Polls monitors said yesterday that the re-polls in Nawalapitiya and Trincomalee were peaceful and free of violence.
The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), said that yesterday’s re-poll was peaceful and free of violence.
“Election activities in re polling areas were conducted peacefully during this election. In addition to this the observance of election laws -- which had been ignored earlier -- was visibly a key characteristic during this pre election period, said CaFFE in a statement yesterday
However, CaFFE noted that there were indications of the psychological intimidation of voters.
A huge contingent of police and STF personnel had been deployed in Nawalapitiya. For this reason there were hardly any reports regarding the presence of sinister political gangs or intimidation in the area. However, CaFFE monitors had observed that some political party supporters were travelling around the area in unmarked vehicles without registration numbers..
CaFFE had also received a report of intimidation from the Bercapel Estate Government School polling centre in Westhall, Nawalapititya. Mr. R. Ronganadan, a UPFA election polling agent, had been threatened by a man described as an underworld character called “Kalawedda”. CaFFE observers noted that this same man had been seen threatening and intimidating polling agents during the earlier (annulled) poll in this area.
CaFFE observers noted that the Nawalapitiya Urban Council Double Cab vehicle -- which had been used by the gang who had illegally seized polling cards from voters during the previous, annulled, poll at the Anurudhdha College polling centre -- was parked in the same vicinity, during the re poll yesterday. In addition to this, CaFFE said, a number of voters had been prevented from voting because they had not received their polling cards. This was evident in the Bercpal, Bavvugama, Nawalapitiya Central School Hall numbers 1 and 2, Giraulla, Kadireishan Kumar School, Hairdi Junior School and Palpitiya Polling Centres.
Ruling UPFA fell short of few seats to obtain the 2/3 majority in the 2010 General Elections according to the final results after the completion of the re-poll of Nawalapitiya and Kumubrupitiya electorates yesterday.
According to the data available the government was slated to get 127 seats, UNP 51 DNA five seats and TNA 13 seats without the nationalists seats. However national list seats were yet to be announced by the time the report went to the press.
Ruling party obtained 48,46, 386 votes getting 127 seats with UNP with 23, 57, 057 votes getting 51, while DNA obtained 441, 251 votes with 5 seats and ITAK 2,33, 168 votes winning 13 seats out of the total of 196 district seats.
UPFA obtained a percentage of 60.33 while UNP obtained 29.34. DNA got 5.49 percent and DNA 2.90 percent according to the final results.
Ruling UPFA won the Kandy District with 339,819votes, UNP 192,798 votes and DNA 23,728 votes after the
UPFA falls short for 2/3s Nawalapitiya re-poll yesterday.
Ruling party won 8 seats in the Kandy District, UNP 4 whereas DNA failed to win a seat in the district.
UPFA emerged victorious at the Nawalapitiya electorate where the re-poll was held yesterday by obtaining 38, 153 votes with UNP obtaining 11,648 votes. Democratic National Alliance obtained 11, 646 votes.
The UPFA also won the Trincomalee District with 59 784 votes. UPFA obtained two seats in the district. Main opposition UNP came second with 33, 268 votes winning one seat while Ilangi Tamil Arasu Kachi (IATAK) obtained 33, 268 votes obtaining one seat. Hwever IATAK won the Trincomalee polling division with 20, 578bvotes with UPFA obtaining 10, 9611 votes. UNP which got 8718 votes came third in the polling division.
ITAK leader R. Sampathan obtained the highest number of preferential votes in the Trincomalee District polling 24,488 votes
The two members who were elected from the UPFA in the district was M. K. D. S Gunawardene who obtained 19, 724 votes while Susantha Punchinilami who contested from the district for the first time obtained 22, 820 votes.
UNP Member who was elected to Trincomalee was M.S. Tawfeek who was a member of SLMC who contested from the UNP ticket. He obtained 23, 588 votes
A distinct feature in the Trincomalee district was the defeat of Minister of cooperatives Naheem A. Majeed who obtained only 15, 913 votes.
