Following a story in our website about the involvement of a retired Major General Sarath Karunaratne in the mud slinging campaign launched against General Sarath Fonseka, a clarification was sent to the website’s e-mail. The e-mail sent by retired Major General Sanath Karunaratne states that there was no Major General Sarath Karunaratne in the Army and that he, Major General Sanath Karunaratne, was former Army Spokesperson. Major General Karunaratne has said he was no involved in any mud slinging campaign launched against General Fonseka.

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Labor Minister Mervyn Silva has reportedly requested the President to enhance his security claiming his life was under threat from a certain regiment in the Army. He has added that his family was also under threat. The President has asked Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to immediately address concerns voiced by Mervyn and had also asked for the operation launched to wipe out under world figures be stopped temporarily until the conclusion of the election.

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General Sarath Fonseka is scheduled to travel to Kandy tomorrow (30) to worship and receive the blessings of the Sacred Tooth Relic to commence his election campaign after announcing his intention of contesting the forthcoming Presidential election before the media. A coordinator of the General’s election campaign told Lanka News Web that after worshiping the Sacred Tooth Relic, the General would visit the Mahanayakes of the Asgiri and Malwatte Chapter to brief them on his campaign and policies at the Presidential election.

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British Tamils welcome the initiative by our Prime Minister Gordon Brown in making a stand against Sri Lanka’s bid to host the next Commonwealth Summit in 2011, due to the conduct of its military campaign which had a massive impact on the civilian population. It is further encouraging that the Canadian government has taken a similar stance along with the UK government. As the first world leader to call for ceasefire earlier this year, when the military onslaught had intensified, Prime Minister Brown has again taken the lead to uphold the values of the Commonwealth, to which Sri Lanka remains a member.

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Astrologers have said the date set by the Elections Commissioner for the Presidential election, January 26, is an inauspicious date for the President. January 26 is a Tuesday and is known as “kuja” in Sinhala. Following the recent planetary change, “kuja” is positioned in a manner not beneficial to the president according to his horoscope. In astrology, “kuja” is the planet for war. The planet is well positioned in General Sarath Fonseka’s horoscope.

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Presidential candidate of the Left Front Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne say that he will take up the issue of national unity based on Equality, Autonomy, and the Rights of Self Determination. Announcing the decision by left and democratic parties, organizations and intellectuals Dr. Vickramabahu said that the incumbent president followed the agenda given by the Indian rulers backed by global powers while the terrible bankruptcy in Lankan society is used by far-right militaristic section of the global powers to put forward the former military chief.

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The UPFA unable to face the challenge posed by common candidate General Sarath Fonseka at the Presidential election has decided to field another candidate at the election with the name Sarath, sources from the SLFP headquarters said. The plan has been initiated by Basil Rajapaksa to create confusion among General Fonseka’s supporters and the new candidate is to be fielded from a party affiliated to the government. It is also learnt that Basil is working hard to receive the support of a party already in the UNF to break away from the alliance and join the UPFA.

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General Sarath Fonseka’s lawyers told Lanka News Web that the real reason behind the President’s order yesterday (27) to stop the alienation of land and presenting to them to any party during the election period was to prevent the General from receiving the deed for his land. The General filed a FR petition before Supreme Court stating the land given to the forces chiefs following the military victory was not received by him and requested legal intervention to receive the deed for the land allocated to him. Although necessary arrangements have been made to allocate 20 perch land plots to the three forces chiefs including General Sarath Fonseka, the Defence Secretary has prevented the General from being given his deed to the land.

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Sources from Temple Trees said that UNP parliamentarian Johnston Fernando has declined an offer made by the President to appoint him to parliament from the UPFA national list after the next general election and has expressed his willingness to contest the next general election from the UPFA. Johnston has asked the President to appoint him as the SLFP Kurunegala District Leader for him to contest the election. Sources said the President has asked SLFP Kurunegala organizer Jayaratne Herath to meet him at Temple Trees this morning to discuss the possibility of him moving out of Kurunegala and taking over the Polgahawela electorate.

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UPFA national list parliamentarian Wijedasa Rajapakse is to be appointed as the UNP’s Maharagama organizer next week and he was given the membership of the National Lawyers’ Association yesterday (27), sources from Sirikotha said. The letter appointing Rajapakse as the Maharagama organizer is to be handed over at a ceremony attended by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and UNP Colombo District Leader Ravi Karunanayake.

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Two pilots and two airmen died on Friday (27) morning when a Mi24 helicopter that was providing security cover to the helicopter carrying the President crashed in Buttala. The Mi24 helicopter that crashed was the CH635 helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The pilot of the other Mi24 helicopter had told officials that the CH635 helicopter crashed after losing control balance when the back rotator stopped turning.

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UNP parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandaranayake who objected to the UNP Working Committee decision to back General Sarath Fonskea at the Presidential election on Thursday (26) morning had met with the President at Temple Trees that evening.

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A senior official from Sirikotha told Lanka News Web that UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Seneviratne had met with General Sarath Fonseka and pledged his support on Thursday (26). Seneviratne had also told Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that although his friends, parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandatanayake have decided not to support the General’s campaign on personal grounds, he would support the party’s decision to back the General. The UNP official said Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had blackmailed Fernando using the allegation that he had provided a safe haven for an LTTE cadre who was planning to assassinate a VIP.

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UNP Western Provincial Councilor A.J.M. Muzammil has disagreed with the move to appoint fellow Provincial Councilor Rosy Senanayake to the Presidential election propaganda committee, as she was openly critical of General Sarath Fonseka’s candidature at the election. Muzammil had made this comment at the propaganda committee meeting held at the official residence of the Opposition Leader on Thursday (26).

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