Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Monday, 17 August 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Profile of major incidents: At the end of the campaign on 14 August, CMEV received 810 complaints of which 143 were classified as Major.
Of the latter category, Murder was recorded at four, Hurt at five, Grievous Hurt at three, Assaults at 46, Threat and Intimidation at eight, Misuse of State Resources at 47, Robbery at one, Arson at 16, Abduction at two, Damage to Property at 10 and an incident of Bribery. In 12 incidents the use of firearms was recorded.
Of the latter, the UNP was identified as the alleged perpetrator in three incidents; the SLMC in one and in the rest, the alleged perpetrator has not been identified.
Of the Major Incidents, seven occurred in the Batticaloa Polling Division, five in Mannar, five in Jaffna and five in Minuwangoda. In the incidents where the perpetrator has been identified, the UPFA has been named in 49 incidents, the UNP in 38, ITAK in eight, EPDP in six, SLMC in eight and AITC in one.
Trends: Four murders have marred the election campaign, which has otherwise recorded incidents of violence of a relatively low scale and intensity in comparison to the past.
As the graph indicates the major incidents of campaign violence in the 2010 presidential election amounted to 45% of all incidents, in the general election 56% of all incidents and in the presidential election 2015 campaign violence amounted to 54%and in the general election 2015 major incidents of campaign violence amount to only 17% of all incidents reported throughout the campaign period.
CMEV monitors have reported on the enabling political environment for campaigning and political discussion and about the space and freedom for action without interference on the part of the Election Commissioner and the Police. Both have acted to ensure adherence to the election laws, though there have been complaints about the lack of clarity and consistency with regard to implementation and in some cases the ad hoc nature of such.
CMEV notes too that the strict adherence to existing election laws in respect of posters, could in practice work to the disadvantage of first time candidates and those with less resources to resort to advertisements on the electronic media. According to the Police, 790 suspects have been arrested with regard to election violence and violations of election laws. CMEV has details of 382 arrests as shown in the table.
