Election result is the biggest ever unpatriotic crime– Bahu

Common Left Candidate Vickramabahu Karunaratne called the declared result of the presidential election in Sri Lanka as the biggest ever betrayal of the country.

 

Addressing a media briefing in Colombo on Sunday, Comrade Vickramabahu said that the result has been manipulated using sophisticated computer technology to show the world that the Sinhala electorate is totally racist and against any agreement, while the Tamils are not prepared to work alongside the Sinhalese. He said that the spread of variance in the declared result appears unnatural.

He charged that the result was achieved by a ‘daylight conspiracy’ specifically targeting the Tamils of the North East combined with a ‘midnight conspiracy’.

“The midnight conspiracy was launched by state officials who manipulated the result while the daylight conspiracy was visible in the intimidation of Tamils.” He called the manipulation of votes a ‘Blanquist’ conspiracy run by a select group of officials.

Shivaji calls not to dissolve parliament 

Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam speaking at the media briefing said that bombing in the North East and filming those queuing to vote discouraged people from voting. The small number of internally displaced who were allowed to vote officially could not get to their polling stations due to lack of transport.

Shivaji and I will get a substantial vote to fight both reactionary camps – Bahu

Common Left Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne of the Left Front contesting under the Table symbol said that he is confident of obtaining a substantial vote that will enable to mobilize against both camps.

In a video address Dr. Vickramabahu said that the Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam who represents Tamil Liberation along with him who represent the left and the proletariat will get a vote that can be combined for a “progressive liberation force prepared to fight back”.

Bahu in English 

Bahu in Sinhala

He emphasized the need to build a force that will fight against global capital and Sinhala chauvinism represented by Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka.

Vickramabahu represents Tamils -British Tamil Forum

The British Tamils Forum (BTF) says that there are only two candidates including the Common Left Candidate Vickramabahu Karunaratne in the presidential election that represents Tamils.

Suren Surendiran representing BTF in a live discussion with Al Jazeera television on the Sri Lankan presidential election pointed out Dr. Vickramabahu saying that Tamils in Sri Lanka need self determination.

Listen to Suren Surendiran

The BTF spokesman also referred to the Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam describing President Rajapaksa and General Fonseka as war criminals.

"I will uphold rights and fight for them" Bahu’s pledge to AI

Common Left Candidate Vickramabahu Karunaratne gave a written pledge to Amnesty International (AI) that he would be committed to respecting basic human rights and is prepared to fight for them.

Dr. Vickramabahu was responding to an appeal made by Amnesty International’s Sri Lanka specialist Yolanda Foster to all candidates in Sri Lanka's presidential election. 

In the appeal AI said, “Candidates should commit to restoring respect for basic rights, like life and liberty, ending arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances and torture, and to restoring respect for freedom of expression”.

“I totally agree,” wrote Dr. Vickramabahu adding that he is prepared to “struggle for such rights in the coming period”.

The Sri Lankan voter goes to elect an executive president on the 26th of January.

Police repression directed against Left Front

Comrade Manikasothi, the electoral agent in Jaffna for Common Left Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne has been arrested by police while distributing the election manifesto.

Com. Vickramabahu says that this is a clear demonstration of police repression directed against Left Front, whereas both candidates Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka are allowed to carry on their publicity without hindrance.

This is the second time during the run up to the election where a representative of Dr. Vickramabahu was arrested by police in Jaffna.

Earlier, Dr Vickramabahu's representative Dharmasiri Lankapeli, the only Sinhala speaker addressing the gathering at LTTE leader V Prabhakaran's father's funeral was also arrested and later released due to local and international pressure.

The full statement by Comrade Vickramabahu on Thursday is given below

My election agent comrade Manikasothi was taken into custody by the Chunnakam police station for distributing my election manifesto.

The police Officer In Charge has given the lame excuse that the leaflet has not indicated the printer though Manikasothi has clearly indicated his name and address in the leaflet. Subsequently he was taken to jaffna hospital unnecessarily .

The JMO has refused to inspect as there was no complaint of assault or any other ailment. Then he was then taken to courts.

This is another example of police repression directed at us .

Both Mahinda and Sarath distribute leaflets freely as they want.

