Sri Lanka - election

President lines up generals for election campaign

Article published on the 2010-01-21 Latest update 2010-01-21 17:26 TU

Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka at a rally
(Photo: Reuters)

The opposition party in Sri Lanka says it fears the president will use military force to stay in power if he loses the election next week. Sarath Fonsekam, the candidate for the New Democratic Party, says President Mahinda Rajapakse is using senior army figures too much in his election campaign.

"By getting very senior officers to side with the president, the government is preparing the ground to hold on to power by using the army to suppress the people's will," his spokesman said.

The NGO Reporters Without Borders criticises the state-owned television stations Rupavahini and ITN, saying 98.5 per cent of the coverage on 18 and 19 January was dedicated to the President and his supporters, violating the constitution.

"Even if some privately-owned media are campaigning openly for the opposition, or are giving more space to the activities of all the candidates, the extremely biased coverage on the main TV stations is having an undeniable impact on the campaign," the group said in a statement.

It added that Sirasa TV, a privately-owned station, has not resumed independent coverage since it was attacked by gunmen a year ago.

The election will be held on 26 January.