Proposals for fair polls

The international election observers invited by the elections Commissioner to monitor Tuesday's presidential elections have made 18 recommendations to the government.

The recommendations are as follows:

* The Election Commission should review the Voter Card system which has caused problems in some districts.

* There was concern among some observers about the role of the police. It was felt that closer communications between the officers at the polling stations and police HQ would be helpful. There should also be police presence in the vicinity of the polling booth. The Police should maintain order within the polling stations at voting.

* Police officers [DIGs, SSPs ] should be required to report incidents during election time promptly to the District Secretary and go by his advice on the action required as well as on the disposition and deployment of forces.

* The quality of the indelible ink should be reviewed.

* The media funded by State should be required to give balanced and fair coverage to the viewpoint of all parties and their candidates, as well as news and events concerning them to avoid being viewed as the propaganda organ of the party in power .

* The Election Commission and the Press Council should introduce a Code of Conduct both for the State owned and the privately owned sound and print media.

* We recommend that an Independent multi member Election Commission with full financial autonomy be appointed by a nominating committee consisting of the President, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. One of the Commission members should have judicial experience.

* A transparent limit should be determined for election expenses by candidates and by political parties.

* The Group noted that the law on the removal of posters was not enforced and recommends that consideration should be given to the relevance of the law.

* The Group recommends that for future IOGs a better gender balance should be aimed at.

* The Group recommends that government employees should not act as agents of political parties during a poll.

* The National Consultation Committee on Elections may be encouraged to act more effectively in collaboration with the Election Commission in resolving law and order and other campaign related issues in order to help conduct a free and fair election. Similar committees should be encouraged to function at the local level in collaboration with the Returning Officer.

* It is prudent to make it a requirement to have all counting agents sign all certifying documents at the end of the count.

* There should be a Code of Conduct or Ethics for all political parties and candidates from the time of notification of the election. To secure the integrity of the ballot papers a distinct seal instead of a simple perforation should be provided at each polling station and each ballot paper stamped at the ime of issue to the voter. Recommendations Specific to the Jaffna District

* The Register of voters should be updated at the same time as the register of other districts.

* Polling stations should be clearly numbered and directions clearly given. Additional polling stations should be provided.

* International observers and their liaison officers / interpreters must be admitted unimpeded to the polling stations.

All set for battle of the big bug

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

With five days to go for the New Year, government and private IT experts are gearing for the battle with the millennium bug.

Government departments are making technical stand-by arrangements to deal with any eventuality that the dreaded Y2K millennium bug could cause.

The Council for Information Technology (CINTEC) has set up an Event Management Centre (EMC) which will be manned by about 12 CINTEC personnel and representatives from mission critical organisations such as the health, banking, airport, seaport, power, energy and police sectors.

CINTEC's National Y2K Co-ordinator B.R.O. Fernando said the EMC would have links with operation centres in all government organisations and would be co-ordinating with them throughout the 31 night upto January 3.

All companies that are Y2K ready are also featured on the national website www.lk/Y2K1, a Central Bank official said.

While many customers have closed their bank accounts fearing a computer systems crash and miscalculations in their accounts during the New Year, a Bank of Ceylon official said the number of customers doing this was negligible. He said customers had no need to worry as the bank was 100% safe.

Several banks are, however, requesting their customers to carry out any major transactions early to prevent a heavy load at the last minute and also as the Central Bank may declare restricted banking hours.

The Central Bank's Information Technology Director, N. Fernando, however said a declaration of restricted banking hours was not yet likely. She said all the banks had been audited and were Y2K ready, but that the Central Bank nevertheless had contingency plans for any unforeseen problems.

Both government and private hospitals are also on standby having requested extra staff to report for duty with senior managers and a technical task force on duty throughout 31st night.

National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said the hospital would not be scheduling any routine surgery from December 29 to January 1. He said most of the equipment had been upgraded and certified, especially intensive and emergency care unit equipment, and those which have not been upgraded would not be used. A bio-medical engineering team is also to be on standby. Power generators and water bowsers would also be made available to the hospital.

Nawaloka Hospital's Data processing manager K. De Soysa said the hospital's section heads would be on duty from 10.00 p.m. on December 31 to 1.00 a.m. on January 1, a technical support team would be on duty from 10.00 p.m. on December 31 to 6.00 a.m. on January 1. All computers will be shut down at 10.00 p.m. on 31st night as patient care in all departments would be reduced to manual and electrical care.