No acts of violence have been reported to CaFFE from the Nawalapitiya, Kandy and Kumburupiddi, Trincomalee election re poll areas. Hence CaFFE would like to firstly declare that the election activities in re polling areas were conducted peacefully during this election. In addition to this the protection of election laws which had been disregarded earlier was a visibly key characteristic during this pre election period. However, CaFFE notes that while there were no reports of physical violence in the areas in which re polling took place, there was definitely indications of psychological intimidation of voters.
A huge contingent of police and STF security officers had been deployed in Nawalapitiya area. For this reason there were hardly any reports regarding the presence of sinister political gangs or intimidation in the area. However, CaFFE monitors did observe that some political party supporters could be seen travelling around the area in unmarked vehicles with no registration numbers and gathering around election polling centres.The picture on the left was taken by mobile CaFFE observers who were overtaken by a unregistered vehicles which had no national plates.
CaFFE also received a report of intimidation from the Bercapel Estate Government School Polling Centre in the Westhall, Nawalapititya area. Mr. R. Ronganadan, a UPFA election polling agent had been threatened by an individual who had been identified as a underworld personality with the nickname “Kalaweidda”. CaFFE observers noted that this same individual had been identified during the earlier annulled poll in this area threatening and intimidating polling agents.
CaFFE observers noted that the Nawalapitiya Urban Council Double Cab vehicle which had been used by a gang who had illegally seized polling cards from voters during the previous annulled election in the Anurudhdha College Polling Centre was parked in the vicinity of the same area today, during the re poll. This vehicle had been parked in a by lane by the Polling Centre and when CaFFE observers started to arrive in the area in numbers the vehicle and the group that had come in the vehicle left the area. However, CaFFE observers were able to take photographic evidence that this vehicle, which had been used in election malpractices before had been parked in the same area as shown below. (Read more)
Democratic National Front (DNA) yesterday said its leader General (retired) Sarath Fonseka did not need the Defence Ministry permission to go to Parliament on April 22.
DNA Member and Former JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference that the persons who were in charge of General Fonseka at the Naval Headquarters where he was detained were bound to allow him to come to Parliament according to the law.
He made this point with regard to the statement made by Military Spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe that Defence Ministry permission was needed for General (retired) Fonseka to participate in inaugural sessions of the House.
It was explained that General (Fonseka)’s name wasamong those whose names that were gazetteted by the Commissioner of Elections. .
He said letters had been sent to Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya and Secretary General of Parliament asking them to make arrangements to allow General Fonseka to attend Parliament. (Read More)
China yesterday congratulated Sri Lanka on the smooth running of last week's parliamentary elections, the first since the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels last May.
The Chinese government will continue to develop friendly cooperation with the South Asian country on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news briefing.
Sri Lanka's ruling party, the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance, recorded a convincing election win after the 26-year civil war, bagging 117 seats, four more than the 113 required for a majority in the 225-member parliament, with two more district results yet to be announced.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said last week that the ruling coalition's victory showed that the people had endorsed his programme to turn Sri Lanka into a developed nation.
"The Chinese side also supports the efforts of the Sri Lanka government and people to safeguard national stability and development," Jiang said.(Xinhua)
The lowest ever voter turnout recorded at last weeks parliamentary election indicates that a large number of people have lost faith in the ballot, CaFFE said yesterday.
Director CaFFE Keerthi Tennekoon told The Island that the blatant violation of polls laws by the ruling UPFA, at recent elections and in the run up to the April 8 poll, had convinced the masses that the government cannot be changed through the ballot.
"Having lost faith in the electoral process, a large number of people decided to stay at home and save themselves the trouble of having to travel to the polling booth," he said. "They were convinced that their vote would be stolen. There was also the fear that in the event their candidate was elected, he or she could use the obnoxious cross over provision to defect to the government. In such an eventuality, the will of the people will be negated and the franchise made meaningless."
Citing an example of the public service being abused, Tennekon said that prior to April 8, two UPFA activists in Trincomalee were appointed as Deputy Principals and thereafter asked to function as Senior Presiding Officers.
"Impersonation of voters went on unabatedly. Hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons who were registered in Vavuniya were taken to Mannar by agents of the government and made to vote in Mannar. Thereafter they were transported to Puttalam, where the cast their ballot for the second time in a day."
