It was reported that several persons were injured in a clash between the supporters of Common Opposition Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka and supporters of Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage in Warakawa, Nawalapitiya yesterday.

Two JVP members injured in the melee were admitted to the Kandy hospital, the party sources said.

JVP sources said their supporters along with some UNPers were canvassing for Gen. Fonseka in the village called Warakawa when some goons armed with iron bars had attacked them.  The party said police had arrested six of their members in connection with the incident.

“Thugs involved in the case are still free,” the source said. 

A lawyer attached to the ‘Rajarata Professionals’ Organisation’ had lodged a complaint with the Elections Commissioner claiming that the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Hudson Samarasinghe had illegally appointed a new Director to the ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ ignoring the election laws in force.

The Elections Commissioner had recently ordered that there should be no appointments made in government institutions after the Presidential Election was announced.

Senior Lawyer Karunaratne Herath had further written to the Elections Commissioner stating that the appointment was made on January 1 and that the appointment was done after the announcement of the Presidential Election. (Read More)

Poll monitors People’s Action for Free and Fair elections (PAFFREL) and Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (Café) yesterday gave their assessments on internally displaced persons.

PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told Daily Mirror that the IDPs were not showing a keen interest in applying for distant voting in the coming presidential elections while CAFFE  spokesman Keerhthi Tennakoon said that there have been 4000 duplicate  applications.

Mr. Hettiarachchi said many displaced persons would not vote this time as there were a large number of rejections of applications. He said 100 out of 200 applications have been received from the Batticaloa area have been rejected.

However he said there are issues regarding voting rights of many and PAFFRL would like to meet the Elections Commissioner this week to discuss the matter. He said they had received information on various serious issues but cannot come up with any details yet as information had to be verified to confirm these matters.

Mr. Thennakon meanwhile said there have been 4000 duplicate registrations for distant voting as IDPs with the same name have applied from two different areas. He alleged that this was a part of a plan to rig the poll in these areas.

CAFÉ spokesman said he had met the poll chief on Saturday to discuss the matter He said the polls chief assured that appropriate action would be taken to correct the situation. He accused the main political parties for not taking the voting issues of IDPs seriously.

“Neither the ruling party nor the opposition parties had taken the matter seriously,” he pointed out.

The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Trade Union Alliance which consists of several associations including a branch of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, the SLRC Workers Union and the Programme Producers Union, warned yesterday that they would be compelled to take trade union action if the SLRC authorities failed to stop the ongoing process of telecasting the advertisements of  one presidential candidate free of charge.

The Producers’ Union Secretary Gamini Pushpakumara told Daily Mirror yesterday that they would be forced to take trade union action if the SLRC authorities failed to collect payments for the advertisements.

The SLRC Trade Union Alliance has already requested the SLRC director general to stop telecasting several election advertisements from the Tharunyata Hetak organization free of change and to collect the due payments.

They warned that the SLRC would run at a loss if the corporation continued to telecast these advertisements free of charge.

The union alleged that these advertisements were telecast denying air time to other advertisers who pay for their ads. They also alleged that the SLRC had ignored the guidelines issued by the Elections Commissioner with regard to the Presidential Election.

The trade union alliance called on the SLRC authorities to charge the usual fee for the advertisements from the persons responsible after the presidential election. At the moment no advance payments have been made for these advertisements that promote one particular candidate.

They also called on the SLRC officials to collect the sum of Rs 30 million that is due for the elections advertisements telecast during the previous polls.

The Police Election Desk has so far received 169 complaints of election violence, head of the police election desk, senior DIG Gamini Navaratne said.

Most of the incidents involved tearing or destroying cut outs, banners and other election propaganda material belonging to other parties, DIG Gamini Navaratne who is in charge of the desk said. DIG Navaratne’s comments follow allegations by UNP Ampara district organizer Daya Gamage that election violence is on the rise and opposition UNP and JVP activists have been harassed and their party offices had been attacked.

To counter this wave of violence the DIG said that vehicle checks would be stepped up and more safeguards put in place to tighten up security in the country as elections draw closer. Speaking about measures being taken to remove election propaganda material put up in violation of election law he said they were progressing steadily.

He pointed out that most of the incidents have been settled as organizers of all parties have been advised to desist from getting involved in such activities, DIG Navaratne said.

Several organisations engaged in election monitoring called for Dissanayake’s intervention to prevent the government from interfering in police operations to remove propaganda materials ahead of the January 26 polls. The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections praised the Polls Chief for having swiftly acted on its complaint to cancel the transfer concerned. Its spokesman Keerthi Tennakoon said that Dissanayake’s intervention was evidence that the Elections Secretariat could protect public servants, who had the courage to act regardless of political pressure.

UNP sources said that the Polls Chief’s action would give a tremendous boost to public servants and a signal that the government could not play politics with police.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that nation building cannot be confined to one sphere and the aim of the government is to launch a programme to develop the country as a whole.

“Our target is to identify the necessary approach for the country’s development and to raise the economic development to be on par with the developed economies of the world,” President Rajapakaa said addressing a gathering of ayurvedic physicians’ at Temple Trees recently.

Speaking further the President said, “The physicians practicing indigenous medicine in the country fulfill an extensive mission throughout the country. The Bandaranaike government paid special attention to the Ayurvedic System. Ayurveda diploma holders serve throughout the length and breadth of the country today. I am glad that I have got the opportunity to address the large gathering of traditional doctors and graduate doctors.

“The minister in charge of the indigenous medicine ministry is highly concerned with the task of safeguarding your rights. This medical system with its age long tradition has achieved world recognition. (Read More)

“There won’t be a need for another uprising”

Problems of the Tamil people in this country would be solved in such a way that there won’t be another armed uprising by them, opposition’s common Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka said on Saturday in Jaffna.  (Read More)

Media Release
No misuse of funds for election purposes

We refer to some media reports alleging the misuse of public funds for the campaigns of candidates in the current Presidential Election.
The allegations mainly refer to meals given at state expense, use of official vehicles and state buildings etc. for the campaign purposes of candidates. Reference has also been made to the meals provided at the functions held at Temple Trees. (Read More)

The Department of Elections has identified 4000 duplicate applications being recieved for distant voting by IDPs, department sources revealed. The department has received 48 000 applications and officials have identified that a large number of applications from Puttalam and Jaffna districts have been systematically duplicated.

“This is a serious issue. Out of the 275 000 IDPs, we have received less than 50 000 applications for distant voting and we found that an unknown organization has sent a large number of duplicated application forms,” he said. “For example if a person called X has sent an application to the Department’s Colombo office, this organization has sent another application under X’s name to our office in Puttalam. Meanwhile, since there have been many reports of malpractices in the issuing of temporary identity cards -- they will have no problem to vote if they get the polling card,” he added.

Trade unions of several state public sector institutions will meet the elections commissioner this week to substantiate evidence of misuse of state property in the election campaign. Chief Secretary of the all Ceylon General Port Employees Union, Chandrasiri Mahagamage told LAKBIMAnEWS that trade unions from the Ministry of Agriculture, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB,) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and several other institutions will provide documents to prove the misuse of the property.

“The government has misused resources of various state institutions and right now many of these institutions are facing serious financial issues because of these unwanted expenses. Resources of institutes such as SLTB, CPC and the ports authority have been used not only for the present election but also for all the provincial council elections. Hundreds of employees and vehicles have been misused and we have been collecting evidence so that we can prove that malpractice has taken place,” he said. “We have spoken to the elections commissioner and asked for an appointment with him .” (Read More)