Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha chairman shot dead inside office
COLOMBO – A Sri Lankan opposition politician was shot dead in his office on Wednesday (21), police said, the latest in a wave of assassinations and the first to target a political figure.
Lasantha Wickramasekara (38), Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, was meeting with constituents when two unidentified gunmen burst in and fired multiple times with a revolver. Reportedly, the attackers gained entry to theoffice by claiming they had come to get a letter signed by Wickramasekara
He was rushed to the Matara General Hospital in critical condition, but died shortly after admission. Police said a pistol was used in the attack.
No one else was wounded, and the gunman fled the scene.
“An investigation is underway to track down the killer,” police said in a statement, adding that the motive for the attack remains unclear.
Police also said they are reviewing CCTV footage from the premises and have recovered several bullet casings.
Popularly known as ‘Midigama Lasa’, Wickramasekara was a member of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, which has been locked in a bitter power struggle with the ruling party over control of the Weligama council.
Sri Lanka has seen a surge in violent crime this year, much of it linked to drug gangs and organized crime.
Official figures show at least 50 people have been killed in more than 100 shootings.
However, this marks the first assassination of a politician since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government came to power last year, pledging to restore law and order.
The most brazen attack was in February when a gunman dressed as a lawyer shot dead a suspect inside a courthouse in Colombo.
While the motive behind Wickramasekara’s shooting remains under investigation, local reports suggest that internal disputes over control of the Pradeshiya Sabha may have been a factor.
Meanwhile, the incident has raised fresh concerns over political violence and law-and-order at the local governmental level. In Parliament on Wednesday, opposition members pointed to the killing as a glaring example of weakened public-security protections for elected officials.
-ENCL
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