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US urges Sri Lanka to conduct fair, peaceful elections

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (KUNA) -- The US on Wednesday urged the government in Sri Lanka to conduct elections "free from violence," amidst a wave of attacks and death threats against opposition activists in the country, as documented by the human rights group Amnesty International.
"The United States supports a free and fair electoral process in Sri Lanka that is credible, peaceful and inclusive," State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.
She said Secretary of State John Kerry called the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday "to underscore the government's responsibility to ensure the January 8 elections will be free from violence and intimidation and that the vote counting is carried out credibly and transparently." Psaki said the Obama Administration calls on "the government, its election officials and police, and all political actors to ensure access to all vote centers for the voters to vote and counting centers for all international and domestic observers," and also "to ensure transparent and credible investigation into any allegation of fraud or violence". (end) ys.hb