From the first update after the close of polls at around 10pm on the 25th and then from around 3am on the morning of the 26th, Groundviews gave regular updates on the high drama in Colombo just after the presidential elections via its Twitter account. Because it is very difficult to locate these updates on Twitter over time, we’ve collated key tweets issued during the course of the 26th and 27th related to the elections.
In the course of publishing these updates, we mirrored key news items from the Daily Mirror website whenever we got access to it, because an unsurprisingly high volume of traffic rendered this well read traditional media website inaccessible for most of the 26th. Along with other information, we provided one of the first eye witness accounts of the tense situation around the hotel Sarath Fonseka was in at around 3am on the 26th, retweeted key udpates from other bloggers and journalists with access to new information throughout the day, dispelled rumours such as the arrest of the Elections Commissioner, pointed to one of the first video interviews with Sarath Fonseka on the web and gave links to streaming web broadcasts of state television with live coverage of election results. Frustrated with the archaic website of the Department of Elections, we also asked our followers for better visualisations of election results as they were coming in, and within minutes, got a link to this website, done by the Upali Newspapers.
27th January 2010
- Sarath Fonseka leaves the hotel. Not arrested and still very much alive. http://bit.ly/d2P1hD #srilanka #lka
- Photos from Colombo, one day after Presidential polls – http://bit.ly/aRwvUV #srilanka #lka
- Await photos from day’s events on www.groundviews.org #srilanka #lka
- Over last 24hrs, SF’s media campaign and strategy under pressure proves one point. There was no media campaign and strategy. #srilanka #lka
- SF wants poll annulled, sends letter to election comm., and contacts embassies over his current predicament, says DM – http://bit.ly/cQdDTO
26th January 2010
- ITN Sri Lanka, State TV channel, is broadcasting Buddhist pirith after official election announcement. See www.itn.lk #lka #srilanka
- Drove around Colombo. Army cadre moving around, convoys moving around. No gatherings, no celebrations like 19th May 2009 yet. #lka #srilanka
- Elections Commissioner announces official result.
- RT @indica: i cant continue in this hotel because it’s very expensive. Fonseka (joke) #srilanka #lka
- 57.88% for MR, 40.15% for SF reports State TV, before official announcement by EC. #lka #srilanka
- State TV says official results announcement imminent. Lots of firecrackers in background. #lka #srilanka
- Firecrackers go off aplenty in Colombo. No official announcement on media yet of election result. #srilanka #lka
- BBC news report from earlier today on SF situ in Colombo – http://bit.ly/duTtxC #srilanka #lka
- http://bit.ly/byDcH3 Interview with SF by NewsX. “Arrest leads to my assassination” he says. #lka #srilanka
- Wall Street Journal claims MR wins Presidential Election. Trust the US to know before we officially do! http://bit.ly/8Y6I1Z #srilanka #lka
- There is no restriction on SF’s movements. Receiving protection at hotel, says Minister Rambukwella from GoSL, reports JNW SMS. #lka
- SF who is at hotel in Colombo told media that he needs security guarantees to leave the hotel says DM SMS update. #llka
- Correction – www.rupavahini.lk/ondemand/rupavahini_live.php is correct URL for State TV streaming broadcast. #lka #srilanka
- www.rupavahini.lk/onedemand/rupavahini_live.php for live feed of State TV. Does not work on Mac OS X. #lka #srilanka
- *UNCONFIRMED* message from Sarath Fonseka’s daughter – http://tl.gd/5hcvc #srilanka #lka
- Elections Dept will officially announce the winner of election by 4pm says advisor to Elections Comm, reports DM SMS. #srilanka #lka
- Government to sue Fonseka. Will that be after or before they sue the EU? http://bit.ly/cwgKty #srilanka #lka
- Why all the guns? asks one of SL’s leading bloggers – http://bit.ly/9SviwD #srilanka #lka
- Sarath Fonseka is now at US Embassy, says *unconfirmed* report I got just now. Confirm / Deny? #lka #srilanka
- Strong rumour that Elections Commissioner is arrested. *Not true*. Poor chap may like it, just to escape from melee!
- Follow updates post-election updates from Colombo, especially over the tense situation around hotel Sarath Fonseka… http://bit.ly/aMF1sV
- There is no move to arrest SF, but army deserters with him in hotel will be arrested says mil. spokesman, reports DM SMS update. #lka
- Spent over hour fielding calls from media and others. Incredible amount of uncertainty and fears about SF situ. MR victory accepted. #lka
- State media now reporting MR victory, but no elections commissioner in sight giving official count. #lka
- Update from reporter at SF press conf: Waiting for SF to hopefully show up and address media.
