• Armed troops on alert for elections
• Warming up for the north poll
• Minister accuses Minister of planning to rig 
• Under night arrest

Armed troops on alert for elections

By Chris Kamalendran and Shelani de Silva

The 33 day long polls campaign, plagued by hundreds of incidents between contesting groups and attacks by the LTTE, ended at midnight yesterday. 

As the mandatory 48 hour campaign free period came into effect, fears of fresh violence prompted enhanced security precautions. Last night, Police advised political parties to end their rallies as early as possible in the evening following fears of LTTE attacks.

Police who move into polling stations tomorrow night are under orders to thoroughly search the premsises and its environs for any weapons. They have also been ordered not to allow any persons, except those authorised, to enter the polling stations until polls close.

As in all previous elections, Police have been told they could opt for support from the Army to maintain law and order. 

But the latest polls campaign which has been marred by unprecedented violence that left more than 45 dead, has prompted the Police to assign Army personnel to be on standby in Kalutara, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Nuwara Eliya and Hanguranketa - all areas where there are fears of further violence. The special measures came after Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake met representatives of political parties early this week. They urged him to ensurethest strict security measures were in place to prevent both violence and vote rigging. Acting Inspector General of Police T. Anandarajah told The Sunday Times that on a request from Mr. Dissanayake, he had sought Army support to beef up Police operations. 

He said armed troops would be on standy to assist Police whenever a situation arose. 

Fears of increased violence heightened after a prominent leader of the People's Alliance complained that two Cabinet Ministers in the Central Province were arranging underworld characters to rig the elections. He made the complaints in letters to President Kumaratunga and Commissioner of elections.

It was not clear last night whether President Kumaratunga had initiated any action. Elections Department officials said Comissioner Dayanada Dissanayake has "acted on the complaint" but declined to divulge what he had done. "We need to maintain confidentiality on the steps he has taken," a Department official who spoke on grounds of anonymity told The Sunday Times.

The Police Elections Secretariat has sent out a 35 page booklet giving specific instructions to all policemen deployed on election work. In a foreward to the book, Police Chief Lucky Kodituwakku (currently undergoing treatment in Singapore for a stomach ailment), has said he expects "the best from all police officers in the performance of their duty" and has added that "I am confident they will act with courage and impartiality."

More than 12 million people are eligible to vote on Tuesday

Twenty nine political parties and 99 independent groups are fielding 5048 candidates. 

Only four political parties are contesting all 22 districts. They are the United National Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Sihala Urumaya and Puravesi Peramuna. The ruling People's Alliance has fielded candidates in all districts except the north where a pro-PA independent group is contesting.

Elections Department officials say first results of the polls are likely to come after midnight Tuesday. The final results will be known by late Wednesday afternoon. However, results of preference votes will not be known until Thursday morning, they said. 

Warming up for the north poll

Mr. Shanmuganathan who will be acting as the Returning Officer told the Sunday Times that 73 booths will be set up in the Valikamam and Vadamarachchi divisions.

The recent fighting between the LTTE and troops in the Jaffna peninsula has displaced more than 50,000 people.

He said that the displaced persons were being notified through the Jaffna based Udayan newspaper about the alternative polling booths.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner S. Nadarajah has dismissed reports that polling booths are due to be set up in areas under the control of the LTTE.

An estimated 300,000 voters are reported to be living within the Jaffna peninsula.

He said logistical arrangements for election work are being made with the support of the army.

Minister accuses Minister of planning to rig 

In a letter to the President he said "I informed you on September 18 by telephone and thereafter by letter about the increase of violence in Kandy and wanted you to take action..

"You promised me that either you will summon the DIG to Colombo or give him directions over the phone instructing him to take action against those creating violence. But probably due to heavy pressure of work related to security the message has not been conveyed. You told me that such persons will not be given Cabinet portfolios even if they win. Even in a broadcast you told the same thing. The Police are awaiting your instructions, I told you that we could win in this district with a fair election. But today we are being discredited. There are party supporters who are blaming us. As you told me I discussed matters with all parties and the police. There are at least six underworld gangs operating in Kandy. These people in masks are scaring the people at nights."

"There are 35 state run buses at the Mahaweli Digana Village hotel in Kundasale. About 800 persons are stationed there. At nights poll cards are being collected.

'The plan was to enter the polling booths the previous night and stuff the ballot boxes on the day of elections with ballot papers marked for one candidate. Petroleum Corporation and State buses are going to be used for the purpose.'

'These plans are not a secret in Kandy. Even if we win, people will claim we have rigged the election. The people believe that due to family connections you were not taking action

"It is good if you could take steps to prevent this."

Mr Jayaratna named a cabinet colleague who was allegedly responsible for the preparations to rig elections. He said he was writing in his capacity as the PA district leader, and Party General Secretary as the public and the Maha Sangha are questioning him about it. In his letter to the Commissioner of Elections Mr. Jayaratna said.

"The trend of election violence in Kandy is high. Underworld gangs are already in operation. At nights they collect poll cards.

"People in civvies are carrying weapons. Vehicles are being kept in preparation to move about on election day and rig the poll after chasing away polling agents. Action also has been taken to threaten officials not to report these malpractices even after the elections," the letter added.

Under night arrest

By Shane Seneviratne

In one of the incidents PA candidate D. Karunaratna was attacked at Peradeniya while in a second incident PA candidate Mahindananda Aluthgamage's office at Kadugannawa was attacked. 

Mr. Kuruppuarachchi was produced before Chief Magistrate Leon Seneviratne who ordered him to report to the Peradeniya Police Station between 4 and 6 p.m. each day until elections are over. He was also ordered to remain in his house after 6 p.m. daily until October 10. The charges against him were: unlawful assembly, damaging of property amounting to Rs. 600,000 and threatening with firearms. The case is due to be taken up on October 17. This alleged attack was the latest in a series which have prompted PA General Secretary to warn that gangs from Colombo were planning to terrorise Kandy during the polls.

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