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Plot to assassinate Chandrika unearthed: PTI

Sri Lankan police on Monday claimed to have unearthed a plot to assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga and some other leaders ahead of the October 10 polls and arrested seven hardcore Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants in this connection.

The arrested cadres were plotting to assassinate Chandrika and Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudha Ratwatte during campaigning for elections, a media report said.

The LTTE men were arrested from Colombo, Batticaloa, Negambo, and Pussellawa, The Island daily reported.

Meanwhile, Chandrika has ordered a probe into the controversial order by Chief Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to a private press for printing of millions of secret stickers to be pasted on ballot papers to prevent rigging.

The police have been directed investigate why the order of such a magnitude was given to a private printer and not to the government press.

The probe was ordered after the president received a complaint from the opposition United National Party, the state-run newspaper Daily News said.

Dissanayake has clarified that he gave the order to the general manager of a hotel, who hailed from the minority Tamil community, for secrecy.

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