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2,000 marked ballot papers surface to mar PC polls’ final outcome
View(s):The relative success of the elections to three Provincial Councils (PC) held on September 21, has been tainted by the controversy surrounding the discovery of 2,000 marked ballot papers in three bags, at a counting centre in Puttalam, three days after the poll. The three polythene bags filled with ballot papers were discovered by a worker at St. Andrew’s Central College, which was used as a counting centre for the PC election.
This discovery has caused candidates and supporters of some political parties to protest, alleging that there was some irregularity in the manner in which ballot papers were counted at this Centre. The UNP and the Democratic Party (DP) have gone to the extent of asking for a re-poll in the Puttlam District.
Crowds gather at St. Andrew’s Central College on hearing the news of the discovery of the marked ballot papers. Pix by Kruwalagaswewa Jayaratne and Hiran Priyankara Jayartane
A case is also pending before the Puttalam District Court over the matter, with the next hearing fixed for October 9.
Puttalam Magistrate R. Dissanayake directed the Elections Commissioner to probe the incident and to ascertain whether the ballot papers in question could have influenced the final result of the election.
Meanwhile, while the dust settled on the landslide victory for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the north and for the ruling UPFA in the Central Province and the North Western Province, independent election monitoring bodies reported several incidents of intra-party violence, particularly in the Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala districts, as well as incidents of election law violations.
The Campaign For Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) reported eight incidents of post election violence, while People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) reported 15 incidents. Two incidents were reported from the Nuwara Eliya district, where in one instance, supporters of Minister Arumugam Thondaman and MP Palani Digambaran had clashed, resulting in the hospitalisation of five estate workers, CaFFE said.
Furthermore, supporters of C.B. Ratnayake were alleged to have attacked houses in the Walapane area, with a bus burnt during the attack. CaFFE reported five incidents from the Kurunegala district, four of which were between supporters of candidates Dayasiri Jayasekara and Johan Fernando.
“The most serious of these is the systematic campaign of intimidation and violence by supporters of Minister Johnston Fernando, candidate Johan Fernando’s father, against Mr Jayasekara’s supporters, in the Meewellewa, Nikaweratiya, Heelogama, Hulugalle, Rasnayakepura, Nebadewa, Yakadapotha, Kobaigane, Boraluwewa and Hirigolla areas”, CaFFE said.
According to CaFFE, E.M. Sriyantha Wimalaratne, a Jayasekara supporter was assaulted in the Rathkarawita area in Kurunegala and admitted to Kurunegala hospital, while in retaliation, Kingsley Muthukuda a Fernando supporter, was attacked with sticks at the Badagamuwa sanctuary.
Nalinda Thilakarathne, a supporter of Mr. Jayasekara was allegedly assaulted with a hockey stick by a Kurunegala local councilor, a supporter of Mr. Fernando on September 26. The victim was admitted to Kurunegala Hospital. PAFFREL Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said they had received several complaints of clashes between supporters of UPFA candidates. “The violations were mainly due to the preferential votes. Political parties should have control mechanisms when electing candidates for elections, to produce candidates of quality.”
Meanwhile, in the North too, there were several cases of election law violations reported. CaFFE monitors and several journalists were attacked, as two groups of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress supporters clashed near the Vavuniya Kachcheri on September 22.
“The assailants attacked the monitors and journalists with much aggression” said a senior CaFFE observer on site M.J.N. Minhad. TNA supporters in Koddekaattu, Arali, Mallakam and Chunnakam were assaulted on September 27, and a residence of one supporter bombed, complained TNA MP Suresh Premachandran to CaFFE.
Reports from Joshua Surendraraj and Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
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