Violence threatens Sri Lankan election

Violence threatens Sri Lankan election

COLOMBO (Agencies): An independent monitoring group has said
expectations of widespread violence might keep people indoors in
Monday's elections for Sri Lanka's Northwestern Provincial
Council.

"There is expectation of violence tomorrow. It might keep
people home, but we hope they will come out and vote,"
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Monitoring Election
Violence (CMEV) told a news conference on Sunday. "Violence is
going to affect the trend of voting."

Private monitors said on Sunday that violence surged to
unprecedented levels in north-western Sri Lanka ahead of a key
council election, triggering fears of more attacks during
Monday's voting.

Police and para-military commando units were placed on red
alert to prevent clashes between rival political parties during
and after voting in the North Western Province Provincial council
election, officials said.

However, the CMEV warned there could be even more violence on
Monday in areas where there had been a spate of clashes during
the 45-day campaigning that ended Friday.

At least two people have been killed and hundreds injured in
clashes and assaults in the run-up to the election, a battle for
prestige between the ruling People's Alliance (PA) and the main
opposition United National Party (UNP).

Saravanamuttu said a total of 675 incidents of election-
related violence had been reported in the 45 days of campaigning
for the elections in which 446 candidates from seven political
parties and four independent groups will vie for 52 councillor
seats in the province.

Other CMEV officials said although there were no indications
of direct participation by police in pre-election violence, they
have been slow in investigating the complaints probably due to
political interference.

Political analysts say a People's Alliance victory in state
polls could embolden the government to push through a plan for
ending Sri Lanka's 15-year-old ethnic war by granting greater
autonomy to the provinces.

It is also seen as a test of the government's popularity ahead
of the parliamentary and presidential elections that are due next
year.

The government has also decided to hold elections to five
other provincial councils which it postponed last year for
security reasons.

No dates have yet been fixed for the polls in Uva, Central,
North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces, but political
observers say they will most likely be held in March.

The UNP has accused the PA of intimidating its supporters,
smashing its offices and planning to rig Monday's polls.

"Violence perpetrated on the candidates and the supporters of
the UNP and other political parties by the PA thugs under cover
of the PA politicians continued...despite repeated appeals by the
Election Commissioner and the concerned citizens group," the UNP
said in a statement.

State media said more than 15,000 policemen will be deployed
in the province to curb violence and police officials earlier
told Reuters that it was likely that a curfew would be imposed to
ensure a peaceful counting of votes.