.

Stating that major opposition political parties including UNP and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) came on a common platform for the first time in Sri Lanka to restore democracy, he said "he (Fonseka) and his supporting parties will also ensure setting up of an independent Election Commission, independent Police Commission and also an independent Public Service Commission in Sri Lanka", he added. More...Discuss this story Published: Sat Jan 16 16:43:50 EST 2010