Presidential Election, least marred by \acts of violence - CMEV

by P.Krishnaswamy

The Centre For Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) at a media conference yesterday said besides the situation in the North and East, it believed that the November 17 Presidential Election was the least marred by acts of violence and intimidation.

We believe the reduction in election-related violence is an affirmation of the work of all civil society groups engaged in monitoring the democratic process in Sri Lanka and also reflected a change in attitude of all Sri Lankan political parties in terms of violence during elections, CMEV officials said."reports of intimidation of voters in Beliatta, Weligama and Hanguranketha, for example, demonstrated that the use of violence as a political strategy has not been completely eradicated from the country's political culture they said.

After releasing the report on the CMEV's final findings on election related violence and malpractices as well as key related issues, its Co-Convenors Dr.Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, Sunila Abeysekara and Seetha Ranjani said that the tension created in the North and East due to acts of intimidation and violence which were witnessed and documented in those areas by election monitors.

Elections in the North and East were further complicated because of the confusion created by the TNA and LTTE statements on November 10, declaring that the Tamil people had no reason to be concerned with the elections but that there would be no restrictions placed on those who decided to vote, they said.

Incidents of violence and intimidations in Jaffna and throughout the Eastern Province in the days that followed created an atmosphere that was not conducive to free and fair elections, CMEV said, adding that, the LTTE went back on its promise not to disrupt the elections.

In the CMEV Report, it has been stated that:

During the campaign, from a total number of 484 incidents, of incidents classified as 'Major' were 181. Of the major incidents 24 were in the Digamadulla district, 19 in the Gampaha district and 17 in Puttlam district.

The most serious incidents of election related violence were five murders, of which three occurred

in the Digamadulla district, and one each in the Colombo and Trincomalee districts respectively. The CMEV had received over 150 complaints of effective disenfranchisement from citizens in the Colombo district.

The CMEV would be placing an advertisement in the newspapers calling for information from people so affected in order that further action could be taken.