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| Sunday, 31 March 2002 |
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Politics |  |
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General election violence: Special team sets cracking by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The special committee appointed to probe incidence of election related violence during the last general election met in Colombo last Thursday in Colombo to formulate the basis of investigations into various complaints. The committee consisted of S. Sahabandu, PA representative of the Presidential monitoring committee, T. Pelpola representing the UNP, Vijitha Herat of the JVP, DIG Elections, Gamini Navaratne, and Kingsley Rodrigo from the Peoples Association for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV). The committee appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will specifically probe election violence at the last general elections. It is expected to meet again on April 22. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to appoint another committee consisting of an ex-judge, a representative of the Organisation of the Professional Association (OPA), representatives of the PAFFREL and CMEV and several others to look into violence related to the local government elections of March 20. DIG (Elections) Gamini Navaratne said that the UNF, JVP SLMC, and the CMU, are also represented in the committee. He said the committee would investigate complaints of all political parties and look into ways and means of eliminating polls violence in the future. The police will initiate action against those found guilty on the availability of evidence against such persons. According to present political trends, mostly youth in villages indulge in violence, particularly during an election campaign, the DIG said. Statistics show that of the 866 election related incidents, 101 were of a violent nature. The number of incidents reported by the political parties: PA 266, UNF 299, JVP 143, SLMC 6, Independent groups 15, TULF 1, individuals known 119, Referring to the number of incidents reported by the Presidential Secretariat and the Police Elections Secretariat, DIG Navaratne said that some might have been directly reported to the PC operation room bypassing the police. Police stations in the country had been ordered to probe into complaints received at the Presidential Secretariat and to take action against the offenders depending on the evidence , he said. The nature of the complaints were robbery, mischief, house-breaking and theft, intimidation with firearms, abuse, threats and causing grievous as well as simple hurt. |
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