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[Mathan]

<b>Colombo security beefed up </b>

Troops out in numbers to man checkpoints and barriers

By Sunil Jayasiri and Senaka De Silva

Following the two shooting incidents in Colombo, in one of which former Minister and UNF Candidate T. Maheswaran was injured, security had been tightened in and around the capital and several checkpoints had been set up.

"Several barriers and road checkpoints would be set up in identified areas by deploying more troops", IGP Indra De Silva said.

Minister Maheswaran was recovering at the Apollo hospital yesterday. Hospital sources said his condition was improving. He had sustained injuries in his neck but his condition was not critical, hospital sources said.

Chief of the European Union election observer mission John Cushnahan and the head of the European Commission delegation Wouter Wilton visited him at the Apollo hospital and the Colombo National Hospital yesterday morning. They condemned the shooting incident.

"Nothing can express the horror and revulsion that I feel regarding these latest incidents. The attempted murder of an election candidate and an election official represent a direct attack on democracy itself. These cowardly attacks should be condemned in the strongest possible terms," Mr. Cushnahan said in a statement.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga also condemned the shooting incidents and termed it as a threat to democracy in the country.

The UNP condemning the shooting blamed President Chandrika Kumaratunga as the Minister of Defence and Interior for not providing adequate security for candidates.

Speaking about the shooting incident, the IGP said no one had been arrested yet in connection with the incidents and said special police teams of Kotahena police and Colombo Crime Division are conducting the investigations.

He said that security also had been tightened in Batticaloa by deploying more STF personnel after Batticaloa GA R. Mounagurasamy was injured in another shooting incident.

An army spokesman said armed forces would assist the police to tighten the security both in Colombo and Batticaloa.

Eastern DIG Neville Wijesinghe said on Saturday evening, the Batticaloa GA was shot in the head and seriously injured at Pillaiyadi when returning home from Vakarai after meeting with election officials. He further said two gunmen had arrived on motorcycles and fired at the GA. Later he was airlifted to Colombo and admitted to the General Hospital. Hospital Sources said he is in the ICU in a critical condition.

DIG Wijesinghe also said police believe the LTTE cadres from the Wanni were responsible for the shooting.

Former Hindu Affairs Minister Maheswaran was shot while he was canvassing at Gintupitiya in Kotahena the same day evening. Soon after the shooting, the policemen, who provided security for the Minister, had opened fire at the suspect. But he was able to flee the scene.

Meanwhile in the third incident of shooting, former EPDP Parliamentarian escaped unhurt, when two gunmen opened fire him at Wellawatta while he was proceeding to the EPDP Headquarters in a trishaw on Saturday evening.

The EPDP condemning the incident said the LTTE was responsible for the shooting.

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