The Police Elections Secretariat has requested all political parties and their supporters to refrain from bringing ‘unnecessary elements’ from outside to the Central and North Western provinces during the election period so that polls could be conducted in a free and fair manner.
“We have already observed that unnecessary and unruly groups are operating in some of the areas. We request the parties to refrain from importing such groups as they will create problems in these areas,” Police Elections Secretariat Chief DIG Gamini Navaratne said.
The DIG also sought the help of all political parties, supporters and others to ensure that the upcoming elections set to take place next month, are conducted in a free and fair manner.
He added that any police officer found neglecting his duties during the election period will be dealt with severely.
DIG Navaratne made these observations at a meeting held at the Elections Department on Friday attended by the Elections Commissioner, senior police officers and secretaries of political parties.
JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti who also attended this meeting said the parties urged the police to take tough action against those who violated election laws and requested the Elections Commissioner to forward to them the circular sent out to public servants recently over the misuse of State vehicles.
Meanwhile, several election-related incidents have already been reported from the North Western and Central provinces, election monitoring organizations said.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) had so far reported five incidents of election violence, all from the Central province, PAFFREL chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said.
“Only one major incident has been reported so far. In this incident, the sister of UNP candidate Shanthini Kongahage was attacked,” he said.
Mrs. Kongahage’s house and office is located along the Kandy-Colombo main road in Pilimatalawa. A group of around four men had allegedly entered the premises at around 9.30 p.m. on January 1 and started removing the cut-outs and boards there. When Mrs. Kongahage’s sister, who was at home at that time, had come out, the men had forcibly dragged her and tried to force her into a three-wheeler.
The Kadugannawa police are inquiring into the incident, DIG Navaratne said.
Mr. Rodrigo said that five monitoring offices were also established in the respective districts and a total of 3,000 monitors are to be deployed, with 600 serving as mobile monitors.
“We are currently training our observers. Monitoring offices have also been established at the Divisional Secretariat, while a multi-party monitoring committee will be set up at the national level at the Elections Department”, he said.
Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has received six election-related incidents, CaFFE media spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon said, adding that two incidents were reported from Matale district and one each from Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, Kurunegala and Kandy districts.
“Five of these incidents are to do with attacks on political offices, but no major damage was reported. However, two people were injured and some property damaged in the clash between the CWC and UPF members on December 31,” he said. | 
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