On May 20, 2006, voters went to the polls to elect Municipal Councils in Colombo, Galle, Kalmunai, Gampaha, Urban Councils in Gampola, Wattegama, Kattankudy, and Pradesheeya Sabhas in Akkaraipattu, Potuvil, Seethawaka, Patha Hewaheta, Uda Palatha, Elpitiya, Koralepattu West, Eravur, Navithanveli, Addalachenai, Nintavur, Kobeiganey, and Balangoda. The Elections Department figures showed over a million persons eligible to vote in these elections, which were held in 854 polling centres.

CMEV fielded 240 election monitors and 20 mobile teams, covering each electoral division in which polling took place today. By the close of polling, CMEV monitors had covered 487 polling station throughout the areas in which the polls were being conducted.

With the close of polls at 4 p.m. CMEV had received 55 reports of election related violence. Of these, 17 were categorized as Major incidents. Thirty six (36) were of a minor nature, and consisted primarily of violations of election law.

Polling was reported to be low in most areas.

After the release of its Media Communique No. 1 at 12 noon today, CMEV received 20 complaints. Among them, the more serious were:

Digamadulla District (East)

Ninthavur P/S

1. At about 11 a.m. Mr. Faizal Cassim and a group of SLMC supporters were trying to prevent a group of voters from going to the polls. This was reported to CMEV by UPFA candidate, Omar Qatha.

2. Imam Rumi Vidyalaya- Polling Stations No.3 and 4-

At about 11 a.m. Mr Faizal Cassim (SLMC) and his supporters tried to enter the polling station forcibly and created a disturbance in the vicinity of the school.

Around 1.00 p.m. on May 20, Mr. Basheer (DUA) reported to CMEV that supporters of Mr. Faizal Casim (SLMC) were attempting large scale impersonation and threatening voters. Mr Cassim and his supporters also tried to enter the polling station forcibly. His security personnel had opened fire at the voters in order to threaten and disperse them and create an environment surrounding the polling station that deterred voters. This was confirmed by the mobile team of CMEV. Mr. Cassim told CMEV that he had fired into the air because he was surrounded by a threatening crowd.

Potuvil PS

Al Kalam Vidyalaya: Polling Stations No. 15 and 16;

SLMC supporters were gathered outside the station at about 10.30 a.m. campaigning and calling on people to vote for them. They also tried to chase away those people who they identified as unlikely to vote for them.

Al Irfan Vidyalaya: Polling Station No. 6

At about 9.10 a.m., the CMEV day monitor at this polling station reported finding a sample ballot paper marked in favour of the ‘tree’ symbol (SLMC) within the polling station. He reported this to the CMEV field monitor. When the field monitor raised this matter with the SPO, the SPO in turn refused to sign his report sheet stating that the monitor had visited that polling station.

The CMEV field monitor reported that at about 11.30 a.m., the polling agent of Independent Group No. 2 protested to the SPO about the fact that the Grama Niladhari of the area was inside the polling station and talking to voters. The SPO asked the polling agent to leave the polling station.

Navithanvely PS

Chalamberkerny Al Siraj Vidyalaya: Polling Centre No. 7

Around 1.30 p.m. Mr. Anver Ismail (UPFA MP) and his security guards entered the polling station by force and tried to intimidate voters. As they left the polling station, on the road outside the polling station, Mr. Ismail’s security guards fired four times into the air. This incident was reported to CMEV by Mr. Jabbar, SLMC supporter. Mr. Jabbar’s son Mr. Anver is also a witness to this incident.

Central Camp Government Muslim Mixed School: Polling Centre No. 5

Around 3 p.m. Mr. Anver Ismail (UPFA MP) and his security guards entered the polling station by force and tried to intimidate voters. As they left the polling station, on the road outside the polling station, Mr. Ismail’s security guards fired four times into the air. This incident was reported to CMEV by Mr. Anver, SLMC supporter.

Kalmunai Municipal Council:

Pulavarmani Saibudeen Vidyalaya: Polling Stations No. 43 and 44

At about 9.30, SLMC supporters were outside the polling station, distributing model ballot papers and encouraging voters to cast their ballot in favour of the SLMC.

Lafir Vidyalaya: Polling Station No. 38

At about 1.25 p.m. supporters of the UPFA, MNA and Independent Group No. 6 were gathered near the polling station, as reported by the CMEV monitor. This created a tense atmosphere around the polling station.

Kandy District

Gampola Urban Council

Wickremabahu National School: Polling Station No. 8

At about 10 a.m. UPFA supporters were preventing UNP voters from entering the polling station, as reported by Mr. Abdeen, private secretary to Mr. Lakshman Kiriella. This was confirmed by the CMEV team of mobile monitors.

Gampola Muslim Maha Vidyalaya: Polling Station No. 6

The CMEV monitor reported that between 3.15 and 4 p.m. a large group of UPFA supporters were gathered near the polling station. Although there was a tense situation, no incident took place.

Uda Palatha PS

Palle Delthota Kanishta Vidyalaya: Polling Station No. 7

A group of UPFA supporters were chasing away UNP voters from the polling station, according to a UNP complaint. This was later confirmed by the CMEV monitor at the polling station.

Summary:

A regional breakdown of the incidents of violence and violations on election day, May 20, 2006, shows the following:

Colombo and Kalmunai Municipal Councils – 11 incidents each;
Gampola Urban Council and Potuvil Pradesheeya Sabha – 6 incidents each;
Uda Palatha and Nintavur Pradesheeya Sabhas – 4 incidents each;
Kobeiganey and Elpitiya Pradesheeya Sabhas – 2 incidents each.

Although the number of incidents is highest for Colombo and Kalmunai, the incidents was mostly minor violations of election law. The major incidents including intimidation and assault of voters and use of fire arms were reported in the course of polling for the Pradesheeya Sabhas of Uda Palatha (Kandy District), Nintavur and Akkaraipattu (Digamadulla District) and for the Urban Council of Gampola (Kandy District).

The two murders associated with the elections took place in Navithanvely (Digamadulla District), on May 18, 2006. There were no major incidents reported from this Pradesheeya Sabha area during the elections which were held today.

The enforcement of the requirement of identity documents to obtain the ballot paper this time too led to certain groups of people being denied their vote. For example, in the Seethawaka Pradesheeya Sabha area, CMEV recorded approximately 300 persons who could not vote because they did not have any identity document. CMEV reiterates its conviction that whilst the introduction of procedures requiring voters to establish their identity contributes towards a free and fair election, such procedures should be communicated to the voters well in advance and all polling stations should be provided with the necessary resources to make these procedures truly effective.

On the basis of the reports received on May 20, 2006, election day, and taking into account the incidents identified above, CMEV is of the opinion that the elections to 20 local government bodies today have been relatively violence free. However, CMEV is concerned that the nature of the incidents of violence registered at this election point to the lack of discipline and respect for election procedures displayed by members and supporters of political parties. We wish to emphasise once more the point that we have consistently made in all election monitoring reports that the responsibility for election-related violence lies primarily with political parties. We therefore call upon all political parties to take this responsibility seriously and play the vital role they have to in institutionalizing the good practice of free and fair elections.

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 organisation to monitor the incidence of election related violence.

Dr. P. Saravanamuttu Co-Convenor	Sunila Abeysekera Co-Convenor	Seetha Ranjani Co-Convenor