By
Faizer Shaheid
Moneragala has become the cynosure of all eyes ever since nominations for the upcoming Uva Provincial Council Elections concluded on 6 August, and then, all hell broke loose with election related violence erupting exponentially.
By 11 September, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) reported a total of 259 election law violations and 71 cases of election violence. Of the 330 violations in total, only 77 had been committed in Badulla while a staggering 253 violations had occurred in Moneragala during the 37 day period.
The CaFFE alleged that 44 incidents had been recorded in Moneragala in damaging property and also illegal election propaganda while 13 incidents were reported in connection to assaults and threats received. Gun shots too had reportedly been fired, Executive Director of CaFFE, Rajith Keerthi Tennekoon had said.
The Police, however, claimed to have a received a mere 56 complaints by the aforesaid date. They had also made 40 arrests by the above mentioned date, Media Spokesman for the Police SSP Ajith Rohana claimed.
The violence and violations had begun even before the deadline for nominations on 6 August. Police had even filed legal action against five candidates including the Chief Ministerial candidate for the United National Party (UNP), Harin Fernando for violations prior to the date of nominations. There had been several illegal election rallies that took place on 6 August despite a warning by the Elections Commissioner not to hold any rallies or processions which may hinder the recently concluded Advanced Level Examinations.
The Police had then taken legal action against eight persons found to have violated election laws including United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Parliamentarian, Thenuka Vidanagamage and his brother, a UPFA candidate for the upcoming elections, Anura Vidanagamage. The duo was found to have obstructed the activities of a Deputy Elections Commissioner in pursuance of their election propaganda work. They had subsequently been released on two sureties amounting to Rs. 100,000 each.
Gunshots and intimidation
Despite the warnings and arrests, the violence continued to recur constantly. It is also of considerable concern that a bulk of the election related violence was being committed by UPFA supporters in a blatant disregard for the law. On 16 August, a tense situation had arisen at Bandarawela Town where the stage was being decorated for JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to address a gathering.
The team leader of JVP for the forthcoming elections, R.M. Jayawardane, who was also present at the location, had also alleged that gunshots were fired that day. Describing the incident, he said UPFA members had arrived at the location on the pretext of distributing leaflets. A mild altercation between the parties had developed into a major catastrophe when guns were unveiled and shots were fired. Non-political residents of the area had fled the scene, but the JVP supporters had remained until the Police had arrived. Several JVP supporters were injured as according to Jayawardane.
The above incident was one of the many incidents that had occurred, Jayawardane said. Among other incidents that had occurred, JVP candidate P.P.G. Wijesiri’s offices had been attacked burnt down four times in a total of 23 incidents. Gun shots too were fired on some of the occasions, Jayawardane said.
Another incident reported by CaFFE reads that four students who had been campaigning for the JVP had been ambushed and assaulted on Monday (8) at Maduruketiya, Moneragala. One of the students had been abducted and later ditched on the roadside after further assault. The assailants had come in an unmarked defender, vehicle CaFFE had observed.
“This ruling party is continuously harassing all those who oppose them. They constantly intimidate us, and sometimes even the Police overlook them. Most of the incidents have occurred in Buttala, Madulla and Badalkumbura”, Jayawardane had said.
Police Media Spokesman, SSP AjithRohana denied the allegations on Thursday (11). “We have received 56 complaints thus far, and not a single one had been in regard to gunshots fired. People can claim and exaggerate on such allegations, but gunshots being fired are serious allegations. If it is true, why have they not made any complaints to that effect?” he asked.
United National Party (UNP) candidate for the forthcoming elections, R.M. Jayasinghe Bandara, too denied the allegations. “There has been no intimidation. I have been in politics for the last 25 years, and this election has been far more peaceful than in previous elections” he said.
He then went on to elaborate on the allegations of violence by saying that JVP had received the brunt of the impact from the few incidents of violence that he had known. “The UNP has not been affected by much of these conflicts. The UPFA has constantly been in conflict with the JVP and we know of a few major ordeals that have taken place. The UNP however, has largely been left alone. Apart from a few internal party disputes arising due to personal issues, there has not been too much to report” he said.
In speaking of the internal disputes, Bandara had been speaking of the clash between two UNP groups. A group led by UNP candidate Tissa Kuttiarachchi had clashed with another UNP group led by the son of another UNP candidate, Sampath Jayasuriya on 3 September. Tissa Kuttiarachchi had subsequently been arrested after the son of Jayasuriya, who was admitted to the Moneragala Hospital after having sustained injuries, lodged a complaint with the Police.
UPFA candidate, Saliya Sumedha, too acknowledged that most disputes had been personal in nature. “I have not heard of any incidents of any gunshots being fired. Violence is expected at any election, so there are bound to be fights and clashes between supporters due to ego issues between supporters. The violence is regretted, becausethe politicians don’t generally involve themselves in these issues, but it is a norm when it comes to elections”, he said.
