Fiery campaign ends - all set for NWP polls day Monday
PA, UNP struggle to wrest power, voters cry for peaceElection campaign meetings ended at midnight last night with the two main contesting parties, the PA and the UNP, each claiming that it would wrest power in the North Western Provincial Council at the poll on Monday.
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, leading the PA thrust by addressing PA rallies across Wayamba, harped on the alleged misdeeds of the UNP during its 17-year rule over the country and urged the voters to place her party in power in the Province to develop the area.
Her arch rival, Ranil Wickremasinghe, heading the UNP campaign, refuted the allegations against his party and told the voters that his party candidates could do a better job if returned to power.
As electioneering ended, leading Buddhist monks and clergy of other religious denominations, non-governmental organisations, prominent and influential individuals in the country, reiterated calls for an end to the bloody election related violence which culminated in the murder of two people this week. Some of these organisations called on the voters not to vote for any candidate who engages in or condones political violence or other election malpractices.
'Increasing reports of election-related violence and other malpractices indicate a serious threat not merely to the fairness of the coming poll, but to the democratic system itself. Faith in the democratic process, so severely shaken in recent years, needs to be nurtured and strengthened. Yet, once again, instead we find it placed in jeopardy', said the Civil Rights Movement of Sri Lanka in a statement signed by its Secretary, Suriya Wickremasinghe.
Prof. W. M. Karunadasa, president of the Sri Lanka United Teachers Front said, 'In the name of democracy, let us make a single appeal from the PA government which is solely responsible in safeguarding the democratic rights of the people'. He said that the government should take precautionary measures not only in words but also in actual deeds to hold fair and free elections by creating an environment for the people to exercise their sacred right to vote without fear, intimidation or any other harassment.
The groups urged the politicians of the various contending parties and independent groups to stop their fighting and ensure a violence free and fair election. Police said that complaints of election-related violence had mounted to over 600 since campaigning started seven weeks ago. Besides the two killings, the incidents included, attempted murder, assault of candidates and supporters, intimidation, arson and damage to property.
The Inspector General of Police Lucky Kodituwakku has sent police reinforcements to the area and more than 6000 policemen are to be deployed to guard the 1,160 polling booths, patrol the streets and maintain law and order.
The Commissioner of Elections Daynananda Dissanayake said that the polling stations would open at 7 a.m. on Monday and voting would close at 4 p.m. He urged the voters to go early and cast their votes. 'Electors are advised to go early to their polling stations' he said in a statement. There are a total of 1,359,295 registered voters in the Province.
Counting of votes would start soon after all the ballot boxes reach the 116 counting stations. The results are expected to be announced during the course of the night or the following morning.
The Elections Commissioner advised voters that poll cards have been posted to them but these cards are not necessary to exercise their vote. If they do not have the poll card they are still entitled to vote. But voters have been advised to carry their national identity card or any other identity card.
Eight recognised political parties and four Independent groups are in the fray. According to statistics from the Elections Department there are 446 candidates who are vying to enter the administration of the next North Western provincial Council. The political parties in the fray are-People's Alliance, United National Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, New Left Front, Muslim United Liberation Front, The Liberal Party and the Sri Lanka Progressive Front.
The North Western Province consists of two administrative Districts Kurunegala and Puttalam.
One Independent group will contest the Kurunegala District while three Independent groups have entered the contest from the Puttalam District. The Chief Minister aspirants from the leading political parties are Gamini Jayawickreme Perera (UNP) and Sarath Nawinne from the People's Alliance.
The newly formed New Left Front will field Patrick Fernando as their chief minister candidate in the NWP.
Saturday Commentary
Curtain falls on ugly election campaignBy Prasad Gunewardene
While the curtain fell on the North Western Province election campaign last night, violence peaked to an unprecedented level with the police receiving well over seven hundred complaints of violence from political parties in the fray. Unlike in the past this time the ugliest feature during violence was that even women were stripped off their clothes in broad daylight while men too suffered the same fate and some were even forced to eat mud. The children of a UNP candidate in Wariyapola were stripped off their clothes and forced to eat cowdung in broad daylight a fortnight ago.President Chandrika Kumaratunga and UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe who were in the NWP for the past two weeks addressing the people concluded their campaigns finally at Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya last night. While Mrs. Kumaratunga blamed the UNP for violence that erupted during the campaign in the NWP, Mr. Wickremasinghe too accused the PA of having perpetrated violence on UNP supporters to fear the voters. The police have received complaints where supporters from both sides have gone berserk attacking each other and damaging property of the people in the province. Election violence in the NWP claimed two lives from both sides while many were hospitalised.
