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More than 2,400 election law violations; EC says 11 related to violence
View(s):By Ishu Bandara
The Election Commission (EC) has received complaints related to 2,460 incidents of election law violations and violence, an official said yesterday.
Of these complaints, 1,707 cases had been resolved, while 753 are yet to be addressed, the EC said.
The EC has received 11 complaints regarding violence.
The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) confirmed 892 incidents of violations and violence, according to its Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi.
Among the complaints was a video circulating on social media showing the National People’s Power (NPP) conducting election campaign activities on a train from Pattipola to Nanu Oya.
The PAFFREL said another complaint was about more than 25 Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) supporters distributing leaflets along Goodshed Road in Kandy. According to election guidelines, only five are allowed.
According to another complaint, before postal voting began on Wednesday, independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe’s campaign leaflets were distributed in front of the Kurunegala District Secretariat.
Around 7 a.m. on September 5, several teachers who arrived at the Wariyapola Divisional Education Office to cast their postal votes were turned away. Although the divisional office had prearranged specific dates for postal voting at each school, a last-minute change in dates was made. This had not been properly communicated to the teachers. After lodging protests, the teachers were later allowed to vote.
At the Seethawaka Divisional Secretariat, 28 staff members had not received their official postal ballots, according to a report. However, the EC said ballots had been issued.
Before postal voting began at the Kurunegala District Secretariat on Wednesday morning, some people were seen distributing campaign leaflets bearing the symbol of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to the people and officers.
Around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, NPP supporters were seen distributing leaflets inside the Avissawella Presidential College.
Teachers from Singapore Friendship Girls’ School in Weeraketiya have reportedly been threatened by officials to vote for the NPP. In Maskeliya, the principal of St. Joseph’s Tamil Vidyalaya allegedly did not allow several teachers to go and cast their postal votes, according to a complaint lodged with PAFFREL.
It has been reported, though unconfirmed, that Kotelawala Defence University cadet officers faced delays and intimidation while attempting to cast their postal votes on Thursday.
On Wednesday around 1:30 pm, an individual obstructed voters attempting to cast their postal votes at the postal voting centre located at the Homagama Education Zone Office. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) on Friday announced the deployment of its observation team across the country to monitor potential election violations.
CMEV says it will station statistical observers at polling stations and will have mobile election monitors active in key hotspots throughout Election Day. Additionally, it plans to deploy monitors at certain counting centres to observe the counting process, ensuring transparency and fairness in the election.
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