Decisive Tamil Votes in Sri Lankan Polls

Alles, a wealthy businessman, is a key supporter of opposition presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka. The opposition has blamed the ruling party for being behind the attack.

Violence has escalated in Sri Lanka as the country gears up for the next week’s presidential polls. The UN, the US and the EU have all urged the parties in Sri Lanka to refrain from violence and maintain calm.

The presidential polls come almost eight months after the end of a nearly three decade long civil war with the Tamil Tigers.

The two main contenders, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his former army chief Sarath Fonseka, have been trying to woo minority Tamil voters, who are considered decisive in the polls.

Earlier this month, a consortium of ethnic Tamil parties known as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) announced in parliament that they were supporting Fonseka.