Wikileaks- Eight GAs were ordered to send the result to President’s house – before sending them to EC

IN JOURNALISM TRUTH IS A PROCESS

Colombo Telegraph

POSTED BY COLOMBO TELEGRAPH ⋅ OCTOBER 3, 2011  


 FILED UNDER  ANTI CORRUPTION, AUTHORITARIANISM, DEMOCRACY, ELECTION MONITORING, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE,PATRICIA A. BUTENIS, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2010, SARATH FONSEKA, SRI LANKA

By Colombo Telegraph

Including those in Ampara - Kannangara GA Ampara

“The president’s campaign had ordered eight GA’s including those in Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa to send election results directly to the president’s house for his review before sending them to the Election Commissioner.” the US ambassador wrote to Washington.

The US ambassador Patricia A. Buttenis and USAID Mission Director met with about ten business representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ampara District and made a separate call on Ampara Government Agent Sunil Kannangara less than a week before the presidential election 2005.

The leaked cable classified as a “CONFIDENTIAL” by the ambassador Patricia A. Buttenis under the title of “ELECTIONS IN AMPARA: INTIMIDATION AND WEAK ALLEGIANSCES”.

“Business representatives reported that Iniya Barathy, Karuna’s second in command and Rajapaksa campaign coordinator, controlled 600 to 700 armed supporters and had created a climate of intimidation that precluded any expression of support for the opposition. On the other hand, support for Rajapaksa appeared weak” Ambassador Patricia further wrote.

30.45% and 67%

Rajapaksa’s chief opinion pollster and close advisor Sunimal Fernando said to the US embassy in less than a week before the election, the President was doing very poorly in the East, mainly due to the corruption issue. Read the Colombo Telegraph story yesterday;http://colombotelegraph.com/2011/10/02/wikileaks-%E2%80%9Crace-is-neck-and-neck%E2%80%9D-rajapaksa%E2%80%99s-chief-pollster-sunimal-fernando/  However Rajapaksa received 67% and Fonseka received 30.45% in Ampara district. See the election results here;  http://www.slelections.gov.lk/presidential2010/13A.html

The private lawyer of the Election Commissioner, Elmore Perera challenged the EC Dayananda Dissanayake just after the presidential election (26 January) to appear live on TV and truthfully divulge to the country where, and with whom, Disanayake and his wife were between 3.30 p.m. on 26th January 2010 and 4.45 p.m. on January 27th 2010. Read his challenge here;http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/03/where_and_with_whom_were_you_a.html

Read the full confidential cable below;   Continue Reading