Democracy restored in North, say polls observers

by Manjula Fernando and Ranil Wijayapala

The independent polls observers in their close of polls report last evening said the provincial council polls held yesterday in three provinces were peaceful and showed restoration of democratic spirit among the people in the North. The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said, ‘The elections were significant since the polls to the Northern Provincial Council was being held for the first time.

‘There was considerable enthusiasm to be seen amongst voters in the North, which is an encouraging sign of the progressive restoration of democratic spirit amongst the people’.

The Campaign For Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) reported 84 complaints by 4.00pm yesterday and most of them had been over illegal propaganda. A total of 58 election law violation incidents and 26 incidents of election violence were recorded by CaFFE. Meanwhile the PAFFREL reported 106 complaints on election day, of which 40 were from the Central, 32 from the North Western and 34 from the Northern province.

“Some of these complaints are yet to be verified,” PAFFREL executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said.

The Northern Military Commander denied allegations that military had been involved in the election process and a senior police officer had accused the TNA and certain Tamil media of spreading false stories to election observers.

The police has initiated investigations into the attack on the residence of a woman TNA candidate for Jaffna district on the night before Election Day.