US want to replace failed President with a General – Bahu

The US that lost faith in President Rajapaksa who could not confront the massive strikes in the petroleum sector and the port that came in the wake of the plantation sector strike have decided to replace him with a new leadership said Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne.

Addressing a public meeting in Wellawatta, the Common Left Candidate said that international masters have decided to replace Rajapaksa who failed in the face of workers with another man who was in the same camp, General Fonseka.

“After General Fonseka was taken to the Pentagon to cleanse the blood on him from killing Tamils in the north, he was passed over to Delhi to be anointed by the Brahmins, before returning to Sri Lanka dressed up in white,” said Bahu.

Therefore, Comrade Bahu pointed out that Fonseka is the new man sent by the global masters to safeguard the same oppressive system that is today led by Rajapaksa.

The power of minorities

Addressing the gathering Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam said that the vote of minorities in Sri Lanka is crucial.

He pointed out that the Sinhala majority is made up of only 70% of voters.

“Even among them over five percent are non Buddhists. They too are a minority,” said Shivajilingam MP.

He further said, “If we are to build a strong movement to fight for minority rights, we need to get together and stop Rajapaksa or Fonseka getting 50%”.

A mandate to force governments to either deliver or quit –Bahu

Common Left Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne called upon voters to give a mandate that would enable him to compel those ruling the country to deliver the pledges they announced on political platforms.

“We need to get a significant mandate in order to force those in power to either deliver or quit,” said Dr. Vickramabahu addressing workers and trade union representatives who gathered at “Kamkaru Sevana” in Ratmalana.

Dr. Bahu pointed out that both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka are promising everything under the sun to the electorate.

However, he drew attention to the fact that so far people have achieved nothing from promises alone. “Every thing has been won only through struggle,” he said.

Nothing comes free

A substantial number of votes for candidates opposing Rajapaksa and Fonseka, Dr. Vickramabahu emphasised, can be utilised to challenge those in power to deliver the promises they made on election platforms.

“If they don’t, the mandate you give us will be used to kick them out of office,” he added.

Sajith Lakmal of the United Workers Party and Nadaraja Jenagan of the Left Front also addressed the meeting chaired by General Secretary of the United Federation of Labour Saranapala Silva.

Police arrest Bahu's rep. at Prabhakaran's father's funeral

Police arresting the Common Left Candidate Vickramabahu Karunaratne's representative Dharmasiri Lankapeli at the funeral of the father of LTTE leader Velupuillai Prabhakaran is a politically motivated act.

On Sunday Comrade Lankapeli was arrested by the Velvetithurai police while he was addressing the gathering at the funeral of Thiruvengadam Velupillai. Velvetithurai is the birthplace of LTTE leader V Prabhakaran.

He was representing Comrade Bahu at the invitation of Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam to whom the handling of final rites were entrusted by the LTTE leaders family. He was the only Sinhala speaker. The Left Front sent Chamil Jayanetti and Dharmasiri Lankapeli to represent the party.

The police who switched off the public address system by force while he was speaking in Sinhala accused him of inciting racial hatred later told media that Lankapeli has violated public addressing regulations.

Violation

Rejecting the police excuse Common Left Candidate Comrade Vickramabahu questions how every other speaker was allowed to speak in Tamil before and after Lankapeli

Lankapeli was taken to the Velvetithurai police station amidst protests by him and MP Shivajilingam.

His offer to go and record a statement once the ceremony is over was rejected by the police.

"This is a clear violation of humanitarian, civil and election laws," said Com. Vickramabahu.

This clearly shows that the police was acting to destroy the unity emerging between Tamils and Sinhalese against two war criminals competing to become the next president of the country.

Comrade Lankapeli was later released by the police due to national and international pressure.

President and General both responsible for crimes against Tamils – Bahu and Shivaji in Vavunia

At a demonstration held in Vavunia where hundreds of family members of disappeared participated, Common Left Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne accused both the main candidates in the presidential election of war crimes that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Tamils.

“Mahinda and Sarath are the ones who know what happened to them,” he said.

“Tell us where they are how they disappeared and where they are held. If they are killed tell us how and show us what happened to their bodies,” Dr. Vickramabahu appealed.

He further stated that the whole world will be told how both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka are killers.

