VIOLENT MR:222 complaints against UPFA, 17against UNF, 20against CWC,1against DNA&60 against unidentified parties!CMEV disturbed by ELECTION VIOLENCE!

CMEV disturbed by high incident of election violence....... by Lal Gunesekera

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence has expressed its deep concern about the escalation of violence at the last stages of the campaign for Thursday’s Parliamentary Elections and requests Police to act fast to arrest the situation.

The CMEV confirmed 341 incidents of election related violence, including 196 major incidents upto April 4. There were 145 minor incidents and 45 involving firearms. Nuwara-Eliya recorded highest number of incidents (34), followed by Vanni (25), Puttalam (24) and Badulla (24). There were 222 complaints against the UPFA, 17 against UNF, 20 against CWC, one against DNA and 60 against unidentified parties too had been made, CMEV said.

Sixty-eight intra party disputes have been recorded against the UPFA and only one against UNF.

The CMEV continues to receive complaints against supporters of Minister Rishard Badiudeen, who is a UPFA candidate for the Vanni District. His supporters are alleged to be involved in 24 incidents of violence in the Vanni and Puttalam. Members of his party have also complained against two of his own supporters, while three are against the UNF and one is against the supporters of UPFA candidate Premaratne Sumathipala.

The CMEV said: "Eighteen of these incidents could be catergorised as major and six as minor, and they include assaults misuse of public property, grievous hurt, damage to property and threats and intimidation. In some instances, complaints have not been lodged with the Police owing to the loss of confidence in the police. We have recorded 11 complaints against Badudeen’s supporters in the Puttalam District alone."

The CMEV has also reported a hartal in Pottuvil on April 3 backed by UPFA and UNF candidates against alleged violent activities of UPFA candidate A. L. M. Athulla, who does not permit other UPFA and SLMC candidates to campaign in "his area", but OIC Wasantha Kumara of the Pottuvil Police Station had denied any knowledge of hartal.

The CMEV field monitors have also reported that persons were brought from Akkaraipattu in four buses (WP NA 1340, 63 - 3169, WP NA 2535, WP NA 3247) of the Akkaraipattu Depot for a meeting of the National Congress, an ally of the UPFA in Pottuvil organised by Athaulla on April 3.

Five incidents of intra party disputes between supporters of the UPFA have been reported from the Samanthurai electorate during the last 48 hours and reported to the Samanthurai Police Station.

Supporters of UNF candidate AKila Viraj Kariyawasam were assaulted allegedly by supporters of UPFA candidate Johnston Fernando opposite the Malkatuwawa Welagedera Vidyalaya, Kurunegala on April 2 night. Two UNF supporters received injuries and were admitted to Ward No. 1 of the Kuliyapitiya Base Hospital. A truck (NW LF 3745) of Kariyawasam was also damaged in this attack.



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