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Chandrika, Ranil call for repoll of
violence hit election booths President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last night called on the Elections Commissioner to cancel the polls at polling stations where thugs had attempted to disrupt the North Western Provincial Council elections by vote rigging, stuffing of ballot boxes and other acts of violence. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s General Secretary K. M. T. Silva proposed to the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to cancel the whole poll because of the attacks on the polling stations. The Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said last night that he was still in the process of receiving reports from senior presiding officers in the area. Speaking over Rupavahini last night he said that he had received reports of vote rigging, stuffing of ballot boxes and other incidents at some polling booths. He said that he would take a decision later on whether to hold fresh polls at the affected polling booths. The government clamped a curfew from 11 O’clock last night till 9 a.m. today in the administrative districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam where the North Western Provincial Council election was held following the violence in area the during the elections. The polling at 1,160 stations to elect 52 members to the Provincial Council which started at 7 a.m. closed at 4 p.m. Some 1.4 million voters were eligible to vote and Election Department sources said that about 75% had gone to vote. Seven political parties and four independent groups were in the fray. The polling followed seven weeks of a bloody campaign which claimed the lives of two people and dozens injured. Other acts of violence during the campaign included assaults, arson, threats and removal of hundreds of polling cards. Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman UNP in a letter to the Elections Commissioner yesterday said that incidents have occurred at a large number of polling stations. These incidents have brought into operation the provisions of Section 46A of the Provincial Councils Elections Act No. 2 of 1988 as amended by the Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 35 of 1988. In consequence the results of the elections for both administrative districts (Kurunegala and Puttalam) have and will be affected. "I therefore request you to forthwith appoint a fresh date or dates for taking the poll at all such polling stations affected by such events, and also make and take necessary consequential orders and steps. The respective Returning Officers should be directed not to make declarations of the result of the election, pending the taking of the fresh polls," Mr. Jayasuriya said in his letter. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna also yesterday requested the Elections Commissioner to cancel the results of yesterday’s election. In a letter to Mr. Dissanayake, the General Secretary of the JVP, M. T. Silva has blamed the PA for a series of serious polls-related incidents in the province. He has pointed out that groups of PA supporters had chased polling agents of opposing parties away from polling booths. In view of the seriousness of the situation, the JVP has urged the Elections Commissioner to cancel the poll. People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) in a statement last night said: "As a civic organisation concerned with the rights of citizens, PAFFREL viewed with grave concern the run-up to the Northwest Provincial Council election. An unprecedented number of acts of election-related violence were reported. These included murder, attempted murder, intimidation, assault, robbery, arson and damage to property. Supporters of candidates were attacked and stripped. Spouses, children and family members of candidates were subjected to physical attack and intimidation, even when the candidates were away from home. PAFFREL deplores the fact that the government did not take adequate action to deter this violence. "The reports that PAFFREL has been receiving from its election monitors clearly indicate that the conduct of the elections does not fulfil the criteria of free and fair elections. There are reports of ballot stuffing, the inability of large numbers of voters to cast their votes due to impersonation, the chasing away and physical assault of polling agents etc. These malpractices have occurred on a widespread and systematic basis throughout the province. According to information received by PAFFREL, these have been committed predominantly by the People’s Alliance." Widespread election violations of every stripe are being reported mainly against the People’s Alliance (PA) by CMEV monitors in the field, independent observers and Opposition sources, in the North Western Provincial Council election today. Charges of systematic voter intimidation, the removal of opposition polling agents through the use of force, the blatant stuffing of ballot boxes in full view of observers/monitors/voters, the physical assault of opponents and members of the media, and the sheer brute force of the PA’s violent presence in the vicinity of polling booths, have, in the considered view of Centre for Monitoring Election Violence irrevocably undermined the validity of this election as an exercise of the public, free and fair choice. The scale and magnitude of the