The Centre for Monitoring Elections reported on Thursday night that even journalists were not spared during the campaign. They reported that some unkown persons had fired at five journalists from the Foreign Correspondents Association who were en route from Chilaw to Anamaduwa on Thursday evening. Fortunately none of the journalists had been injured, said the Centre. The same evening, according to the Chilaw Police a gang of nearly 200 persons reportedly PA supporters had smashed up the UNP office in Chilaw. They had arrived in five buses and two double cabs. While all documents in the office had been destroyed, the gang had damaged two typewriters and a computer in that office. UNP member A. B. Thalagune in charge of that office had made a complaint to the Chilaw Police.
Mrs. Kumaratunga who addressed a meeting in Chilaw on Thursday assured the gathering that those families which suffered under the UNP terror regime in late 80s would be paid enhanced compensation once the ongoing war with the LTTE was over. The UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe who addressed the people of Anamaduwa hours later challenged the President to announce the date she would end the war to enable those people whom she assured enhanced compensation to keep up to that promise claiming that the President has so far dishonoured all her promises. He warned the people not to be misled again by false promises. Mrs. Kumaratunga during her speech in Chilaw stated that the Batalanda Commission report would be released soon and certain UNP leaders will have to answer charges and she would not hesitate to arrest those who were responsible even if they happen to be leaders of the UNP.
Meanwhile, the United Lalith Front leader Srimani Athulathmudali having recommended the expulsion of her parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake appeared on the PA stage at Nikaweratiya on Tuesday. She arrived on stage while President Kumaratunga was on her feet addressing the people. The President after the conclusion of her speech welcomed Mrs. Athulathmudali. PA sources hinted that a cabinet minister who worked hard to bring Mrs. Athulathmudali back to the PA fold was now working hard again to bring her back to the cabinet once the NWP elections conclude next week.
Mrs. Athulathmudali's party is now visibly split with her party General Secretary V. M. S. Nanayakkara being suspended and Ravi Karunanayake being expelled. Mr. Nanayakkara challenged his suspension in the District Court this week and obtained an injunction against his suspension. Mr. Karunanayake, recommended to be expelled from Parliament, has thirty days to decide on future action. It is learnt that that he will go to courts within the next two weeks challenging the recommendation to expel him from parliament and the party. Mr. Karunanayake said that he would stand by the party Working Committee decision to go with the UNP and would not back track like others who did so in the party. 'I don't believe in somersaults ,I firmly believe in policies', he quipped.
Anura tells govt. to allow people to vote peacefully
Anura Bandaranaike, MP, who is in America for medical treatment, has issued a press release requesting the government to create a peaceful environment for the people to vote at the Wayamba Provincial Council.
Mr. Bandaranaike states: 'I came to America to seek further treatment on my doctors advice. I was planning to come back and take part in the Wayamba elections but I was not allowed to do so by the doctors treating me in America. I regret that I am unable to return to Sri Lanka at this moment.
'The main responsibility of the present government is to ensure a democratic environment conducive for people to elect their representatives peacefully and freely without any external influence.
'Therefore I specially request the government to take necessary steps to create a peaceful environment for the people to elect the representatives of their choice to the Wayamba Provincial Council.
'Gamini Jayawickrama Perera is a close friend of mine I closely associated in both my political and private life. I know that he resigned from his Parliamentary seat to serve the people of Wayamba and he has the skills and experience to do so.
'I request you to give your support to the UNP candidate Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and the rest of the candidates who are contesting for the Wayamba provincial councils.'
Campaign ends with burnt tyres
By Amal Jayasinghe
ANAMADUWA, Jan. 22 (AFP) - Clashes between rival political parties have left two dead and hundreds wounded in northwest Sri Lanka ahead of a crucial local election next Monday.Government supporters burned tyres and blocked highways into this small town, now better known as one of the most law-less constituencies, as the opposition United National Party (UNP) held its final campaign rally here Thursday.
Armed commandos from the police Special Task Force kept activists of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) and the opposition UNP away from each other. Shops and roads were closed because of the tension.
Smoke engulfed the town as government supporters dumped more tyres on already burning piles of rubber as former prime minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, head of the opposition, addressed a meeting.
The provincial council election is being bitterly contested because the results are expected to signal winners of future polls.
Wickramasinghe said government supporters had stripped an opposition woman activist and tortured her to prevent a house-to-house campaign by the party and scare UNP voters. Several UNP offices have been smashed.
Two people, one each from the UNP and the PA, have died during the campaign marred by some 650 reports of violence, a private observer group, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said.
Five, journalists, including an AFP correspondent and a photographer were fired at as they drove in Anamaduwa, 120, kilometres (75 miles) north of Colombo on Thursday. There were no casualties.
