News
Election law violations, abuse of State assets continue unabated as D-day nears
Nearly 4,000 candidates vying for 155 seats in the Southern and Western Provincial Councils (SPC, WPC) are set to end their official
Postmen hitting the road to distribute polling cards. Pix by Indika Handuwala and Nissanka Meegoda
campaigns on Wednesday, as the two provinces go to the polls next Saturday.
As the near-two-month campaign drew to a close, at least one election related death and over 900 complaints of election law violations have been reported to election monitors.
As the campaign entered its final phase, door-to door-canvassing, pocket meetings and public rallies were stepped up along with the poster and advertising campaigns.
Along with the campaigns, the number of election related offences, both by government supporters and the opposition, continued.
On Thursday (20) and Friday (21), a six-a-side cricket match for the “Jagath Vithana Challenge Cup” was held on the instructions of the principal of a leading school in Kalutara, with the participation of UNP WPC candidate Jagath Vithana at the Kalutara Municipal Council Grounds,
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met K. Barathi, leader of Kamban Society, when he visited the Ashta Lakshmi Kovil, in Wellawatte yesterday. Several candidates contesting the upcoming provincial council elections also accompanied the leader.
claimed PAFFREL.
“The principal has violated election laws by promoting an election candidate and using the students of the school during school hours, without permission from the education authorities. This incident clearly shows that the education sector is being directly misused for political purposes,” said PAFFREL Executive Director, Rohana Hettiaarachchi.
Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has received 916 election related complaints by this Friday (21), with the highest number of complaints (551) being received from the WP, while 344 complaints were received from the SP.
CaFFE has received 44 complaints of election related violence, 345 cases of misuse of public property, which is 38 per cent of the total complaints, 483 complaints on illegal election propaganda or 54 per cent of total complaints.
This is the way to mark a ballot paper: Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya addressing a news conference. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
“This election is full of incidents and the number of complaints received is extremely high, considering that elections are being held only in two provinces. We did not come across so many complaints even during the presidential election,” CaFFE Executive Director, Keerthi Tennakoon said.
He added that some of the distinctive characteristics of this election were large scale abuse of state assets and, on a more positive note, the willingness of people to come forward and complain against election law 
violations.
CaFFE has also observed a corresponding intensification of election related violence. Last week, a number of attacks on election offices as well as assaults on individuals were reported. The deadly assault on a UNP supporter in Dompe on March 17, was the most serious incident in the pre election period.
“There are serious complaints against Police behaviour in Dompe, Attanagalla and Negombo. And the law against these complaints should be fair in its application, because, what we see is the same law enforced differently against the same issue in two different cases. No election law violation takes place where the law prevails evenly,” he claimed.
Speaking on election monitoring, he told the Sunday Times that CaFFE would conduct both mobile and stationary monitoring throughout the election.
Hambantota, Mulkirigala, Beliatta, Minuwangoda, Attanagalla, Kelaniya, Kalutara, Negombo, Agalawatta, Ambalangoda and Balapitiya are identified as the areas most vulnerable to volatile situations, whereas Colombo is expected to be peaceful during the election.
Meanwhile, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, addressing a press conference on Thursday (20) said that all election propaganda activities for the WPC and SPC polls should wind up by midnight next Wednesday (26).
Mr Deshapriya added that the declaration of assets and liabilities by candidates of all political parties contesting the forthcoming elections, was highly satisfactory.
The Commissioner said that politicians would not be allowed to enter polling booths unless he/she was a voter in that booth representative, candidate or a secretary of a party.
National identity card (NIC), valid passport, valid driving licence, Pension Identity card, Adult IC, Priest IC or temporary IC issued by the Elections Dept will be the only accepted proofs of identity at polling centres. Photocopies of NICs or receipts given on applying for new NICs, will not be accepted.
He said that a decision had been taken to permit candidates to enter result tabulating centers to dispel doubts of intentional errors when counting preferential votes. Also, there wont be foreign election monitoring groups at this election, said the commissioner.
Furthermore, all candidates and their supporters have been requested to refrain from carrying out propaganda via telephone calls and SMS, without the consent of the subscriber, as such activities will be treated as contravention of election laws and general laws. All fixed line and mobile telephone service providers have been informed to abstain from transmitting such organised recorded messages or SMS to subscribers, without their consent or prior knowledge.