Gunmen shoot dead Tamil candidate for parlimentary vote

AP , COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004,Page 5

Unidentified gunmen yesterday stormed the home of a Tamil parliamentary candidate who was allied to a renegade rebel leader, killing him and one of his relatives, police said.

Another relative was seriously wounded in the attack in the eastern town of Batticaloa, police spokesman Rienzie Perera said.

Rajan Sathiyamoorthy of the Tamil National Alliance was shot at point-blank range and declared dead after he was taken to a hospital, Perera said.

Supporters of the Tamil Tiger rebel movement are running as candidates of the mainstream Tamil National Alliance. Party leaders could become kingmakers after Friday's vote if the results -- as expected -- do not conclusively favor either of the country's two main political blocs.

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