Centre for Policy Alternatives

Media Communiqué on Election-related Violence
Local Government Elections 2002

Wednesday 20th March 2002 - 2nd Release

LIST OF SERIOUSLY FLAWED LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLLS [ Update ]
(Based on Information Received by CMEV as at 2.30 pm)

CMEV monitored the local government elections in only 60 local government bodies on March 20, 2002. Of these 17 (well over 25%) were found to be Seriously Flawed by 2.30 pm. The perpetrators of the election violence were clearly members of the United National Front (UNF), and in some cases Ministers and senior politicians and/or their supporters have been identified by eye-witnesses. The acts of violence include intimidation and threatening of voters and monitors, the use of firearms, murder and stabbing, the chasing out and/or assault of Polling Agents of the other parties, ballot stuffing, and damage to property.

District	LGB	Types of Incidents Reported	Status
Polonnaruwa	Thamankaduwa PS	Intimidation of Voters and other parties' polling agents by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

Anuradhapura	Galnewa PS	Threatening of Voters. Police inaction / partisanship to UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF. Some PA violence as well.

Kurunegala	Mawathagama PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of Voters and other parties' polling agents by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Kurunegala MC	Murder and Shooting in the town itself	Intra-UNF rivalry has increased the violence. Seriously Flawed.
	Wariyapola PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of Voters and other parties' polling agents by UNF. Open distribution of polling cards	Similar to the PA's vote rigging and intimidation during the Wayamba PC election of 1999

Puttlam	Arachchikattuwa PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of all non-UNF voters	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Anamaduwa PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of all non-UNF voters	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Puttlam PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of all non-UNF voters	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

Monaragala	Bibile PS	Systematic Impersonation and Stuffing	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

Gampaha	Attanagalla PS	Threatening of other voters by UNF. President canvassing at polling centres	Seriously Flawed (UNF intimidation). President's presence with 7 vehicles unacceptable as well
	Ja Ela PS	Threatening of other polling agents and voters by UNF.	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Katana PS	Threatening of other polling agents and voters by UNF.	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

Matale	Dambulla PS	Threatening of other polling agents and voters by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Galewela PS	Threatening of other polling agents and voters by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF
	Pallepola PS	Threatening of other polling agents and voters by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

Nuwara Eliya	Hanguraketha PS	Probably the most uniformly violent PS with intimidation against other polling agents and voters by UNF throughout.	Irrevocably flawed. Supporters of SB Dissanayake openly intimidate all-comers, including CMEV monitors.

Kegalle	Rambukkana PS	Very Violent. Intimidation of Voters and other parties' polling agents by UNF	Seriously Flawed. Unacceptable levels of threats and violence by UNF

TOTAL	01 Municipal Council and 16 Pradeshiya Sabhas Seriously Flawed out of 60 local government bodies monitored, which is 26.7% or more than one-fourth of those monitored.

CMEV was formed in 1997 by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition Against Political Violence as an independent and non-partisan organization to monitor the incidence of election related violence.


Dr. P. Saravanamuttu Co-Convenor	Sunila Abeysekera Co-Convenor	Sundanda Deshapriya Co-Convenor

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