TNA and SF

Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam who took part in the demonstration addressing the relatives said that the main culprits who are responsible for these atrocities are coming shamelessly begging for votes.

“Even some Tamil leaders have fallen behind these two who massacred the Tamils and destroyed schools, hospitals and houses. We will not bow down and will fight against them until the truth is revealed,” he told the gathering.

The TNA parliamentarian said that although the leadership of the Tamil National Alliance has announced their support for Sarath Fonseka it was not the wish of all TNA MPs and supporters.

In the demonstration organized by the Committee for the Investigation of Dissapearances(CID), relatives holding photographs of their loved ones who disappeared during and after the war marched the streets of Vavunia along with the Common Left Candidate and the Tamil Presidential Candidate .

Jaffna IDPs 'should be sent home'

A leftwing presidential candidate in Sri Lanka's forthcoming elections says that refugees in Jaffna still lack basic facilities and struggling to find a way of living.

Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, the leader of the Left Front, currently visiting the northern Sri Lankan town as part of his election campaign said that over 300 families in the Manalkadu camp needs to be sent to Vanni where they come from.

He told BBC Sandeshaya that the military was reluctant to allow him to visit camps for the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Jaffna but later allowed on his insistence that the presidential candidates have a right to campaign throughout the island.

No income

"Although the camps are in the vicinity of the sea they are not allowed fishing and the IDPs have to depend on the food rations," Dr. Karunaratne said.

The refugees are held in a military camp environment, he said.

Jaffna that has been under the military and the LTTE for time to time, was last captured by the government security forces in 1995.

Hundreds of IDPs are still kept in Jaffna, but journalists or independent visitors are not allowed to visit the camps.

Dr. Karunaratne, one of the few to gain access, told BBC Sinhala service that the IDPS requested authorities to resettle them in their original lands as soon as possible.

But the government insists that the full resettlement will only be carried out after the de mining in the north is completed.

(c) BBCSinhala

We will continue with the struggle of Tamils - Bahu in Jaffna

Addressing voters in Jaffna the Common Left Candidate said that the the Tamil struggle is not over although the LTTE leadership was decimated with the help of India and other foreign forces.

Comrade Vickramabahu Karunaratne was touring Jaffna after twenty years. He was accompanied by Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam.

In Jaffna Comrade Vickramabahu and MP Shivajilingam addresed meetings in Nallur, Achchuveli, Nelliady, Chunnakam and Uduppiddy.

"We will continue the Tamil national struggle in the political arena for autonomy and slelf determination," said Com. Vickramabahu.

He further said that even after the Tamil militancy was defeated in an ocean of blood and tears, the rulers who had a song and dance about it could not live happily as planned.
He said that those who crushed the Tamils will have to pay for the blood and tears that has been shed.

Struggles in the south

"The workers struggles that sprang up in the south saying that they cannot bear the burden of the war, forced the government to call an election before time," said Com. Bahu.

Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Shivajilingam called upon Tamil not to give a single vote for either of the two main candidates who are trying to claim the spoils of the war.

He said that people should vote for either him or Vickramabahu in order to stop getting either the present president or the former army commander getting 50% of votes in the presidential elections.

Comrades Ajith Surendra Rupasinghe of the Ceylon communist party (Maoist) and V Thirunavukkarasu of the Left Front also spoke.

Watch Comrade Vickramabahu in jaffna

Watch MP Shivajilingam in Jaffna

TNA Parliamentarian joins Bahu and Shivaji

While the Tamil National Alliance is yet to take an official stand on the oncoming presidential elections TNA MP N Sri Kanth stepped forward to extend his support to Common Left Candidate Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne and Tamil Presidential Candidate MK Sivajilingam.

He announced his support at the 32nd Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) anniversary held in New Town Hall Colombo at a time the students of Jaffna University called for Tamils to actively take part in the presidential elections.

Rev. Yohan Devananda along with Comrades Neil Wijethilaka, Nadarajah Jenagan, Dharmasiri Lankapeli, Sajith Sri Lakmal, Mahinda Dewage and Surendra Ajith Rupasinghe addressed the gathering.

Watch videos of NSSP anniversary 2009

Common presidential candidate Dr.Vickramabahu Karunarathne

Tamil Presidential candidate M K Sivajilingam and TNA MP N Srikanth