Today, 28 November at approximately 1045 hrs, whilst TULF candidates M. Senadirajah, N.Raviraj, M.K. Sivajalingam and Suresh Premachandran were on their to way to Kayts for a campaign visit they were attacked, allegedly by a group of over 50 EPDP supporters, 20 of whom were armed with swords and iron rods, including the EPDP commander Napoleon. E. Permabalan a TULF supporter who was assaulted succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. Another 19 TULF supporters have been injured in the attack. TULF candidate Sivajalingam was shot in the leg and along with the other injured is receiving treatment in the Jaffna hospital.

Mr Suresh Premachandran confirmed that the information received by CMEV regarding the attack was correct. When contacted by CMEV, both Mr Thavarasa of the EPDP and Mr Matanarasa, EPDP candidate in Kayts, denied any EPDP involvement in the attack and said that it had been carried out by local inhabitants. CMEV also spoke to Kuhendran Jegan of the EPDP who condemned the attack and expressed the hope that the perpetrators would be arrested. He also told CMEV that the Police were quick to respond to the incident and had been able to bring the situation under control.

CMEV was unable to speak to the OIC of the Kayts Police station. Lieutenant Commander Nihal Chandrasiri of the Navy informed CMEV that any party was free to enter Kayts and that protection would be provided to them if requested. He noted that the TULF had not requested protection.

CMEV wishes to remind the public of its report on the situation in Jaffna, dated Thursday 22 November 2001. Effective EPDP control of Kayts and the other islands and its impact on the conduct of the election there, was raised by TULF candidates, UNP candidate Mr Maheswaran and members of the public in discussions with the CMEV delegation. The CMEV delegation in turn, raised this issue with Mr Matanarasa, Mr Thavarasa and EPDP leader and Minister for Rehabilitation in the North, Mr Douglas Devananda. Minister Devananda assured CMEV that the EPDP had no control over who went to Kayts and the islands and that all parties contesting the election were at liberty to campaign in these areas.

CMEV reiterates its concerns regarding the elections in Kayts and the islands and calls on the election officials, Police and security forces to take the action necessary to ensure that the polls there are not a sham.

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