violence as reported both directly to CMEV and through the Police, other independent monitors and political parties is unprecedented for an election of its kind even in Sri Lanka’s troubled past. Moreover, this election is not taking place in the war arena, nor is there a breakdown of civil society due to an insurrection of armed youth. In comparison to the Local Government Elections of 1983, 1991 and 1997, as well as the 1993 Provincial Council Election, election day violations in the 1999 Wayamba Election appear to be greater in magnitude and scope. Preliminary reports indicate that 149 polling incidents and vote rigging, stuffing ballots and other acts of violence were reported from more than 87 polling stations. Some of the booths where acts of violence took place: In Kobaigane area Alahenagama polling booth; Paragahadeniya, Mawathagama two polling booths; Welahiya polling booth in Anamaduwa; Malabade Junior College polling booth in Narammala; Nainamadama polling booth East and West; Mattakottuwa, Hattiniya North and Marawila Junior School polling booths. Peliyagilla polling booth in Wariyapola; Galmuruwa Maha Vidyalaya polling booth; Hisbullah Maha Vidyalaya polling booth in Mawathagama. Six polling stations in Polgahawela, Mattekotuwa Ihela polling station; Seven polling stations in Nikeweratiya; sixteen polling stations in Chilaw electorate. Ten polling booths in Galgamuwa; in Wennappuwa electorate, Pothuwatewena; In Kalpitiya, Nallatharakattuwa, Marawila Katuneriya all polling booths were attacked. Pitadeniya Galadera, Dankotuwa polling booth; Nainamadama and Sirigampola polling booths; Seven polling booths in Panduwasnuwara; Two polling booths in Mawathagama; Four at Chilaw; Two at Galgamuwa and six at Bingiriya. President deeply concerned about polls law violations President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday suggested to the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake to cancel polls in a number of the polling stations in the North-Western Province, where violation of the election law has been committed by certain individuals, a press release issued by the Government Information Department yesterday evening states. The Press Release in full is as follows: "The President is deeply concerned about the violations of the election law and other related malpractices reportedly committed at some polling stations in the North-Western Provincial Council elections held on January 25. The President had given strict instructions to all the candidates of the People’s Alliance and organisers and leaders for the conduct of the elections peacefully and lawfully. Furthermore she had instructed the Police and the special armed forces units from the very start to take steps to prevent the occurrence of such a situation. She discussed with returning officers yesterday afternoon about the abuses committed at a number of polling stations by some individuals despite arrangements made to conduct the polls peacefully and inquired from them about the possibility of holding fresh polls in these polling stations. On being explained by them of the difficulty of acceding to her request the President suggested to the Commissioner of Elections to cancel the polls of the stations where abuses have taken place, if there are no other alternatives to deal with the situation." NWP poll — not free and fair, says JVP The following statement was issued by the JVP General Secretary M. T. Silva yesterday. The JVP has received a large number of complaints regarding malpractices, fraud, intimidation and impersonation during yesterday’s poll in the NWP. Groups of armed persons connected with the PA had forced polling agents to leave a large number of polling booths. The JVP has complained to the relevant authorities. The JVP has insisted that yesterday’s poll was not a free and fair election. It has protested strongly against the government’s failure to hold a free and fair poll in the NWP. The JVP has requested the Elections Commissioner not to accept results of NWP poll while urging him to take steps necessary to hold a free and fair poll in the NWP. Kumaratunga govt. destroying democracy,
charges Ranil Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday requested the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake to forthwith appoint a new date or dates for a fresh poll at all polling stations that were affected by violence and intimidation. Mr. Wickremesinghe also suggested to the Elections Commissioner to direct the Returning Officers not to declare the result of the election pending the taking place of fresh poll. Addressing a press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Colombo yesterday Mr. Wickremesinghe charged that the Kumaratunga government was destroying democracy by trampling the right of the voters in the country. He cited several instances where he claimed that government ministers with the backing of certain police officers had stormed polling stations and had chased away voters.’ Let any side win no room should be allowed to subvert the right of the voters which would put democracy at stake’ the UNP leader stressed. He said that in Mawathagama government supporters had stormed a polling booth and they have been given protection by a police vehicle. "The orders of the Election Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police to ensure a free and fair election had been flouted by government ministers and supporters" claimed the Opposition Leader. At Bingiriya he alleged that PA men have threatened election officials at gun point and had removed two ballot boxes to the District Secretary’s office by 1.00 p.m. He explained that when he brought it to the notice of the district secretary the district secretary had said that the boxes would be returned to the polling booth.’ Where on earth do you get to see the conduct of an election in this manner’ laughed Mr. Wickremesinghe. Mr. Wickremesinghe citing many incidents of intimidation at polling stations stated that at Kotuwella Katugampola where the UNP chief minister aspirant Gamini Jayawickreme Perera cast his vote in the morning three ballot boxes had been removed by 3.00 p.m. by armed men. He added that by afternoon nearly three hundred polling stations had been affected making a mockery of the election. UNP Chairman Karu Jayasuriya was also associated at yesterday’s press conference. Sold wife to friend for Rs. 1000 Dompe - A man has sold his wife to a friend for a thousand rupees according to the Dompe Police. The sale came to light after the husband complained to the OIC, Dompe Police Jayantha Atulathmudali, that a man dragged him out of bed to sleep with his wife. When the man, alleged to have bothered the wife, was questioned by the police he had shown a document signed by the husband agreeing to sell his wife for a thousand rupees. The husband had admitted that he had sold his wife to the man. On further investigation it was revealed that the husband was a alcoholic who was badly in need of money. The husband was warned by the OIC. The wife was handed over to the husband and the couple went home. Restraining order on ULF leader from
removing secretary Leader of the United Lalith Front Srimani Athulathmudali and the party Working Committee were restrained from taking any steps to remove its secretary T. M. S. Nanayakara sequel to an enjoining order issued by Colombo District Judge Eric Basnayaka last Friday. Court has also restrained M. S. M. Isath from acting or performing the functions of the Front Secretary. The application for the enjoining order filed by Attorney-at-Law G. G. Arulpragasam was supported by President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva. Party Secretary T. M. S. Nanayakara is the plaintiff. Plaintiff’s Counsel Romesh de Silva submitted that his client is a founder member of the Front and was elected as Secretary and a member of the working committee of the Front at a convention of the Front on January 16, 1995, which was the day on which the party was founded. On or around the 5th of November 1997 the 1st Defendant Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali visited the residence of the plaintiff and sought to persuade the plaintiff to prepare a set of minutes of the Working Committee stating that the working committee passed an amendment to the constitution of the Party giving the Party Leader the power to appoint members of the working Committee. The 1st defendant blamed the plaintiff for drafting the Party Constitution and giving the power to appoint the members of the working committee to a convention of the party instead of giving such power to the Leader of the Party as in the United National Party constitution. The Plaintiff refused to prepare such a set of minutes of the working Committee since the Working Committee never made such a decision and since, in any event, such a matter required an amendment to the Constitution, which could only be done with a two thirds (2/3rd) majority at a convention of the Party. The plaintiff advised the 1st defendant to convene a convention of the party and to move the required amendments after giving the necessary notice and to obtain the required majority at such a convention. Thereafter, the 1st defendant requested the plaintiff to convene a Special Convention of the Party to be held on the 22nd of January 1998 and that the Plaintiff accordingly signed the documents calling for a Special Convention of the New Democratic United National Lalith Front for the 22nd of January 1998. Thereafter on the 4th January 1999, the plaintiff received a letter dated 31st December 1998 from the 1st defendant stating that the plaintiff has caused grave damage to and crippled the Party, and that as a result, the 1st defendant? by the powers vested in her, has suspended the plaintiff from the membership of the Party and from the office of the Secretary of the Party with effect from the 31st December 1998. The 1st defendant further required the plaintiff to hand over all Party files and documents in his possession to the Party Office, he concluded. Romesh de Silva (PC) with Chanaka de Silva, Aruna Samarajeewa and Sugath Kaladera instructed by G. G. Arulpragasam appeared for the Plaintiff. L. G. H. Karunapala of Seru Nuwara Sirimangalapura is suffering from renal failure. According to specialist doctors treating him it would be necessary to carry out a transplant of kidneys if his life is to be saved. But for a transplant of kidneys the cost would be move than rupees one million which Karunapala could hardly afford. He therefore appeals to donors and well wishers for their contributions towards this effort to restore the kidneys. Donations may be credited to Seru Nuwara People’s Bank Account No: 8812. PANADURA: The Flying Squad of Kalutara Bus Cluster Company who raided the Panadura Depot is said to have caught a foreman and five workers on night duty fast asleep. The men are to face a disciplinary inquiry. ICRC transfers 3000 patients from Jaffna