Journalists heard over a dozen gun shots as they sped along a highway near the village of Wendakaduwa. Residents said many motorists had avoided the road because of burning tyres and fear of attacks.
Ruling party politician, D. M. Dassanayake, the main target of opposition charges, denied allegations that his group was behind attacks on rivals.
'Look at the UNP flags,' Dassanayake told reporters. 'We have not cut a single although they accuse us of pulling down their (green) flags.'
In neighbouring Chilaw, an opposition UNP office was smashed by about 150 PA supporters as they left a campaign rally addressed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, witnesses said.
'This is a silent electorate here,' Wickremesinghe told journalists. 'My message to the people here is go to the polls and vote. No matter to which party, but go and exercise your right to vote.'
The leftist JVP or People's Liberation Front which is regarded as a decisive third factor has also been the target of attack because of its impact since giving up a violent uprising and taking to mainstream politics in 1997.
At the nearby town of Kuliyapitiya, the JVP staged a final meeting in the area Thursday with red-clad men forming a ring to protect speakers on stage.
An earlier JVP meeting was broken up by ruling party supporters who even attacked constables who came to their rescue, witnesses said.
'People are fed up with violence. They are fed up with the PA as well as the UNP,' said JVP activist Lasantha Wickremasinghe. 'They expected the PA to end the culture of violence but it has not happened.'
JVP's Wickremasinghe said they hoped to increase their vote base in the region from one percent at the 1997 village council elections to about five percent and that would be eating into the ruling party's vote base.
By Prasad Gunewardene
A curfew is likely to be clamped in the North Western Province after the conclusion of the poll on Monday evening, highly placed government sources said yesterday.They said that a curfew would be necessary after polling concludes as nearly 700 incidents of violence had been reported during the election campaign.
Intelligence sources have recommended that a curfew after voting would help the police to maintain law and order and to curb violent activities that may occur after the poll.
The police will send additional men to the NWP today to strengthen the security in the province on Monday during and after voting time.
The additional policemen will include four Superintendents of Police and Twenty one Assistant Superintendents of Police.
Meanwhile, election officials from Colombo were due to take up their positions in the NWP today to conduct the poll.
Poll card not a must to vote, polls chief
The Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake said yesterday that voters have every right to claim a ballot paper at the polling station they are registered with even without a poll card or identity card.
'There is no need to produce a poll card at the polling station to obtain a ballot paper. An impression has been created that one cannot vote without an official poll card. This impression is not correct', he added.
Poll cards he said have been issued in order to facilitate the speedy identification of the necessary information by both the voter and the polling staff. According to current rules and regulations, it is not necessary to produce the National Identity Card or any other Identity Card to apply for a ballot paper. However, if a voter produces such a card it will help to prove the identity very readily.
Dissanayake said that any voter who wishes to obtain particulars regarding his own name as recorded in the Electoral Register, before arriving at the polling station to cast his vote, may meet the Grama Niladhari and obtain the relevant particulars through his Electoral Register. Returning Officers have instructed Grama Niladharis to provide such information, he added.
Shiv Sena calls off agitation against Pakistan cricket team
From S. Venkat Narayan, Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: India's right wing Hindu outfit Shiv Sena today called off its threat to disrupt the India-Pakistan cricket series just hours before the team arrived here this afternoon.Shiv Sena's supreme Bal Thackery took this crucial decision, but only after Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani flew down to Mumbai (Bombay) this morning as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's special envoy to persuade him to give up his threat.
The month-long farce came to a happy ending today, much to the relief of millions of cricket fans in the subcontinent.
The Pakistan cricket team arrived here this afternoon from Lahore amidst the tightest possible security for a visiting cricket team in living memory. Nearly a hundred reporters, photographers and television cameramen patiently waited for the team at the Indira Gandhi international airport to cover the arrival.
But the wait was in vain. Captain Wasim Akram, his boys and team manager and former Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shaharyar Khan landed here from Lahore in a scheduled Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight five minutes ahead of schedule.
The team was put in a bus by the Delhi police on the tarmac itself minutes after they disembarked from the PIA jetliner and was whisked off to the luxurious Taj Palace hotel, which has been converted into a virtual fortress in the wake of threats from the Shiv Sainiks to wreck the series.
The Delhi police spread a massive security blanket that covered the airport as well as the 10-km road to the hotel. Security personnel guarded the route on both sides of the road. Mediamen were thoroughly frisked before they could enter the hotel to meet the visiting cricketers.
Pakistan captain Akram smiled a good deal and assured the media tonight: 'We are quite relaxed. We are here to take on India, and are looking forward to playing here.'
