Gunman kills one, injures 15 in Sri Lanka election campaign shooting

Gunmen in a vehicle spayed bullets into a gathering organized to support UNP candidate Final minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday morning.

Though several suspects were being interrogated, no one had arrested yet, Mr. Gunasekara said, adding that the case had been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department.

The body of a woman was brought to Colombo National Hospital and 13 people were admitted with gunshot wounds.

Former president Rajapaksa’s United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was quick to point out that the shootout could be a result of intra-party clashes of UNP, responding the allegations that UPFA is igniting political violence in the country.

The Finance Minister Ravia Karunanayake claimed it seemed a concerted effort to get him killed ahead of the election.

The incident took place in the city’s Kotahena suburb, the Colombo Gazette reported.

SLFP leader Dilan Perera leged that the incident was an outcome of two “underworld gangs” that were supporting Mr. Karunanayake.

During his decade in power, Rajapakse was accused of presiding over an administration riddled with corruption and rights abuses.

Rajapaksa lost the presidential election in January but is contesting for prime minister in the August. The election process has been largely peaceful.

“We are puzzled by this latest turn of events in Colombo because so far it has been relatively calm and even the level of violence in other areas has been very low”, said Keerthi Tennakoon, head of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE).

A shooting at an election drive led by Sri Lanka’s finance minister has killed one person on Friday.

The August election is to be monitored by European Union poll monitors.

Ahead of January’s presidential poll, election chief Mahinda Deshapriya had ordered police to shoot anyone trying to disrupt the vote.