to south The International Committee of the Red Cross[ ICRC] has transferred nearly three thousand patients out of the Jaffna peninsula under the ongoing North/South Patient Transfer Programme [NSPTP] launched with the approval of both the government and the LTTE. This programme paves the way for seriously ill patients to leave Kankesanthurai in the ICRC chartered ship, Java Gulf, and reach Trincomalee from where they are sent for medical treatment in hospitals in the south, ICRC’s Information Officer, Harsha Gunewardene told ‘The Island’ yesterday. The programme has been launched in 1994 when the Jaffna peninsula was under the control of the LTTE. Mr. Gunewardene said that the NSPTP was launched after obtaining security guarantees from the LTTE. Under LTTE’s security guarantee, the organisation will not target ICRC chartered vessels between Kankesanthurai and Trincomalee. "We do at least four movements out of peninsula every month," he said. According to records maintained by the ICRC, 2286 patients had been sent to the south and brought back after treatment since the beginning of the project. "Patients are generally selected on the basis of the urgency of the treatment, such as cancer patients for radio and chemo therapy, cardiology patients for urgently needed surgery, neurology patients for CT scan/MRI scan, patients for laser treatment," ICRC states in its latest news letter. Mr. Gunewardene said that apart from the patients, the ICRC chartered vessel has been used to transport a couple of hundred displaced persons and a large number of foreign passport holders. "We helped when civilian air transport was suspended following last September’s air tragedy off Mannar," he said. The ICRC’s vessel has been also used regularly to ship drugs and medical equipment needed in the peninsula. The navy said that they carry out checks on people who travel on board the ICRC chartered vessel. The 726 -ton Java Gulf currently chartered has a capacity to carry about 800 tonnes of cargo and 45 people. The vessel costs 3500 USD per day. 49th Anniversary of the Republic of India Messages of felicitation have been sent by the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka to their counterparts in India on the occasion of the 49th Anniversary of the Republic of India which falls today. President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a message to President K. R. Narayanan of India said: "The links between Sri Lanka and India run deep into the history of both countries, encompassing many common cultural and social traditions. Our bonds of friendship have gone from strength to strength since our re-emergence as independent nations half a century ago. Increased people-to-people contact and the close interaction between our two governments continue to advance our relations. My recent visit to India demonstrated our shared vision towards a peaceful and prosperous South Asia." The Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in a message to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said , "At the threshold of a new millennium and at the completion of the 50th anniversary year of independence, Sri Lanka and India continue to entertain shared aspirations for national development, in the context of an abiding friendship. Our age-old ties nourished by a common commitment to democracy and rule of law will undoubtedly further develop our fraternal bonds and co-operation. The encompassing of a wide range of activities in our contemporary relations is a cause for deep satisfaction. The Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in a message to Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said, "Our shared commitment to regional economic co-operation in South Asia has been deepened by the recent Free Trade Agreement between India and Sri Lanka. This agreement will be a building block towards the evolution of a SAARC as an effective regional economic group". Confab on space science and technology Space science and technology and its reference to Sri Lanka were the key subjects discuss at the sessions of the first National Conference on "Space Science and Technology for National Development", held at the Trans Asia Hotel. During the first sessions which began soon after the inauguration of the Conference last Thursday by Batty Weerakoon, Minister of Science and Technology, engineers, Gamini Gunawardene, Executive Director, and Kumar Wickramasinghe, Assistant General Manager Technical, both of Ceycom Global Communications Ltd., Sri Lanka, lead the first talks on Space Technology Applications for the future of Sri Lanka. At these talks a general discussion on worldwide trends in space technology applications with specific focus to commercial and business applications as well as community development applications was held initially. Commercial applications with special regard to banking and stock market operations through satellite were elaborated on. The unique advantages of satellite communication for Sri Lanka and how satellite communication could help in community development programmes were also dealt with, thereafter. The morning sessions also included talks on the experience of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) in satellite communication technology by Dr. D. L. Liyanagama