Marking the right decision

OVER three million people are eligible to vote tomorrow in what has become a strategically important election despite its provincial status.

A win for the Government would cement its power over drought and economic challenges as well as provide a trump card of sorts for the United Nations review scheduled to start next week. Providing a further blow to the opposition almost takes a back seat to these considerations. While the inclusion of India in the review mission also means that the Government will be concerned with its strategic ties.

On the other hand, if the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) manages to carry the day in the Eastern Province as they did in the north, then there would be further pressure on the Government to move faster towards a political solution to the ethnic problem.

Despite these hefty considerations, it is unlikely that they are keeping the candidates up at night with attention on preferential votes, resulting in significant numbers of election law violations that are worrying monitors.

Almost all the 352 complaints received by the Complaints Centre of the Elections Commissioner’s Department up to 3 September were against UPFA candidates or supporters. Among the complaints are 287 cases of election law violations and 53 incidents of violence.

One hundred complaints of polls law violations have been reported from the Anuradhapura District, while the others were reported from Ampara (72) Kegalle (45), Batticaloa (40), Ratnapura (38), Trincomalee (36) and Polonnaruwa (12), while nine incidents (playing recorded speeches made by the President) were common in all districts.

A spokesman for the Complaints Centre had told media that they had also received 53 complaints of violence, with the highest reported from Ampara (20) followed by Batticaloa (17), Anuradhapura (six), Ratnapura (five) and Trincomalee (four).

Observers, however, noted that unlike most recent past elections, there had been no fatalities so far, which is the only silver lining, despite two shooting incidents being reported from the east. The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has also warned that fierce inter-party fighting in the east could result in a Kolonnawa type incident where Presidential Advisor Baratha Lakshman Premachandra was killed last October and UPFA MP Duminda Silva named as a suspect in the death.

In response the State has deployed 20,000 Police for today with Army and the Special Task Force in readiness to deal with any clashes. Around 35,000 election officials have also been deployed by the Elections Department to oversee the polls. In addition special mobile teams of officials will also patrol the polling booths to catch any malpractices and candidates have been roundly warned of cancellation if any tampering is proved.

In a campaign that has been peppered with allegations of rampant abuse of State resources, use of drought funds to garner votes and high numbers of violence, it can only be hoped that the voters use their right to make the right decision for their country.

The Elections Commissioner’s Department has informed all relevant authorities in the affected areas, including the Police and returning officers, to conduct inquiries into the malpractices and take necessary action.

The final day for campaigning for the North-Central, Eastern and Sabragamuwa Provincial Councils elections ended at midnight 5 September, with elections scheduled for Saturday (8).

CaFFE says it has received nearly 300 complaints so far, while the Network for Election Monitoring Intellectuals for Human Rights (NEMIHR) reports 311 and People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) 220.