Things Could Get Ugly
Photo from the campaign wars, Madampe. Photo by Dinidu de Alwis/Perambara
A group of Fonseka supporters were shot today in Tangalle. A mother of five was killed. Election violence has so far been not insane, though the Centre For Monitoring Election Violence reported 179 incidents as of the 11th (map). The name of that organization alone shows how inured we are to violence in campaigns, but it’s just too sad when mothers and kids are killed in the course of the great game. Sadly, life and politics is intertwined here, and people have far too much too lose.
I think the more aware you are of politics, the worse your governance is. Politics is like a like a toilet. Essential, but you only get involved when it breaks. Our politics is broken in the sense that being in and out of government is like night and day. If Mahinda’s people get tossed out they’ll have nothing. When Srimavo Bandaranaike lost an election they actually took away her civic rights.
The problem with a system based on people and connection is that if the person goes then you’re screwed. That’s why hope we can move towards some system based on merit and equal opportunity, such that people won’t feel like they’re going to die if their man gets out of power. Or that they don’t kill.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
Oh I love violence. LONG LIVE LORD MERVYN and Co.
This is the first election in recent times, as far as I remember, to record an election death.
How about replacing Shakthi TV’s Jaffna frequencies with Rupavahini ?
i think K FLYER is right.
“The police also said they could not confirm the motive behind the shooting. ” .. what a load of crock
It will get ugly.
Every Presidential election gets ugly over there and so does provicial elections.
Fact of life in Sri Lanka , nothing unusal about volence and elections in India, SL, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iran for that matter.
If nothing happens well, that is unusal ;)
I just got a bulk SMS ( from govt ? ) about a website sfbalakaya.com . I visited and all it does is slinging mud at SF. Very shameful. It even says it was Fonseka’s thugs that shot the bus at Thangalle.