Elections for 222 local government bodies were held on March 20, 2002. Of these, the CMEV monitored the elections in full in 52 selected local government bodies, and engaged 12 mobile monitoring units, which also covered 07 other local government areas, bringing the total coverage to 59.

We have processed all our monitors' reports now and are in a position to add to the preliminary statement issued by us at 1 p.m. on March 20, 2002. The observations made by our monitors and mobile teams reflect 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.

It may be true that reports of major incidents of violence such as murder, attempted murder, assault, grievous hurt and arson are relatively few. The CMEV however does not consider the absence of such incidents to be an indicator of the non-violent nature of these polls. 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.

A most disturbing feature of the elections held today has been the direct involvement of many UNF supporters in the acts of intimidation and election malpractices. Supporters and intimates of several leading members of the UNF including Cabinet Ministers are reported to have been involved. On the side of the PA, the President herself was reported to have traversed the Gampaha District, in a convoy of seven vehicles, talking to PA supporters outside polling centres along the way. We deeply regret that the political leadership of Sri Lanka has been unwilling, and unable, to stem the tide of election-related violence in spite of the many negative experiences of the past years.

We are attaching a detailed report of our findings for the day, and hope to produce a final report of the entire election within the next few weeks. While it is too early to make an assessment of the precise ways in which the reported election malpractices may or may not have an impact on the final outcome of the elections, there is no doubt that it will have a disastrous long-term impact on the democratic process.

There is no doubt that the outcome of the election in some areas has been influenced by the violence and violations that took place during the poll. We recommend that the Commissioner of Elections annul the poll in the centres we identify in the list given below, and that he orders a repoll in these areas, particularly in those local government bodies we have determined to be seriously flawed when viewed in their totality.

The CMEV reiterates that it is the responsibility of political parties and their leadership to break this cycle of election-related violence and to ensure that their supporters and members know clearly that if they were to engage in acts of violence and intimidation, they would be subject to severe disciplinary action. We also urge the speedy establishment of the Police Commission and the Elections Commission in order to ensure that the Police Department and the Department of the Commissioner of Elections are empowered and able to act efficiently and in a non-partisan manner in forthcoming elections.

We urge all political parties to take all steps within their means to ensure that the environment of terror created throughout this day in different parts of the island will be laid to rest and a non-violent atmosphere will prevail at least in the post-election phase.

The complete document including the Summary of 58 Local Government Bodies monitored by CMEV on March 20, and the Comparison of CMEV and MFFE/PAFFREL Election Day Reports could be accessed here (pdf 164 kb).

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