Pakistan Cricket Manager Shaharyar Khan declared: 'Never in the history of cricket has a team visited a neighbouring country in such a daunting atmosphere. We want people here to appreciate that we have come here despite all the tension (created by the Shiv Sena's threat to disrupt the series).'
Meanwhile, back in Mumbai (Bombay), Shiv Sena supremo Thackeray gave in only after his massive ego was suitably massaged by a cringing Home Minister Advani, who flew down from the capital to appeal to the ageing cartoonist turned - politician to call off his threat.
Thackeray was gallant enough to give in, but only after hour - long confabulations with Home Minister Advani and Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan, among others.
However, the Shiva Sena chief made it clear that he is calling off the agitation against visiting Pakistan cricket teams only for an year.
A joint statement issued on behalf of Advani and Thackeray, read out to the waiting media in Mumbai by Minister Mahajan, said: 'In response to the request made by Prime Minister Vajpayee, Shiva Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has decided to suspend the protest move against the series of matches against Pakistan, for this year only.'
Advani has since returned here from Mumbai. In an unprecedented gesture, he drove down to the Taj Palace and met the visiting Pakistan cricket team late tonight. He was received by Manager Shaharyar Khan, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jehangir Qazi. He was introduced to each member of the team.
He spent 30 minutes, sharing with Pakistani team's coach Javed Miandad reminiscences of Karachi, where he was born and went to school before the subcontinent's partition in 1947 forced him to migrate to India. The Pakistanis thanked Advani for the warm reception and hospitality extended to their team and the excellent security arrangement made for it. Advani wished the visitors a pleasant and happy tour.
It may be recalled that the BJP and the Shiv Sena are partners in the government at the centre as well as in the Maharashtra state. Their relations came under considerable strain after Thackeray's supporters tried to sabotage the Pakistani cricketers' first tour of India in 12 years by digging up the pitch at Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla stadium and attacking the offices of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai during the past two weeks.
The Pakistanis will be here for two months, during which they will play two test matches (Chennai, January 28-February 1, and Delhi, February 4 - 8) and two three-day matches (Gwalior, January 23- 25, Kochi, February 11-13) against India.
In addition, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will take part in the Asian test championship. India and Pakistan will play in Calcutta (February 16 - 20), while India will take on Sri Lanka Colombo (February 24 - 28). Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play in Lahore or Karachi (Pakistan) during March 4 - 8, while the final will take place in Bangladesh capital Dhaka during March 12 - 16.
Damages claim against police for Rs. 25m
The Permanent representative of the Swiss Sri Lanka Business Club in Colombo Gamini Abeyratne last week filed action in the Colombo District Court against the police claiming Rs 25 million in damages for alleged illegal arrest , detention and inhuman treatment from October 4 ,1996 to January 15, 1997.
He has cited SSP Bandula 'Show' Wickremasinghe, SSP O. K. Hemachandra, DIG T. V. P.Sumanasekera and Police officers Piyasena Ampawela, P. C. Samarajeewa and A. Fonseka as the defendants.
The plaintiff said that he was taken into custody by the police on a purported detention order in connection with the murder of one Mohammed Rasma Hussain of Matale.However he was only questioned with regard to SSP Douglas Peiris fleeing to Switzerland.
He has also complained of loss of income following his arrest. The Swiss Sri Lanka Business Club which employed him in July 1996 on a monthly salary of 10,000 swiss francs never paid him a salary after he was falsely implicated with the murder of Rasma Hussain, he said.
The plaintiff said that the defendants also maliciously prosecuted him in the Matale Magistrates Court by filing a 'B' report and went along with it for several calling dates untill the Attorney General after being apprised of the facts by plaintiffs counsel discharged him from the proceedings without even filing a charge sheet .
The Attorney General he said was of the view that there was insufficient material to file criminal charges.
As a consequence the Plaintiff has moved court for judgement against the defendants jointly and severally in a sum of Rs 25 million with legal interest, for costs and further relief the court deems.
Telecom workers back at work after protest over non remittance of pay
By Franklin R. Satyapalan
Over 8500 employees of Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd., throughout the country resumed work late last evening after Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, Deputy Secretary to Treasury assured them that their salaries would be paid on Monday, Sri Lankan Telecom sources said.Earlier more than 40 employees who had no bank accounts protested over the new system of paying through banks. Thousands of other employees were dismayed when they found out that their salaries had not been credited to their respective bank accounts on January 21st as promised.
Yesterday morning frustrated employees converged opposite the Ministry of Posts, Telecom an Media at Lotus Road in Colombo 1. Dr. P. B. Jayasundara late last evening assured the employees their salaries will be paid by Monday.
Recently the management sent a circular which called upon all employees to submit their bank account numbers so that the employees would have their salaries credited to their bank account on the 21st of every month.