SriLankan Airlines meanwhile will be grounding flights from 10.30 p.m. on December 31 to 7.00 a.m. on January 1 due to a low passenger demand, an airline spokesperson said.

A support team headed by top level managers will be on duty from December 31 afternoon to the evening of January 1, and airports and air-traffic control systems used by the airlines around the world would be monitored system-wise. In case of any problems experienced by any foreign airports, Sri Lankan Airlines flights would then be rerouted, the spokesperson said.

A back-up staff in every sphere will be on standby to deal with any problems, as there will be no interruption to flights coming in from other airlines.

While the Police will be having a representative at CINTEC on 31st night, other government and private organisations are assuring the public that they are ready to face the millennium bug.

Casino war on the cards

By Leon Berenger

A major casino war was feared in the metropolis over the weekend after goons allegedly working for big-time operators in the business attacked and destroyed a gaming house at Duplication Road late on Wednesday night during curfew hours.

Silver Slipper Casino situated in a high security zone barely a kilometre away from the official residence of the President and less than 300 metres away from a military checkpoint was torched out of business during curfew hours just before midnight on Wednesday.

Damages were estimated at Rs. 25 to 30 million, according to the club's owner Thanoj Bamunuarachchi. He alleged that it was the work of a big-time competitor, hell bent on driving the small operators to the ground.

The Silver Slipper had been in operation since early August.

Wednesday night's attack is the second on this gaming house in less than four months. In August unidentified gunmen broke into the casino while it was in operation and assaulted the owner as well as members of the staff before leaving with menacing threats.

Bamunuarachchi further alleged that some of the hit-men were apparently police personnel working for the larger operators.

Eyewitnesses said that the goons had arrived at the casino in vehicles that are used only by special police units, indicating that they may have belonged to the Presidential Security Division (PSD).

'Furthermore it is impossible for civilian vehicles to roam around the streets armed to the teeth with explosives during curfew hours and especially in a high security zone such as this,' one of the residents commenting about the incident said.

Apart from President Kumaratunga's official residence, the private home of the leader of the main opposition UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe is also situated a few hundred yards away from the scene of attack.

The attackers had gained access to the casino that was closed owing to the curfew after they had assaulted and intimidated the unarmed private security officers who were guarding the place at night.

Sources in the trade told The Sunday Times that if such acts are allowed to go on unhindered, then the gaming business was definitely heading towards a confrontational course that could end up with deadly results and a bleak future for the business.

Therefore the police and the other relevant authorities should act fast and bring the culprits to book without any fear or favour, one leading pioneer in the trade said.

Colombo's Police Chief Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jagath Jayewardene told The Sunday Times that the matter was under thorough investigation, but it was too early to make any definite comment.

"We will investigate the matter to find out if there was personal rivalry behind the incident or any other reason. It is still too early to come to any conclusions,' Jayewar-dene said. He added that allegations of suspected involvement of police personnel will also be checked.

No serious damage to Town Hall, says CMC

By Kumaradasa Wagista

The Town Hall appears to have suffered no serious damage from last Saturday's suicide bomb attack on the PA rally, Colombo Mayor Omar Z. Kamil said.

He said they had not made a thorough check because the CID was on the scene but initial assessment showed no serious damage to the historical 134-year-old building.

Meanwhile plans are being finalised to construct a modern four storeyed building at the site now occupied by the canteen and the Municipal Press.

He said the new building will house all departments of the CMC in addition to the canteen, the press, a car park and bank branches.

Post-polls incidents on both sides

By Chris Kamalendran and R.S.Keeriyawatta

Sporadic post-poll violence claimed the lives of more than seven people while up to 75 were seriously injured with several houses and shops being damaged, police said.

Despite the situation in the country being relatively calm after the polls closed, clashes were reported mainly between PA and UNP supporters from various areas with the most serious incidents taking place in Kurunegala, Puttalam, Kandy and Kuliyapitiya.

Police Headquarters said they had received complaints about post -poll violence, but claimed that the situation was under control.

H.A. Charlotte, 54, from Gonawila in Dankotuwa who was injured in the post-poll violence was among those receiving treatment at the National Hospital.

"After elections I was returning home with some provisions. I noticed two groups clashing near a polling booth. I also saw the police trying to disperse the crowd. Soon after that the Police were forced to open fire," she said.

She was not sure how she was struck by a stray bullet, but believes that it may have been a bullet from the police.

