Sri Lankan opposition politician killed

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COLOMBO, (Sri Lanka), Jan 1 (AFP): A gunman assassinated an opposition lawmaker and one other person at a New Year religious service near Sri Lanka's capital Tuesday, and the lawmaker's party held the government responsible for his slayinghe unidentified attacker opened fire at ethnic Tamil lawmaker Thyagaraja Maheswaran of the opposition United National Party at a Hindu temple near Colombo, a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.
The lawmaker and one other person died of their wounds after they were admitted to Colombo National Hospital, the hospital's medical director Hector Weerasinghe said. Nine other people were wounded and were being treated at the hospital, he said.No one has been arrested in the attack, and police declined to give other details.
UNP's General Secretary Tissa Attanayake held the government responsible for Maheswaran's death because it had recently reduced the number of security personnel assigned for his protection from 10 to two, after the lawmaker spoke out against alleged government misdeeds.
"The government should take the responsibility for this tragic death. Maheswaran's security was reduced during the last two weeks, making him vulnerable for an attack of this nature," Attanayake said.
"He spoke about corruption, malpractices, abductions, unlawful killings and blamed government for not taking effective measures to stop them," he said.