State media broadcaster Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation was forced to apologise after Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya stormed into the premises earlier today to demand a retraction of the story that Sajith Premadasa had crossed over to the Government.
Earlier today, soon after polling started Rupavahini aired a story alleging that Premadasa had been seen going into Temple Trees this morning.
An angry letter from Premadasa to the Commmissioner of Elections was to follow charging that the state media affiliated to the Rajapaksa Government was engaged in an attempt to mislead voters by undermining his support to the common candidate.
In this letter, Premadasa charged that the channel had caused serious damage to his political image and career by their false propaganda.
Deshapriya ordered the state media channel to broadcast the full letter of denial by Premadasa a few hours later.
Rupavahini also said it regretted any harm caused by its news story.
Paul / January 8, 2015
Excellent!
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Snowden Edward Asange / January 8, 2015
Nice…….. Sajith has a million dollar lawsuit…. dumb clowns at Rupavahini need to be sent home for a job not done well…
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Dinuk / January 9, 2015
The pattern of rigging at the 2015 Presidential Election is becoming clear with the first postal vote from Ratnapura.
In the 2010 election there were only 13,000 postal votes from the district, but in 2015 there are 21,000 postal votes from the Ratnapura district… Mahinda Jarapassa gets 11,500 and Sirisena 9,000.
Many of MR votes are ghost votes it seems.. Otherwise how to explain the huge increase in postal votes from the district within 5 years?
Also, the total of 15 million plus registered voters is too high given a large number of unregistered folk who are eligible to vote – leaves room for a lot of ghost votes for MR… Stuffing is the name of the game of the corrupt Jarapassa brothers to stay in power..
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Dinuk / January 9, 2015
CT editors please follow up on this:
The pattern of rigging at the 2015 Presidential Election is becoming clear with the first postal vote from Ratnapura.
In the 2010 election there were only 13,000 postal votes from the district, but in 2015 there are 21,000 postal votes from the Ratnapura district… Mahinda Jarapassa gets 11,500 and Sirisena 9,000.
Many of MR votes are ghost votes it seems.. Otherwise how to explain the huge increase in postal votes from the district within 5 years?
Also, the total of 15 million plus registered voters is too high given a large number of unregistered folk who are eligible to vote – leaves room for a lot of ghost votes for MR… Stuffing is the name of the game of the corrupt Jarapassa brothers to stay in power..
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Dinuk / January 9, 2015
CT editors please follow up on this: The pattern of rigging at the 2015 Presidential Election is becoming clear with the first postal vote from Ratnapura.
In the 2010 election there were only 13,000 postal votes from the district, but in 2015 there are 21,000 postal votes from the Ratnapura district… Mahinda Jarapassa gets 11,500 and Sirisena 9,000.
Many of MR votes are ghost votes it seems.. Otherwise how to explain the huge increase in postal votes from the district within 5 years? Election Commissioner must explain the huge increase in registered voters:
Also, the total of 15 million plus registered voters is too high given a large number of unregistered folk who are eligible to vote – leaves room for a lot of ghost votes for MR… Stuffing is the name of the game of the corrupt Jarapassa brothers to stay in power..
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Mark / January 9, 2015
It is quite obvious that rigging has taken place in the Hambanhota, Matara and Galle districts. In all these MY3 has increased the opposition votes by huge margin however, Rajapakshe has managed to maintain almost the same number of votes and in some cases more votes for himself than what he polled in the previous two presidential elections. Very suspicious.
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Frances / January 9, 2015
A MILLION dollar lawsuit? A MANY many million dollar lawsuit would be more appropriate.
This may have been a ploy by MR supporters at Rupavahnini, to steal votes – as usual, and discredit Sajith.
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Paul / January 8, 2015
But on the other hand is he keeping to the law because he suspects Maithri will win and he wants to retain his job? Anything is possible as all institutions are corrupt.
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Leelawathie / January 8, 2015
Repercussions of all these will definintely work on his 3rd term.
Name Rajapakshe will become synonyms to “hate mongers/creatures” before long. I have no doubt – the people will give him a another term – since they have not been aware of the gravity of frauds the man and crew have been doing to this country/nation sofar.
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Amarasiri / January 8, 2015
RE: Polls Chief Forces Rupavahini To Apologise For Sajith P Crossover Stunt Propaganda
“Rupavahini also said it regretted any harm caused by its news story.”
