By
Maheen Senanayake
A house in which former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and UPFA rebel Provincial Councilor, Hirunika Premachandra, were dining was attacked by UPFA supporters at about 10pm on Friday at Peenawala in Beruwela, Manjula Gajanayake, National Co-ordinator, Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said yesterday.
CBK and Ms. Premachandra had been at the residence of Provincial Councilor Mohammed Jemine Marikar Mohammed Isthikar close to the town following a rally in the town a short while earlier.
“During dinner a group of people had hooted and stoned the house,” said Gajanayake.
CMEV allege that according to eyewitness reports the police and Special Task Force personnel had run for cover during the attack and that it was only with the help of supporters of the common opposition candidate that President Kumaratunga and Ms Premachandra had left the house under escort from their personal security details.
The CMEV eye witness also maintains that subsequently, a fight had ensued between both parties resulting in damage to property including President Kumaratunga’s vehicle.
The office of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga confirmed both the attack and the damage to her vehicle.
The CMEV confirms that former opposition Urban Council leader Mohammed Mansoor Dalhan, a supporter of the common opposition candidate, who was taken to Beruwala base hospital was refused admission by the hospital.
When contacted the hospital had told the CMEV that they had refused admission due to space restrictions. However, unconfirmed reports have indicated that high ranking police officials at the Beruwela Police Station had had a hand in the refusal to admit the injured to hospital.
Much later, the Special Task Force and Beruwala Police were able to disperse the crowd.
The CMEV maintains that according to the Out Patient Department (OPD) doctor, the police had issued instructions to not admit any casualties to the hospital.
Mr. Mohammed told CMEV that Beruwala Police OIC Duminda Rajapaksha refused to provide the former president with security from the outset. However, the OIC told CMEV that he had provided a 40 -man squad for this purpose.
Premachandra had confirmed the above incident and blamed it on the inactivity of the Police and Special Task Force.
Meanwhile the CMEV had received reports of 141 incidents of election violence during Friday including 11 instances involving firearms.
There also had been two attempted murders, 26 instances of assault, four instances of arson, one abduction and 39 reports of abuse of state property.
On the first day of postal voting, CMEV monitors recorded 47 incidents of election violence including 20 major incidents and 27 minor incidents.
Definitions of major incident include assault, threat and intimidation, misuse of state resources, incidents related to election officers and intimidatory presence. Minor incident are lesser offences.
As 541,831 postal voters began to cast their votes, on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday with voting continuing on the coming Tuesday (Dec. 30), CMEV highlighted irregularities in the very process used for registering postal voters that can have an impact on the integrity of elections.
At the outset, CMEV raises concerns with the application process for postal voting as the present practice entails the respective head of department sending the application forms of all within his/her department eligible for postal voting. Any delays and/or discrepancies by these individuals can lead to a significant number of electors being unable to vote.
It is claimed that a large number of nearly 85,000 rejected postal votes may be attributed to delay in the application.
The CMEV highlighted the situation at the Puttalam Zonal Education Office where 140 applications were made and 30 rejected citing delays.
Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director of The CPA expressed concerns with the present process that entails heavy reliance on one individual that may lead to the disenfranchisement of a significant number of citizens and called for a review of the present process.
Meanwhile Manjula Gajanayake, National Co-ordinator, CMEV cited the incident at the Special Task Force camp- 3rd Mile Post, Siyabalanduwa, Monaragala District, as a reflection of the prevailing environment at the election.
On this occasion, the first day of voting CMEV monitors reported that at around 7.30 a.m. R.P. Herath, Commanding Officer of the camp informed him that voting was closed for the day after only about 5 votes were cast when the monitor was present. The Commanding Officer had further informed the CMEV monitor that the balance votes would be cast the following day. A total of 154 postal votes were registered at this camp.
When contacted by CMEV, Assistant Elections Commissioner for the Monaragala District, stated that the said closure was contrary to the directions provided by his office and that they will investigate this matter.
Courtesy: Sunday Island