Violence up and go in hand in hand with election illegal propaganda activities - CaFFE

CaFFE has reserved  136 incidents related to the election and for the last 5 the scale of violence and the gravity of the incidents are on the rise. There are 5 incidents that the firearms were used and over 60 people were injured by the assault.  The violence go hand in hand with illegal propaganda activities.

232 incidents -  DIG (Elections) Police

According to DIG (Elections) Mr. Gamini Nawarathna there are 232 complains have resaved so far, including use of firearms, burning of propaganda office ect.  (Lakbima Jan. 06th, 2010) (Read More.......)

Several Ministers and NFF Leader Weerawansa MP exposed fraudulent procurement of high tech military equipment by Fonseka:

The JVP has now become the defender of corruption. The sacrosanct gentlemen of that party were carrying on their shoulders a Presidential Candidate who had used his position to award tenders for the purchase of equipment from a company owned by his son-in-law, JNP leader Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament yesterday.

Joining the debate on the extension of Emergency, Weerawansa said he had the vouchers, bills and amounts paid to the son-in-law’s company and the account numbers in the US though the JVP was pulling a red herring across the public eye to say the company Hycop had no contract to supply goods to the Army. (Read More)

The campaign for the forthcoming election is getting increasingly violent as it intensifies, election monitors and campaign groups say.

There have been at least 24 violent incidents around the country during the 48 hours ending on Sunday, according to the Campaign for Free Fair Elections (CaFFE). CaFFE media spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon told BBC Sandeshaya that the violence is increasing as a result of law enforcement agencies being partial to one presidential candidate. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his former military chief Gen Sarath Fonseka and 20 others are contesting at the 26 January presidential polls.

Commissioner's role

In a recent incident, supporters of both candidates have clashed in Kiribathgoda on Monday.

The campaign group Platform for Freedom has expressed alarm over the "ever increasing harassment" of supporters of opposition candidates.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka has instructed Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya to take disciplinary action against police officers who incorrectly reported that election propaganda material including cutouts and banners had been removed in their respective divisions

Although some police OICs had reported that election propaganda had been removed in their respective areas the Additional Elections Commissioner had provided video evidence proving otherwise. 

“Such officers had reported to say that cutouts and posters had been removed as required although nothing had been done to that effect,” the official said. Already, information about eight such Police Officers has reached the Election Commissioner’s Department, the spokesman said. (Read More for the digital images)

After weeks of indecision, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday  promised to give its support to Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Opposition Common Candidate for the Presidency, sources said.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan held talks with Gen. Fonseka and arrived at this decision in the presence of SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and SLFP (Mahajana Wing) leader Mangala Samaraweera. 

According to sources close to Gen. Fonseka, the agreement was reached on a number of issues concerning the Tamil people in the North and the East. Among them are the dismantling of the High Security Zones and the resettlement of the displaced civilians according to a mechanism and a roadmap.

However, the TNA is yet to announce its decision formally to the public, and the party will do so only after its Parliamentary group meets. (Read More)

A Colombo Magistrate yesterday refused a request made by the Borella police to restrain a joint procession organized by the UNP and the JVP in support of opposition common candidate General Sarath Fonseka.

Colombo Additional Magistrate G. Praharsha Ranasinghe also advised the Police to act according to the powers vested under the Regulations of the Presidential Elections Act.

Borella Police filing a report before the Magistrate submitted that the UNP and the JVP had made arrangements to hold a meeting at Campbell Park at Borella yesterday.

The Police submitted that the supporters of the Opposition’s main candidate were planning to go on a procession from the Ayurveda Junction at Cotta Road and assemble at Campbell Park, Borella for the meeting. (Read More)

The Election Secretariat has forewarned all employers to give their employees leave in order to cast their votes at the forthcoming Presidential Election on January 26.

They have pointed out that provision to grant such leave is in the Presidential Election Act which deals with the granting of leave to employees. The Commissioner of Election, Dayananda Dissanayake explained in a statement that the Act stated that paid leave should be given to all employees who requested such leave in writing. The request should include the name of the person applying for leave as well as the name of the person granting the leave along withthe time period of the leave.

A person who contravenes or fails to comply with these requirements would be liable to pay a fine not exceeding Rs 500 or face imprisonment by a court of law.

The Act also emphasizes that the time period available to employees applying for leave has to be determined by each employer taking into account the distance the employee has to travel to cast their vote, since there have been several complaints on this aspect from the employees at previous elections.

Jaffna Bishop, Rt.Rev.Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam, said that the Tamil people in Jaffna should not make the mistake they made at the last Presidential election, but vote at the upcoming presidential election.

He expressed these views when Opposition Common Candidate, General Sarath Fonseka met him at the Bishop’s Residence in Jaffna. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, DPF leader Mano Ganesan and former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva accompanied the General on his visit.

“The fallout that occurred with Tamils in the North not voting at the last presidential election was great. History should not repeat itself. They should be free to caste their vote according to their conscience,” he said. (Read More)

A mini battle raged in Kiribathgoda town this morning (Jan. 03) as JVP and UNP suporters  distributing election pamphlets came under attack by government supporters.

The incident left many people injured and several vehicles damaged, reports said.

Heavy vehicular congestion that ensued, continued for a considerable period of time after riot police fired teargas and dispersed the crowds.

According to reports, thugs led by a UPFA politician of the area had attacked JVP and UNP members.

The injured have been admitted to Ragama hospital. 

 CaFFE has so far resived 124 incedents of election related violance incedents.