He said that the repeated abuse of the Elections Act and physical attacks on opposition candidates and their supporters by government goon squads, had led to the masses getting disgusted and losing faith in the electoral system as a whole.
UNF parliamentary candidate and leader of the Democratic People’s Front Mano Ganesan’s vehicle convoy came under attack this evening in Kadilhena, Nawalapitiya.
“We were traveling with police protection and that didn’t stop these attackers, we have identified them to be thugs of a former minister. I ask the President to intervene and discipline his politicians,” Ganesan said. His convoy of five vehicles was traveling with a police vehicle when it came under attack and thereafter his supporters were forced to fend for themselves and drive out the attackers, he said.
This comes a day after his supporters were attacked in Nawalapitiya. He said most of the plantation communities were fearful of casting their vote in this escalating climate of violence even during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Former Minister and Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella has lamented that the results of Kandy District at Sri Lanka's 2010 parliamentary elections are being held up as a result of the bad behavior of some ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance members.
Addressing a media briefing yesterday Rambukwella, a crossover from the main opposition UNP and now contesting under UPFA for the Kandy district said it is regrettable that the overall general election result of the Kandy district cannot be announced.
"We hope that at least in the future, an atmosphere will be created so that one could engage in election activities with discipline and good behaviour," Rambukwella said.
According to reports supporters of UPFA minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage have threatened and chased away voters believed to be supporters of Minister Sarath Amunugama, another crossover from the UNP contesting under the UPFA.
"We expect that at least in the future, discipline, good behavior and patience would be maintained and extreme greed would be controlled in the holding of the upcoming election," Rambukwella said.
Intra-party violence in Sri Lanka's ruling party United people's Freedom Alliance ( UPFA) following the general elections has claimed yet another life in the Puttalam District last night.
According to the police, a supporter of defeated UPFA candidate Indrani Dassanayaka was killed by supporters of another UPFA candidate who was elected.
The victim, a 19 year old boy who was actively involved in Dassanayaka's campaign, the widow of the late minister D.M. Dassanayaka, was killed in Anamaduwa.
Following the killing, villagers held a one hour demonstration outside the Anamaduwa police station today (14) demanding that action be taken against the UPFA supporter who allegedly killed the 19 year old youth.
The persons involved in the protest held placards against Puttalam district elected candidate, Priyankara Jayaratna claiming he was protecting the accused. (Read More)
MULLAITIVU, 12 April 2010 (IRIN) - Voters in conflict-affected northern Sri Lanka failed to turn out in great numbers for parliamentary elections last week, with many citing dissatisfaction with their own plight since returning to their homes after months of displacement.
"Why should we vote?” asked Koneshwaran Bala, a recent Tamil returnee to the town Oddusudan in Mullaitivu District.
“As a community, we do not have leaders. There is no leader at the national level that talks about our sad state. I am not bothered at all to vote,” the 57-year-old said.
"I do not have a house with a proper roof to sleep under. There were promises given by various parties for months. I do not believe in them. I have no trust in what others can do for me - especially the government. I will survive on my own,” added 48-year-old Arul Elangovan, also from Oddusudan.
About 55 percent of Sri Lanka’s 14 million registered voters cast their ballots on 8 April in the first parliamentary elections since the government declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who had fought for a Tamil homeland for over two decades.
Voter turnout in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts - comprised largely of resettled internally displaced persons (IDPs) - fell below 17 percent, the Sri Lankan Election Commission reported.
Of 68,729 registered voters in Mullaitivu, just 11,362 (16.53 percent) cast their votes, while in Kilinochchi, 11,019 of 90,811 registered voters, (12.13 percent) went to the polls.
A road outside Oddusudan. Lack of transport prevented many from voting
But dissatisfaction was just part of the problem. In addition to outdated voter registration lists, many were denied their right to vote altogether, election observers said.
“There was more than one reason,” Keerthi Thenakoon, executive director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), a national election monitoring body, told IRIN.
Many IDPs still in camps in the north were told they did not have the right documentation for voting. Moreover, election officials were unable to give the IDPs clear directions about what to do when their camp identification was not accepted, said Thenakoon.
As a result, there was mass confusion among IDP voters about where they could vote - the IDP camp, newly-resettled areas or their district of residence, the Colombo-based group said.
