Reuters :
One person was killed and 12 wounded on Friday in a drive-by shooting at a Sri Lankan election rally attended by the finance minister, in the latest political violence in a nation still recovering from civil war.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake called the attack an “act of political terrorism” and blamed forces loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is attempting a comeback at next month’s general election.
“This act is a complete breach of democracy sponsored by a bankrupt opposition,” Karunanayake, who was unhurt, told a news conference hastily convened after the attack.
The minister told Reuters that four men sprayed bullets from a car driving past an outdoor rally in the capital attended by about 600 people.
The body of a woman was brought to Colombo National Hospital and 13 were admitted with gunshot wounds. Four underwent surgery for serious injuries, a hospital official said.
Election monitors said this was the worst incident of poll-related violence since 2001.
Eight months after losing the presidency, the 69-year-old Rajapaksa – who in 2009 crushed an insurgency in the Tamil-speaking north – is appealing to the Buddhist Sinhalese majority to back his bid for the premiership.
Rajapaksa’s spokesman condemned the attack.
“It’s a joke to accuse the leader who liberated the country and it’s a shame that a responsible minister is blaming president Rajapaksa even without proper police investigations,” Rohan Welivita said.
The former ally who ousted Rajapaksa in January, Maithripala Sirisena, has meanwhile thrown his weight behind the reformist coalition government – despite still leading Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
One person was killed and 12 wounded on Friday in a drive-by shooting at a Sri Lankan election rally attended by the finance minister, in the latest political violence in a nation still recovering from civil war.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake called the attack an “act of political terrorism” and blamed forces loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is attempting a comeback at next month’s general election.
“This act is a complete breach of democracy sponsored by a bankrupt opposition,” Karunanayake, who was unhurt, told a news conference hastily convened after the attack.
The minister told Reuters that four men sprayed bullets from a car driving past an outdoor rally in the capital attended by about 600 people.
The body of a woman was brought to Colombo National Hospital and 13 were admitted with gunshot wounds. Four underwent surgery for serious injuries, a hospital official said.
Election monitors said this was the worst incident of poll-related violence since 2001.
Eight months after losing the presidency, the 69-year-old Rajapaksa – who in 2009 crushed an insurgency in the Tamil-speaking north – is appealing to the Buddhist Sinhalese majority to back his bid for the premiership.
Rajapaksa’s spokesman condemned the attack.
“It’s a joke to accuse the leader who liberated the country and it’s a shame that a responsible minister is blaming president Rajapaksa even without proper police investigations,” Rohan Welivita said.
The former ally who ousted Rajapaksa in January, Maithripala Sirisena, has meanwhile thrown his weight behind the reformist coalition government – despite still leading Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