Thief caught with the goods. What more evidence to confront liars.
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Mithura / January 8, 2015
Hurrah, the EC is doing the right thing. I am impressed that he is holding these rascals accountable, and doing the right thing for the people. Anyone from any side who resorts to these games, must be called out, and made to apologize if necessary. All we want is fair and free elections.
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The Messenger / January 8, 2015
Several unidentified trucks (believed to be loaded with stuffed ballot boxes) were parked at the premises defying election regulations. DIG Gamini Mathurata has prohibited the STF (Special Task Force) from searching the trucks. IGP and Election
Commissioner should take action on this.
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Don Stanley / January 8, 2015
Seems that Deshapriaya has woken up too late and is now staging a comedy show – being fearful that Sirisena will win..
Civil society, should have held the clown who is the Elections Commissioner, Deshapriya, ACCOUNTABLE and forced him to abort the illegal Presidential election or postpone it until the ABUSE of STATE RESOURCES by Mahinda Jarapassa, STOPPED.
The fact of the matter is that this election should NEVER have been held with the CURRENT massive abuse of state resources.
Deshapriaya the clown who is Election Commissioner, should have aborted this illegal election due to the massive abuse of State Resources by the Mahinda Jarapassa regime
We have a very narrow interpretation of unfair elections and what is unfolding today is a rigged election – even before the first votes were caste. This elections should be declared NULL and VOID due to the massive abuse of State power and resources by Mahinda Jarapassa family regime if Jarapassa wins..
This has not happened and if Jarapassa wins it will be because this is a RIGGED election from start to finish. We need a CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY and need to hold the State institutions ACCOUNTABLE and end the Politician’s culture of impunity.
Sri Lankan Civil Society and groups like JVP should have teamed up to force the crippled institution of the Election Commission to first ensure that the election is fought on a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. Election. The elections should have been aborted given the massive violation of election law by the Mahinda Jarapassa regime and postponed until there was a level playing field for the elections. It is the Election Commissioner and Civil Society that has failed.
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Kalupahana / January 8, 2015
More election malpractices will be revealed before the day is out:
There is a very high number of registered voters for this election – 15 million plus, although there a lot of people who remain unregistered.
Question is: How many of this high number of registered voters are GHOST names for stuffing ballot boxes – by the Jarapassa brothers?
It is particularly significant that Gampaha where Basil Jarapassa is King has the highest numbers of registered (ghost) voters?!
At 2 pm only 50 percent of voters in Gampaha had voted so question is when booths close will the numbers sore with lots of Ghost ballots caste in hora – Mr 10 percent – Basil Jarapassa electorate? Lets wait and see how the ghost ballot boxes will come..
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Dodo / January 8, 2015
If Rajapaksa wins the clown who is election commissioner should declare this election NULL and VOID due to the massive abuse of State media, power and resources by the Jarapassa regime.
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srinath.gunaratne / January 8, 2015
Even before loosing, Are you coming up with stories? Keep them for tomorrow mate,
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Dinuk / January 8, 2015
To begin with this is an illegal election.
1. Mahinda Jarapassa is now qualified to run as a candidate because he changed the 2 term limit on the Executive Presidency.
2. The illegal candidate is holding elections 2 years ahead of its due date because of his declining vote base.
3. Massive abuse of State power by Jarapassa so that there is NO level playing field.
CONCLUSION: The Election Commissioner should have postponed the elections and curbed the abuse of state resources. Mahinda Deshapriay is a corrupt clown..
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Thrishantha / January 8, 2015
Excellent! We must build a statue of this elections commissioner in front of the Parliament for defending rule of law, and to provide an example to other Government officers like IGP who are entrusted to defend rule of law.
President Rajapaksa has gone to the abyss of decency in his propaganda mechanism, that included using a look-alike opposition candidate to disgrace his image in TV advertisements. President Rajapaksa even had the arrogance to accompany this actor when he went to vote.
Starting from the arrest of MP Mutuhettigama, confiscation of rigged ballot papers, through this enforcement of law to force Rupavahini to apologize for purposeful misuse of state resources, Rajapaksa campaign has been forced to be on the back foot by the people.
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srilal / January 8, 2015
“Excellent! We must build a statue of this elections commissioner in front of the Parliament for defending rule of law, and to provide an example to other Government officers like IGP who are entrusted to defend rule of law.”
