Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa holds final campaign rally

(23 Jan 2010)
1. Wide of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arriving and waving to crowd
2. Wide of crowd welcoming Rajapaksa
3. Close-up of Sri Lankan flag and poster of Rajapaksa
4. Mid of woman waving poster of Rajapaksa
5. Wide of security guards
6. Wide of stage
7. Close-up of Rajapaksa
8. Close-up of guard
9. Wide of Rajapaksa walking to podium
10. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa:
"We will win on the 27th and we will take action peacefully to establish democracy in the country."
11. Cutaway of crowd
12.SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa:
"Not military rule. In this victorious rally we must keep away from talking and must start working to develop the country. I am passing this message to everybody to come and join us to make this nation proud and powerful."
13. Mid of Rajapaksa waving to crowd
14. Close-up of Rajapaksa waving
15. Wide of stage
16. Shots of fireworks
17. Pan left of crowd
STORYLINE
Sri Lanka''s incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa held his final rally on Saturday as the bitter election race entered its final stages.
Rajapaksa was greeted by a large crowd of supporters in Kasbawa, south of the capital Colombo, amid heavy security.
The rally was Rajapaksa''s last chance to prove himself against his main rival, former army chief Sarath Fonseka.
Rajapaksa said he was confident of victory and would protect the rights of Sri Lankans.
"We will win on the 27th and we will take action peacefully to establish democracy in the country," he said.
Rajapaksa and Fonseka are locked in a close battle for the Presidency.
The two men were both heavily involved in last year''s victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels.
But there are fears election-related violence could mar the country''s first poll since the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels after decades of war.
Opposition candidate Fonseka said on Saturday that he would not counter violence with violence in the run-up to the election.
His comments came two days after assailants attacked the Colombo home of opposition activist Tiran Alles, a businessman and a close aide to Fonseka.
On Friday, the main opposition group blamed incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa''s supporters for the attack.
No one was injured in the attack, but Alles'' car was destroyed and home damaged.
The government denied it was involved, saying the attack was aimed at disrupting and discrediting this Tuesday''s vote.
Both men, considered war heroes by the Sinhalese majority, are heavily courting the Tamil vote with promises of aid to the war-wracked minority as it tries to rebuild from the conflict.
Fonseka told reporters that "constitutional changes" were needed to help minority groups such as Tamils and Muslims.
Foneka has the backing of former prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, the leader of the United National Party (UNP).
At Saturday''s joint news conference, Wickramasinghe expressed concern that not all Sri Lankans would get the chance to vote.
"What is the use of the devolution of power or anything if on January 26 you can''t cast your votes. We are all concerned that the Tamil speaking people should be allowed to vote," Wickramasinghe said.
The government''s 25-year war against Tamil Tiger rebels ended in May, with UN reports saying more than 7,000
civilians were killed in the final spasm of fighting as government forces closed in.
About 300,000 Tamils were forced into government detention camps, awaiting government permission to return to their homes.
governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority.

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