of SLT. The second session which was devoted to the development of remote sensing, proceeded with talks on the application of remote sensing in Sri Lanka, its contribution and the problems faced in the region as well as problems common to only Sri Lanka. Sarath Jayathilake, Former Deputy Survey General, Survey Department, spoke on the application of the technology of satellite remote sensing in the various fields of topographic mapping, archaeology, geology, forestry, paddy monitoring, coastal zone management and sedimentation studies. He then went on to speak of the application satellite imagery in air photography and the uses of photogrammetry in map making. Processing and analysis of remotely sensed data of water around Sri Lanka and Digital Orthophoto Rectification in the 1: 10,000 map sheet for Kandy City where accuracy of the geography of a specific position could be obtained were then discussed. L. H. Indrasiri, Deputy Director (Information Systems and GIS), Urban Development Authority, spoke of the prospective applications of satellite technology for Sri Lankan Urban GIS and the limitations faced in this area so far , at the third session which continued yesterday. The programme then lead to special discussions on the application of Optical Satellite Imagery for Buffer Zone Monitoring and the management around the National Parks of Southern Sri Lanka which were delivered by J. M. D. B. Jayasundara of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. He spoke on the human- animal conflict in the buffer zones of wildlife protected areas of Sri Lanka and how technology can monitor these areas with accuracy in order to minimize these conflicts. Dynamic monitoring of marsh land and lagoons using satellite imagery and the effect of prawn farming in the western coastal area of Sri Lanka were also touched upon. These talks dealt with the application of satellite technology in creating aquatic ecological balance and sustainable development in general. At the fourth session on space based meteorology and astronomy, which was held yesterday afternoon, P. M. Jayatilaka Banda, Department of Meteorology, conducted a discussion on the application of space technology for Sri Lankan weather forecasting. He spoke of the benefits received by Sri Lanka in the past through previously installed satellite equipment , the most recent acquisition being the installation of the SADIS system in June, 1998, which bridged a massive gap in aviation weather forecasting. The final discussion of the day which was held on the prospective uses of satellite technology in meteorological research in Sri Lanka advocated the establishment of a national climate research programme. The discussion included the needs of satellite ground receiving stations, archiving facilities with the hardware necessary for mass storage and a facility to distribute data through the internet or via modem. The formulation of a National Policy and an Action Plan with regard to the development of space science and technology in Sri Lanka was then drafted by the organizing committee in keeping with the objectives of the conference. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art will be holding an award ceremony and concert for 1997 examinations on February 3, at 2.00 p.m. at the Bishop’s College auditorium. The Chief Guest, Philip Thrupp of the Board of Examiners of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art will be awarding prizes to 225 students who have obtained the highest results at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) examinations in 1997. Valerie Pickering also of the Board of Examiners of LAMDA will be the Chief Guest of Honour on this occasion. A concert will be performed by the prize winner of LAMDA at the award ceremony. PLOTE
organiser shot dead Unidentified gunmen believed to be LTTEers gunned down the PLOTE’s organiser for Jaffna on Sunday night, PLOTE sources said The deceased Thillainathan Chandramohan (31) had been cycling with a friend in Jaffna town when two unidentified assailants who came on a bicycle shot at Thillainathan repeatedly opposite Rolex Hotel down Hospital Street and fled. The deceased was shot in his chest and head and died instantly, the sources said. The death occurred of Mr. S. P. Amarasingam, Lawyer and Editor of the now defunct ‘The Tribune’ on Sunday. He was popularly known as ‘SP’ in journalistic circles and had a long association with the Ceylon Workers Congress as an advisor on labour laws. He is the father of three children. His wife Christobel predeceased him. His remains lie at No. 21/5, Buller’s Lane, Colombo. The funeral takes place today at the Borella General Cemetery at 4.00 p.m. Miss Linda Duffield has been appointed British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka in succession to Mr. David Tatham CMG, who will be retiring from the Diplomatic Service, the High Commission Announced. Linda Duffield was born on 18 April 1953. She joined the Foreign and Commonwealth office in 1987, and held the post of First Secretary (Commercial) in Moscow from 1989 to 1992. She worked in the Foreign and Commonwealth office’s Eastern Department from 1993 to 1995, and since 1995 has been British Deputy High Commissioner in Ottawa. David Tatham will cease work at Easter. Linda Duffield is expected to take up her new appointment in mid-May, the high Commission said. |
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