Blatant abuse of state property and personnelAs the provincial elections in the east came to an end yesterday the misuse of state resources, including men and material, was at its peak while unidentified groups drawn in from out of the province were involved in the campaigns raising fresh security concerns.The campaign for the provincial council elections saw all political parties putting their full party machinery into action to win the support of voters but ironically the main role was being played by people brought in from other parts of the country while most eastern people went backstage. While the ruling party UPFA-TMVP alliance sent in a large number of ministers and MPs to the three districts, the UNP also took many of MPs, members of local councils along with their supporters to campaign in the province. Most of the election related malpractices prior to the polling day were connected with the abuse of state resources.
Polls monitoring groups said state vehicles and resources including staff from departments and ministries were used heavily for election campaign in blatant violation of election laws. On the pretext of ministers taking part in development programmes, opening ceremonies and inspection tours, vehicles and personnel were seen heavily misused for obvious party political work. State-run guest houses and circuit bungalows in the province were booked on the pretext that they were being put into use for government work, but elections monitors alleged they were booked for election work and accommodation was provided for supporters brought in from outside the province. In one of the cases, a state guest house in Ampara was booked by 25 employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. They were seen spending much of the time consuming liquor while causing inconvenience to the people in the area. There was also a rush by several ministries, departments and corporations to initiate projects under the Eastern Development programme as the campaigning got underway. This was seen by most monitors as a means to buy votes for the ruling party. Among the main events was the laying of the foundation stone for the much-awaited and much-delayed Oluvil harbour project. That day most state-run buses in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts were made use of to transport people for the ceremony as well as the election meetings held in the area. From the Kattankudy depot alone, seven of its 12 buses were taken over for election work and public transport was virtually crippled. In Trincomalee, the state owned ‘Black Bolt’ circuit bungalow was being occupied by a retired Brigadier, a former Major and about 150 other people from Dehiwala. Monitors alleged they were involved in election work for the UPFA. In Batticaloa, former Police Chief Chandra Fernando who is now an advisor to the President on Eastern Infrastructure Development, was seen involved in campaigning in the area, according to a complaint lodged by one of the candidates.Former JVP MP S. Amarasinghe, who is now the Chairman of the National Paper Corporation, was among those involved in election propaganda, monitors reported. TMVP candidates and supporters were seen driving around in intercoolers in Batticaloa during the campaign. In addition TMVP cadres were seen visiting houses and allegedly demanding that voters hand over polling cards. In some instances, they are reported to have paid for the poll cards. Most voters said they were reluctant to complain, fearing reprisals. State television and radio station were blatantly misused while an FM radio station put up in Mutur for the UPFA campaign. This station was attacked on Friday night after it made announcement that the moulavis of mosques in the area had decided to call on the people to vote for the UPFA. Another complaint against the Pillayan group was that some of its armed cadres were transported to Ampara with Army escort, residents said.
On the eve of the elections, the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), reported 90 cases of violations. A majority of 38 incidents were reported from the Batticaloa district, while 30 from Ampara (Digamadulla) district and 22 from the Trincomalee district. In addition, 51 unconfirmed incidents were also reported from the three districts, CaFFE spokesperson Keerthi Tennakoon said. “Even though campaigning for the elections ended on Wednesday night, several candidates continued to speak at meetings and posters of candidates were also being put up, thus violating election laws,” Mr. Tennakoon said. Incidents of groups robbing polling cards from post offices, threats and use of weapons by TMVP cadres were also reported, he said. “Opposition parties as well as the JVP, the Tamil political parties and other independent parties, were not given the required TV and radio time for campaigning,” Mr. Tennakoon said. Meanwhile, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Deputy Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said that 23 incidents relating to misuse of power and government property were reported so far compared to the 10 such incidents reported during the Presidential Elections in the province in 2005. The incidents reported included misuse of vehicles, government personnel and circuit bungalows, he said. “The complaints we received were forwarded to the relevant authorities including the election commissioner,” Mr. Hettiarachchi said, adding that action was yet to be taken. In some areas, UPFA supporters and UNP supporters were treated unequally by the police, observers said. Matale district UNP MP Ranjith Aluvihara said he had taken a group of Pradeshiya Sabha members and his supporters to Kalkudah and were staying in a guest house but they were asked to vacate it after threats from members of the Pillayan group to the owner of the guest house. “We then moved into the house of a UNP candidate but the Police came there and told us to leave saying they could not provide us with security and claimed that we could cause a security risk. But the police gave different treatment to UPFA supporters who came from outside the province,” he alleged. Turnout of voters in Trinco district Padavisiripura DS - 75 per cent How they voted in the 2005 presidential poll The performance at the 2005 Presidential Elections of UPFA candidate Mahinda Rajapakse and UNP candidate Ranil Wickremasinghe in the Eastern Province on an electoral basis. Trincomalee 1. Mutur Division: Batticaloa 1. Paddiruppu Division: Digamadulla 1. Ampara Division: |
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