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Less violence than at last election: monitoring bodies
The two election monitoring bodies CMEV and PAFFREL have identified the election as being less violent when compared with the December 2001 general election. The CMEV had reported a total of 102 reports of election violence on polling day.

In the Kurunegala district Galigamuwa, Katugampola, Mawathagama and Wariyapola had been identified as being the most violent. Of the violence reported threats and intimidation of voters and assault and intimidation of polling agents were high on the list. Puttalam district which was identified in previous elections as being violent had been relatively peaceful except in the Anamaduwa and Chilaw areas. However incidents of intimidation and assault of supporters have been reported.

In the Digamadulla district Samanthurai, Pottuvil and Kalmunai electorates have been cited as being the most violent. Systematic impersonation and distribution of polling cards had taken place in the Wanni district at the cluster polling booths set up at Omanthai.

At Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district incidents of polling cards being allegedly snatched by UPFA candidate Jayantha Dissanayake and alleged assault also by his supporters have been reported. In the Colombo district incidents of impersonation have been reported in Kotte and in Dehiwela and Mt. Lavinia areas.

However in the Jaffna district it is reported that polling was subjected to systematic impersonation, warranting an annulment of the poll and a re-poll of the district. According to CMEV the worst areas of impersonation were Point Pedro, Thumpalai, Puloly, Alavi, Karaveddy and Polikandy.

Meanwhile the other monitoring group PAFFREL had deployed 19,865 election monitors of whom 2655 were mobile monitors operating in 605 mobile teams and 17, 210 stationary monitors and 102 international observers. PAFFREL states that the elections has by far proven to be the least violent in recent history with no reports of election linked killings on the day of the poll.

However incidents of assault, shooting, grenade attacks and forced entry into polling stations, intimidation and chasing away of voters, impersonation, damage to vehicles and property and illegal transportation of voters have been reported. A few PAFFREL observers had also been intimidated.

These incidents had been reported from Kurunegala, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Puttalam. A lesser number of incidents had been recorded from Kegalle, Galle, Badulla, Kalutara, Anuradhapura, Colombo and Polonnaruwa districts.

The highest number of infringements had been reported from Wayamba. A significant number of violations had been reported from the North and East with intimidation ranking high in the list as the fear of assassination and assault in these areas was greater.

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