Not so fast Thrishantha ,up until middle of this week EC was just a clown dancing to MR’s tune , only now he has woken up to the reality , this laughing comedian had conducted quite a few elections and we all witnessed how he played the game , thanks to a Formidable opposition , Vigilant Civil society and concerned international players, EC started to show some teeth !
with regard to IGP , you seem to be unaware of the real story , IGP has been disregarding all the illegal orders emanating from high office , as a direct result ,Former IGP Balasooriya had been appointed to do the bidding for the high office.
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srinath.gunaratne / January 8, 2015
Use of a look alike pretender is really third grade of Mahinda, Cannot believe advertising agencies goes to this low and advice.
I think Sunanda Dehapriya is doing a great job within his limited scope, Please do not attack government servents,
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Seelawathige putha / January 8, 2015
Come on – the courage that SD today shows was not the case in him during the last few weeks. What have you been bubbling man ?
Srilal – is dead right noticing this. Being out the the country, I really thought SD is an another man to have been placed by MR. Once a criminal is a life long criminal is valid for Rajapakshe in this regard. They the ones who appointed the CJ (MP) immediately after sacking Dr. SB as no civlized president would do – but neglecting everyones# mediation in that – no matter it had been unconsitutional.
This is truly not a fair election to the manner the loads of banners being allowed to place every feet of colombo roads – later only EC reacted to even announce to remove them – until they were removed it took long.. I was there in the contry until end of first week of December- and noticed how undemocratic it has been for – under the adminstration of MR. For me as one who visits the contry once a year – that was horrible. How many times, all these banners costed me tensions to me. I hated to see his face- though we were all compelled to do so. So now he EC has been talking about this being CLEAN.
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Pot Shot / January 8, 2015
The final hours of desperation and every trick in the book is being used.
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Snowden Edward Asange / January 8, 2015
MY3..our3 Never MR3……. MR n Goata can go to hell along with their siblings goons and thugs…. even to ST Kitts and Nevis…. where most of these clowns have acquired residency by paying US $ 300,000.00 ( all themoney belonging to the citizenry of SL… this was the reason MR relaxed the exchange control law enabling people to take out more than us$500,000.00 sigh
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dcn / January 8, 2015
Great of the EC to have acted promptly. This amplifies the fact that their campaign has failed and trying some desperate action. We believe more serious action to cancel the poll and ask for a repoll
Would have been more appropriate. What a ‘d’ grade action to mislead voters and gain some more votes and this speaks of the people concerned.
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Patriot / January 8, 2015
Finally is today and can’t wait for it to over. No more anti-government articles and back to normal. Oh yes, clean up the Opposition. CT Pro-MS writers can rest and relax, job done and since most of you not in Sri Lanka and do not understand the reality here.
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Wera / January 8, 2015
Hats off to the EC. Whatever his short comings are this is not the time to criticise him.
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Diogenes / January 8, 2015
His excellency is a shameless scoundrel!
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Abimanu / January 8, 2015
Is this a precursor of the good things that are to come to Sri Lanka after the January 9th with the defeat of the moron who subjugated the media, the judiciary and the democratic norms and who encouraged blatant sycophancy? If so, there is still hope for the country.
The dawn of 9th January will tell us.
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Ruba gnanaratnam / January 8, 2015
Trishantha– please.statues?.We are smothered with statues all over the country.Don’t start the praise too early and call him the Election hero,he may end up like SF.
He is doing his job right,that is the democratic way.he has learnt it well.for him to rush into Rupavahaini and make them apologize shows that Rajapakse’s scary tactics have failed and he has no more clout.Wonder where Gota’s men were.
RG
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K.A Sumanasekera / January 9, 2015
Wonder, how long these Colgate grins of the Elite and the pretender will last, after their chosen one CC Sira escapes to America?…
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Sengodan. M / January 9, 2015
In spite of all these dirty tricks, MaRa is facing a humiliating defeat! He has lost even Galle, with over 60 percent voting for his opponent!
Sengodan. M
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Thrishu / January 9, 2015
Apology after causing such damage is not enough. They must be forced to pay up, and EC should also make the election null and void if MR wins given such dastardly and illegal activities by State run TV broadcaster during a period when political propaganda had to be stopped.
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