- Update from reporter at SF press conf: SF is in hotel. Ranil & Raud have given short statements to media. Cannot confirm evac of guests.
- Strip away all rumour and speculation. That a hotel in Colombo is surrounded by elite military is fact. Is this our democracy? #lka
- Colombo hotel under “siege” says DM news story. Leader of Opp arrives at hotel. http://bit.ly/8ZXrN8 #lka #srilanka
- Now MoD says 9 army deserters who were with SF handed over to military police – http://bit.ly/bn4YlT #lka
- I find it hard to believe that 400 persons can occupy any hotel in Colombo. Where did MoD get this figure from? #lka
- RT @DeaneJ: Most SL news sites are just broken due to election traffic both DM and Ada-derana goes off randomly. #slelections
- RT @lpolgreen: Just leaving hotel where Fonseka is. Surrounded by soldiers. Oppo protesting. “Overreaction to perceived threat” of coup
- Huge media conf at hotel SF just now. Huge presence of media. #srilanka #lka
- NYT report today quotes from Reuters story on SF situ. http://bit.ly/dnlgLN All now agree MR has won by large margin. #lka
- For expert legal opinion on matter of SF’s inability to vote, listen to my short interview with Asanga http://bit.ly/9yCKBn #srilanka #lka
- Dominant impression of 3am drive around SFs hotel: Polite, no-nonsense personnel from Army & Navy, 6ft+, armed to teeth, outriders. Surreal.
- Does anyone know of real time election result visualisation? Dept of Election website incredibly archaic. #lka #srilanka
- Colombo completely silent, save for staccato firecrackers when some results are announced on media. #lka
- Keep hearing rumours about media reports, allegedly on state media, that suggest conspiratorial cabal in hotel with SF. True? #lka
- Correction – SF says fears arrest. *Story* from Reuters, one of first on developing situ in Colombo. See http://bit.ly/9yar2c
- Today’s DM story on Sarath Fonseka loading very slow. High traffic? See http://bit.ly/aKcqcm for alternative location. #lka #srilanka
- Fate of abducted journalist from Lankaenews yet unknown. Site blocked via SLT. Word fine thru Dialog. Media freedom activists very worried.
- Strangely, few international media yet giving attention that is due to unfolding drama with SF bunkered in Colombo hotel? #lka
- First SL media report I have read on tense situ in Fort with SF – http://bit.ly/b6tMPO Not loading for me in SL. Perhaps high net traffic.
- At least one well known int. cable tv channel has SF under siege on tape from last night. Don’t know if footage broadcast yet. #lka
- Colombo roads deserted again today – less traffic than yesterday. Was advised to not go towards Fort because of hotel situ. #lka
- Situation remains tense around SF’s hotel. Large buildup of more elite troops. Unconfirmed reports say foreigners being evacuated. #lka
- Sri Lanka presidential challenger says fears arrest from Reuters – http://bit.ly/9yar2c #srilanka #lka
- Sydney Morning Herald on situation in Colombo right now, and what we noted earlier – http://bit.ly/ddxRsP #srilanka #lka
- BTW, hotel that looks under siege is also one in which Al Jazeera media crew rumoured to be staying in. Will they break the news?!
- Strange that not a single journalist outside hotel. This is LARGE operation, multiple forces. must have some chain of command Where’s media?
- Other rumours suggest MR may even win in Colombo. Results release on media seems to have big lag. Why?
- In general, Colombo roads devoid of vehicles or people. Even Pilla’s is closed – no place for kottu! Strong rumours suggest big MR win.
- Army also around MTV studios in Pannipitiya, though completely non-threatening in demeanour when I stopped to talk.
- Confirmed reports indicate MTV offices in Colombo also surrounded by Army, ostensibly for their own protection.
- Don’t know who is in hotel – rumour is that SF plus top aides were resident in it. Looked like Colombo was at war and in curfew around hotel
- Chatted with them, and they half joking said curfew may soon be on. Was a chilling moment. Drove away without incident. Not a soul on roads
- Looked regimental in nature, congruent with rumours that it was Sinha regiment. But this is unconfirmed. Not very welcoming for tourists.
- We saw bus with more military persons coming as we drove slowly past. Fatigues of men closest to hotel different to Army garb.
- Very polite, but if you were going to hotel, you have to basically strip down self and car. Checked 3 times rigorously, within 100m.
- Went to TransAsia / Cinnamon Lakeside around 3am. Big military presence – Army and Navy. Looked elite forces, no nonsense faces.
25th January 2010