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by FRANCES BULATHSINGHALA

UNF Deputy Leader and Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya, in an interview with the 'Sunday Observer', said that the UNF Government accepts the findings of the two local election monitoring bodies, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, (CMEV) and the People's Association for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) which had concluded that a majority of the election violations at the local government polls had been carried out by UNF supporters.

Minister Jayasuriya said, the decision to appoint an independent commission with the inclusion of the CMEV and PAFFREL to investigate into the matter was a step taken by the UNF Government to bring to book the perpetrators and to help put an end to the culture of election violence in the country.

"We stand by what we said about ushering in a new democratic culture. We are not going to ignore the allegations. We want both PAFFREL and the CMEV to assist us put an end to this election violence culture", Minister Jayasuriya said, adding that the inability to establish the five Independent commissions was one reason for the repetition of the polls violence.

The Director of PAFFREL, Kingsley Rodrigo when contacted by the Sunday Observer said that he had communicated with Minister Jayasuriya about the implementation of the commission to look into election malpractices and that the CMEV was pleased that steps were being taken even at a late stage to safeguard democracy.

PAFFREL which deployed 300 mobile teams in 152 local authority areas point out that although the local government elections were conducted in an essentially free and fair manner, there had been as in previous elections, some areas in which the elections were marred by serious infringements of electoral laws, intimidation and violence.

Some of the areas cited by PAFFREL as the most serious are Ratnapura, Gampaha, Puttalam,

"The largest number of violations was reported from Hanguranketha. Out of 63 polling booths in the Hanguranketha division, only 6 polling stations could be visited by our monitors due to the very high level of fear and intimidation in the area. Reports received by our observers from candidates and voters in the area revealed that there were opposition polling agents in only 3 polling stations. There were no PA polling agents in any of the stations, and JVP agents were present in only three", the PAFFREL communique points out.

PAFFREL also points out that they are disappointed that the new government failed to take measures adequately strong to reverse the trend of electoral malpractices that manifested itself in parts of the electorate in the course of this election. According to PAFFREL Director, post election complaints are being received mostly from from Hambantota, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Gampaha and Kurunegala districts. He said that out of 38 post election violences 31 incidents have been complained of by the JVP.

Meanwhile the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence have said that the electoral process in 02 Municipal Councils, 02 Urban Councils and 19 Pradeshiya Sabhas was seriously flawed.

"This constitutes nearly 40% of the areas we monitored and reflects extremely disturbing trends in this election.

Up to the 19th of March, 2002, we had received 605 reports of election-related violence during the campaign period, with only one murder being reported. In this context, we had commented on the relatively peaceful election campaign. However, on the night of the 19th, two election-related murders were reported from Arachchikattuwa (Puttalam District) and Rattota (Matale District). A third murder took place in the Kurunegala town at dawn on the 20th, and a fourth murder was reported from Beruwela on the night of the 20th.

All four of those who have died are members of the UNF; the deaths in Matale and Kurunegala are both reported to be a consequence of conflicts between members of the UNF", explains the CMEV election monitoring release.

"We have received reports from all the Districts in which we deployed monitors regarding gross violations of election law, including blatant intimidation of voters, chasing out of polling agents of the PA and JVP by UNF supporters, impersonation and stuffing of ballot boxes and congregating in large and intimidatory numbers outside polling stations in flagrant violation of the law.

Through these acts, the perpetrators ensured that they could freely engage in a range of election malpractices. They also created an atmosphere of terror which could lead to a continuation of violence in the post-election phase. The most blatant act of violence that has been committed today remains the effective disenfranchising of thousands of voters and the undermining of the democratic process through these acts of violence and the gross violation of election law", the CMEV statement further points out.

However the CMEV election monitoring overall conclusions are that reports of major incidents of violence such as murder, attempted murder, assault, grievous hurt and arson are relatively few.

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