Network of Election Monitoring (NEM-IHR) says, by the end of the pre-election process of the Southern PC election, the election violence has been increased to a significantly high level as 85% increase compared to the Uva PC election. They said it in a press conference held today in Colombo. This is the report issued to the media by NEM-IHR.

"Violations of election regulations, specially, election violence, abuse of state power, misuse of state properties and resources in the governing party election campaign and illegal propaganda campaigns have been continuously increasing in the pre election process of the Southern PC election............ (Read the Full Repot)

The result of any polling centre will be annulled if any malpractice occurs within or around the polling centre, the Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said. The Elections Commissioner was addressing the media regarding the Southern Provincial Council Election.

 The Commissioner further said that Senior Polling Officers (SPO) attached to polling centres are officers not only for the polling centre but also for the polling centre area up to 500 metres radius from the polling centre. Nobody is allowed to converage within 500 metre radius as such gathering may cause harm to a free and fair election. Therefore, if such illegal gathering is reported most probably it may result in cancelling the result of such polling centres. Apart from that, the result will be cancelled if more than one folded ballet paper is found as a set in a ballot box since it indicates that some violation had occurred, the Commissioner Dissanayake added.

The deterioration of the political culture in the country is due to the existing electoral system under the present constitution and the electoral system should be amended to rectify this situation, Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maitripala Sirisena said on Monday.

Minister Maitripala Sirisena made these remarks participating at the Sumedha Abhinandana felicitation ceremony held at Moneragala Mahanama Vidyalaya to mark the completion of 20 years of political life of Children and Women Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena

The UNP candidate contesting the Southern Provincial Council election from the Matara District Retd. Captain of the Sri Lanka Army Udaya Dissanayake came under attack by an unidentified gang that came in two vehicles in the early hours of yesterday.

He was on his way to a relative’s house at Wellathota by trishaw when the gang waylaid and assaulted him near Dalugoda bridge.

He said the gang that assaulted him with clubs caused extensive damage to the trishaw.

 Captain Dissanayake who received injuries was admitted to the Matara hospital.

“They came in a Defender van disguised as a military official, I know quite well who are the users of this kind of vehicle.

It is sad that a military official who served in the operational areas fighting to protect the country was not allowed to join a political party of his choice.

He alleged that no arrests had been made yet though the police came on the scene and held an investigation.

“I have received death threats over the phone so many times but I did not take them seriously,” he said.

Capt. Dissanayake is undergoing treatment at the Matara Hospital according to sources.

It is alleged that the provoked crowd had pelted stones at the police triggering the clash.

Meanwhile an unidentified gang had shot at the crowd from moving vehicles causing gunshot injuries to one person.

A CTB bus, a motorcycle belonging to the police traffic division and several street lamp posts were damaged in the incident.

Weligama HQI Mahesh Kumarasinghe was transferred to Galle with immediate effect following the incident.

1,091 candidates from 15 political parties and 13 independent groups are vying for 55 slots (including two bonus seats) in the Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts in the Southern PC, election officials said. 1,761,859 voters are eligible to vote in the three districts while 31,154 had been eligible for postal voting on September 29 and 30 at 557  voting centres including Army camps, SLTB Depots, Zonal Education Offices and Police Stations.

Election officials said about 29,250 officers will be in charge of the PC polls. The largest number of officials - 13,000 will be deployed in Galle and another 10,000 and 6, 250 will be officiating the election duties in Matara and Hambantota respectively.

Matara Assistant Elections Commissioner C. A. Suneth Lochana said the elections officers’ main task was to conduct the election at 1,485 polling stations and the counting of ballots at 168 counting centres.

“We have taken every possible measure to prevent any untoward incidents in the South on election day and the days before or after it. Mobile police patrol, spot checks and road barriers are in place under a special security plan,” Senior DIG Mediwaka said.   

The UNP MPs said they were assaulted at Deniyaya by thugs when they attempted to go to Beverely Estate where they alleged a building was being put up by a private citizen using Government resources. They also claimed none of the Police stations were willing to entertain their complaints.

When asked to comment why they failed to lodge their complaints with the Deniyaya Police, UNP General Secretary MP Tissa Attanayake said that soon after the Deniyaya incident the town was crowded with undesirables and as such they decided to lodge complaints at the Matara Police Station. But the Matara Police Station looked deserted as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was scheduled to address a meeting in Matara and apparently there weren’t any officers to entertain their complaints, he said. "Therefore we decided to complain to the Galle Police but they directed us to Colombo," Attanayake said.

He said they had lodged a complaint in Colombo and expected an impartial investigation into the attack.

The police said the main opposition, United National Party a candidate, Captain Udaya Dissanayake, a former war hero, has been assaulted by a group of armed persons early this morning.

According to the UNP sources Captain Dissanayake was held at gun point early this morning and assaulted allegedly by a group of ruling party UPFA supporters in Wellatota, Matara.

The assaulted candidate has been admitted to Matara hospital. Police are conducting investigations into the incident.

Meanwhile, an election monitoring group, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) reported that there were seven attacks on the JVP offices in Hambantota area on Monday (Oct 5th) alone.

As of today, CaFFE reported a total of 220 election violations including 56 assaults on property, 26 assaults on individuals, and 52 election law violations.

A majority of the incidents, 85 of them were in Galle District, followed by 73 in Hambanthota and 62 from Matara Districts.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa flanked by his ministers had been on another podium. Wimal Weerawansa too had taken his place among the ministers a few seats away from the President. After some time Weerawansa had left the stage. At this point Mutuhettigama had emerged from no where and had dashed into the VIP stage and occupied the vacant seat amidst thunderous applause from his supporters in the audience. No effort however was taken by anybody to remove the controversial candidate from the place while the rest of the candidates were left wondering what had happened.

It was also likely that Mutuhettigama had a hand in the jeering and hooting received by an equally controversial female candidate when she greeted the audience once her preferential number was called. (Read More)