Elections Commission Intervention
CaFFE claimed that the rise in violence indicated towards a systematic approach by the UPFA to attack and intimidate supporters of other parties. Such was done to prevent them from engaging in promotional campaigns in other areas, hence, leaving opposition campaigns depleted.
Apart from the violence, there had also been consistent election law violations. Garage numbers on vehicles were being used to run election campaigns illegally, illegal posters were being pasted and illegal election offices were constructed among others.
Although the UPFA had been permitted to have only 219 election offices, UPFA candidates had maintained over 970 offices, CaFFE had alleged. Most of them had been temporary structures used for propaganda purposes, CaFFE had claimed.
There had also been incidents where election officials had been threatened. Assistant Elections Commissioner, Namal Thalangama, had been threatened whilst carrying out his posters on 6 August in Badulla. His camera too had been confiscated. CaFFE claimed that the miscreants involved in the incident had once again arrived in defender vehicles thereby indicating a political connection to the incident.
With the rapidly escalating violence in the district, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya threatened to postpone the elections. Much ado was placed on this threat as such a move would not just frustrate candidates, but also lead to a whole new dilemma for candidates and the government alike.
Although the threat was originally made in August, one had heeded to it then. However, when Deshapriya reiterated his words once more and called for a meeting on 10 September whilst contemplating whether to postpone the elections. At the meeting, IGP N.K. Illangakoon assured the polls chief that 18 roadblocks and four check points would be installed in the province.Of the 18 roadblocks, 14 were to be placed in Moneragala and the checkpoints would be stationed at the primary junctions of the province to ensure suspicious vehicles could be intercepted and confiscated.
Deshapriya agreed to this and also instructed the police to take action against illegal election offices as well, regardless of party. As such, the elections would be conducted as scheduled.
People’s Concerns
There had also been considerable contention in relation to the recent pledge by the Ministry of Economic Development to allocate funds for drought victims. The primary focus of the programme had been Moneragala and Rs. 200 million had been allocated to the district. Although the ministry plans had indicated that 10 provinces had been targeted for the relief measures, funds had not been allocated to other districts.
As according to the plan, each household would receive a sum of Rs. 2500 and funds were to be dissipated through the divisional secretariats. The Bank of Ceylon had allocated a sum of Rs. 139 million and Peoples Bank 61 million for the project.
Chief Accountant of the Divisional Secretariat, P.K.S. Tissera, when questioned of the timing of the dissipation of funds, said that it was not at her discretion whether or not to dissipate funds. “It is not in my capacity to choose what to give and when to give, because I am merely a government servant. We merely carry out the instructions given to us by the ministry. However, I can assure that the funds are ready to be distributed, and plans set afoot as to which regions will receive how much. We are awaiting approval from the ministry to distribute the funds”, she said.
Drought affected persons from areas in Bogahawatte, Kumbukkana and Vellachikade of Monaragala District were then interviewed as to their perspective on the elections and drought relief measures adopted.
P. Raju of Bogahawatte said the government has provided water and power lines, but connections needed to be bought at a cost. Those who could afford to purchase the utility lines were fine, but others had been seriously affected.
“There are roughly 20 families in this village, and we struggle for our daily meals. We often get our water from a small tributary at the back, but now there is only mud. We have tried visiting the ministry on so many occasions, but the Chief Minister refused to see us. What can we do? We have been voting for the government since 1994, but this time we are considering whether to vote for some other party”, Raju said. M. Alagusokkan and S. Chinnappan agreed with him.
S. Ganesan, also a poverty ridden person from the region, said the same. “What’s the point of installing the utility lines if they won’t give us the electricity? You have to pay Rs. 30,000 to get the connection and then pay a high monthly bill. We are poor people and the money we earn is very limited, but the price of rice today is Rs. 80. The only good thing they did was build all the roads well. I don’t know if this government deserves my vote anymore” he said.
V. Subramaniam of Vallachikade elucidated on another point to be pondered. “People came and told us that if we don’t won’t for the government, they will find us by using a computer and stop our Samurdhi. I voted for the government, but they still stopped my Samurdhi. I still don’t know why they did it. I tried to approach the ministry, but they didn’t allow me to get in. I am now an old man, and I have a family to look after” he said.
R.M. Jayawardane of JVP explained the plight of the people and said, “They are very poor people. When you say Rs. 2000, they will do anything for you. This is what the government is doing. They threaten the masses and deprive them of essential subsidies if they do not vote for the government”.
Moneragala has predominantly been a UPFA oriented district, however, the trend seems to be changing with people sick of languishing continually as a poverty stricken region.
Courtesy:Ceylon Today