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Pre-poll violence minimal for now
By N. Dilshath Banu
Pre-poll violence this year was minimal compared to previous occasions, according to election monitoring organisations, which have however warned that incidents may increase.

“Comparatively, this time we have less pre-election related violence, but however there is a possibility for increased incidents of violence in the last week before the poll,” People's Alliance for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said.

Mr. Rodrigo said PAFFREL had identified Puttalam, Kurunegala, Hambantota, Matara, Matale, Kandy Anuradhapura and some parts in the East as vulnerable to pre-election violence a week before the poll.

Three weeks after nominations, PAFFREL recorded 79 cases of pre-election violence, compared to 360 cases after 6 weeks of campaigning for the Parliamentary elections of 2004 and 1,523 cases after 5 weeks of campaigning for the 1999 Presidential election.

According to PAFFREL, there were 19 cases relating to display of posters, 16 cases of assault and 5 cases of shooting and injuries inflicted on people. There were reports of 2 cases of killings and trespass and damage to properties.
Although PAFFREL recorded 7 cases of political transfers of police officers, such transfers were withheld as a result of intervention by the Police Commission.

The most number of complaints reported to PAFFREL by both major parties related to misuse of public property. Out of 27 cases reported for three weeks, eighteen of them were from Colombo.

Police Spokesperson SSP Rienzie Perera said police would take prompt action on any complaint made to them on election violence. “The officers-in-charge of the respective areas are responsible for taking action on election violence,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Co-Convener of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Dr. P. Saravanamuttu said the 17th Amendment had an impact on lessening election violence.

“The 17th Amendment provided for the establishment of independent commissions to administer the Police, Judiciary, Public Service and elections. This eventually led to the Elections Commissioner taking full authority for making decisions on matters pertaining to the elections and would have led to minimising election violence,” he said.

According to CMEV, the total number of reported cases for this year until October 26 were 106 cases - 39 major and 67 minor - compared to 1,747 before the 2004 Parliamentary elections and 1,483 before the 1999 Presidential election.

The Western Province had the highest number of pre-poll incidents with 320, 346 and 26 in 1999, 2004 and 2005 respectively. The least number reported was from the Northern Province with 10 cases in 1999 and 2 cases in 2004. So far, the Eastern Province has reported the least number of incidents with only 2 and no reports from the North. However, Dr. Saravanamttu said although so far there was only minimal election related violence in the North and East, there is a possibility that violence may intensify a week before the election.

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