EPDP area leader gunned down
By Chris Kamalendran
Tiger guerrilla gunmen last night shot dead a local leader of their rival Eelam People's Democratic Party in the Jaffna peninsula.

Police said Tharmaraja Jeyarasa, a one-time chairman of the Nelliady Pradeshiya Sabha, was travelling in a jeep when a gunman on a motor cycle, accompanied by another, opened fire at him at Tumbalai Road, near Point Pedro. A father of three and aged 45 years, he was returning to his residence when the incident occurred.

EPDP leader, Douglas Devanada, said he was both shocked and angered by the incident. He accused the LTTE of gunning down Mr. Jeyarasa, the Point Pedro area political organizer of the EPDP.

Mr Devananda charged last night his local leaders, both in the north and east, were being systematically eliminated by Tiger guerrillas. He said Mr. Jeyarasa and his supporters were distributing "Makkal Kural" (People's Voice), an EPDP newspaper with the help of party supporters when he was felled by a bullet.

After the Ceasefire Agreement in February, last year, arms issued to Tamil political groups were withdrawn. An EPDP source said their members had now become open targets since they had no protection now.

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