Eastern Provincial Council Polls:

Tight security net for EP poll

Ranil Wijayapala in Batticaloa

BATTICALOA: Security arrangements are now in effect for all political parties to engage in the Eastern Provincial Council elections campaign without any difficulty and also for the voters to cast their vote in a violence free environment, Eastern Security Forces Commander Major General Jammika Liyanage told the Daily News yesterday.

"A strong presence of 20,000 Security Forces personnel apart from the Police in the East will strengthen security in the Eastern province especially for the Eastern polls," Major General Liyanage said.

Explaining special security arrangements for the forthcoming PC polls in the East, he said that 40 additional platoons will be deployed during the elections period.

"We are providing security for all political parties without any difference to conduct their elections meetings. So there is no question about conducting elections meetings in the East," he added.

Security has been beefed up after increasing the number of road blocks, road pickets and mobile patrols in the East. The Eastern Security Forces Commander also said that the Security Forces also have sealed off the possibility for the LTTE infiltrate into the East by deploying troops inside jungles and by improving the intelligence network inside the province.

"Therefore there is no possibility for the LTTE to sabotage elections in the East," he added.

He said so far no major incidents have been reported in the Eastern province in the run up to the May 10 elections and added that Security Forces and Police are determined to continue a similar record in the coming weeks too in the East.

The close relationship between the Security Forces and the public has also contributed immensely to improve security in the province.

"Under these circumstances we are confident that the May 10 elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner," Major General Liyanage noted.