Batticaloa Polls

Campaigning gets into top gear

Rafik JALALDEEN

BATTICALOA: The Batticaloa local government election campaign has reached top gear with enthusiastic participation of candidates and party supporters to woo voters ahead of the March 10 poll.

Candidates from all parties contesting in the election were busy with their campaigning not encountering any difficulty or hindrance.

“We have observed candidates from different parties addressing stage meetings, distributing leaflets and conducting pocket meetings,” ASP (Elections) U. S. I. Perera said. Only a few incidents of violence were reported since the election campaign got underway.

“We have received around 26 complaints from all parties and most of them were minor incidents except three incidents related to hurling hand grenades,” ASP Perera told the Daily News.

However, he said no one was physically injured in any of these incidents and most of the complaints related to threats and verbal abuse.

“We have taken a few cases to the courts and the offenders were legally dealt with. There were not even a single incident reported during postal vote marking,” he added.

TMVP spokesman Asath Moulana said that their party candidates were conducting the campaigns without any obstacle or difficulty.

Meanwhile the TMVP is to release it’s election manifesto later this week to inform the public of its work programme.

“Our manifesto will contain reasons as to why we are contesting the local election and why we have joined hands with the Government to contest the Batticaloa Municipal Council.”

“We have also set out in detail our strategies for Eastern development and in the various sectors especially economic, education fronts and also in respect of road development, reconstruction and employment,” Moulana pointed out.