She said it was likely to take a couple of months before she fully recovered and got back to work as a labourer.

"The elections have come and gone, but I will remain in bed for next couple of weeks," she said.

The post -election clashes were not confined to a particular party with both PA and UNP supporters being at the giving or receiving ends.

Kuliyapitiya businessman Upali Perera, 37, a PA supporter, who was injured in the violence, said: "On the day of the incident I was sleeping inside a van with a friend. Around 3 a.m. a UNP mob came and started attacking the vehicle. They assaulted me with iron rods and swords."

He said his friend too had been injured in the incident.

Jagath Chandrasekara from Dompe was receiving treatment for burn injuries at the hospital. He was a UNP supporter and suspects that PA men were involved in the attack.

In an apparent retaliatory attack, four PA supporters including a woman were badly beaten up and three of them are receiving treatment at the hospital.

A spokesman for the Police Election Secretariat said compared to previous elections the number of incidents was less. Thus the curfew was more preventive.

"We have used only a total of 12 hours of curfew to curb post poll violence. This is comparatively less when we look back at elections in the past," he said.

Fourteen persons taking part in a PA victory march in the Hindagala –Haloya area in Kandy on Thursday were injured when a hand grenade was thrown at them by a youth.

Those in the procession were alleged to have thrown stones at some houses on the way and that is said to have incited the youth to throw the grenade at them, police said.

Mass polls rigging, say small parties

By Shelani de Silva

The minor parties are calling for the election to be declared a null and void election claiming that mass scale polls rigging was conducted by the ruling People's Alliance.

The parties claim that while voters were threatened and intimidated while going to vote, rigging had taken place even in the counting centres.

Presidential candidate Vasudeva Nanayakkara told The Sunday Times that his party's votes were counted as having been cast for an Independent candidate.

'We have information that an independent candidate was given our votes. The party is investigating it,' he said.

He added that mass scale rigging in rural areas had taken place.

The JVP which received the third highest total allege that rigging took place in 200 polling booths.

A day after the elections the party sent a list of the polling stations where rigging took place to the Acting Elections Commissioner D.M.P.B. Dassanayake calling for those votes to be declared null and void.

JVP spokesperson Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times that the party will not accept PA's victory.

'When such unlawful and undemocratic violations takes place at a Presidential election, the party elected cannot be accepted,' he said.

Another Presidential candidate Ariyawansa Dissanayake said that at this election there were dead voters and immigrant workers whose votes were cast.

'It is a big joke. After all this the newly elected president took her oaths, but how free and fair was the election. The government cannot call this a victory. They denied the people the right to cast the vote. Voters who went to cast their vote after 1 pm found their votes already cast,' he said.

Harischandra Wijetunge, another Presidential candidate, said that Samurdhi officials openly canvassed and intimidated the voters.

Meanwhile People's Alliance General Secretary D M Jayaratne denied any large scale polls rigging. While admitting that there was a few incidents of malpractice at the Presidential polls, Minister Jayaratne said that this was a very free and fair election in comparison to previous polls.

'President Kumaratunga will take action against all those involved in violence. This election was very fair specially compared to ones held during the UNP regime,' he said.

He added that it was the opposition which provoked the public to take to the roads once the party was elected.

Mixed bag in the East

With the increase of violence in the Eastern Province after the recently concluded Presidential elections, even My Own Mustapha of the UNP had a narrow shave with death, when unidentified gunmen had fired at his residence on Wednesday night. Fortunately for him he was not at home at that time, sources said.

While My Own Mustapha's residence was shot at, a UNP lawyers's vehicle was damaged and his house stoned.

In a related incident some of the UNPers were assaulted by SLMC supporters in the area.

The killing of SLMC politbureau member Mr A.L.Majeed's sister and her 14 year old daughter in cold blood, at Malikaikadu in Samanthurai early on Wednesday morning, is one of the gruesome penalties one could pay for being related to a politician.

Mrs A.L.Aisha Ummah (45) and her daughter Benazir Begum were killed at 3 am, an hour before they got up to observe the fast. During the holy month of Ramazan, Muslims usually get up at about this time to observe the fast. But this mother and daughter could not do so for they were brutally killed in cold blood by unidentified gunmen.

It is learnt that the killers were looking for Mr Majeed at his sister's residence and when they were told that he was not there, the men had fired upon the mother and daughter.

Whilst the Samanthurai Police are investigating the killing, it is not yet known whether the killing was the handiwork of the LTTE or any other political group or organisation.