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| Sunday, 11 April 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Police go into top gear in Wayamba by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Police Elections Secretariat will be a hive of activity once again mapping out strategies for the forthcoming North Western Provincial Council (Wayamba) election scheduled for this month. Meanwhile police operations at Wayamba will go into top gear from April 16-19. DIG (Elections) Gamini Navaratne said they are working out a plan for the forthcoming elections to ensure a free and fair Provincial Council election. "We propose to deploy three armed policemen near each and every polling booth in addition to several mobile patrols and road blocks to provide maximum security to voters and the political parties. We will not allow persons to engage in violence or other election malpractices," he said. Referring to recently concluded Parliamentary Elections in the North East, he said terrorist groups have been involved in killing of four persons including a UNP, a EPDP, a TNA candidate and a citizen in the Eastern Province and the Police are conducting investigations into those killings. However, there is a drop of 40 percent in crime-related incidents when compared to the parliamentary elections in 2001. There is a four-fold increase in malpractices owing to corrupt practices adopted by political supporters. The recently concluded parliamentary elections have been relatively peaceful except for a few sporadic incidents. The total number of criminal cases reported during this period: Murder five attempted murder one, attempted murder by shooting 13, throwing bombs four, intimidation with bombs 29, threat with firearms 86, voluntarily causing hurt 27, abduction 10, arson 68, robbery 45, house-breaking and theft 22, mischief 336, simple assault 480, abuse, threat and intimidation 538. The following incidents in respect of election malpractices have been reported. Robbery of poll cards 12, chasing away polling agent one, impersonation 68, unlawful assembly and procession eight. The total number of complaints lodged at police stations by political parties are as follows: UNP 592, PA 26, UPFA 810, JVP 106, SLMC 67, JHU 14, SLMK 1, EPDP 27, SLFP 1, CDUA, 1, CWC 3, Independent 51, LSSP 1. IGP Indra de Silva has appointed three DIGs - Jayantha Wickremaratne (DIG Crimes) Gamini Navaratna (DIG Elections) and Mahinda Balasooriya (DIG Communications) to oversee the Wayamba elections. |
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