As of 5th March 2004, CMEV has recorded 238 incidents of election related violence for the period since nominations were opened for the April 2004 general election on 17th February 2004.

Of these 238 incidents, 90 fall into the category of Major Incidents including Murder (2), Attempted Murder (03), Hurt (26), Grievous Hurt (02), Assault (46) and Threat and Intimidation (11). Of the Major Incidents, two Murders were recorded in the Batticaloa District. The Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam and Gampha Districts have recorded the highest number of Major Incidents, with 10 cases being reported in each District. The majority of the reported incidents are of Assault.

CMEV notes that the areas in these three districts from which the incidents of violence have been reported – Hanguranketha and Anamaduwa Polling Divisions - in particular and Gampha District in general were areas in which a high level of violence was recorded in the last two general elections (October 2000 and December 2001). This points to the primary responsibility of political parties and their leaders in facilitating the recurrence of election violence through the nomination process and the failure of political parties to take disciplinary action against candidates and supporters implicated in such incidents now and in the past.

CMEV has recorded an incident in which the furniture in two temporary JVP offices in Dampella and Kadukenna in the Akuressa Polling Division was burnt on 4 March 2004 at 0030 hrs, allegedly by the UNP. In another incident on the night of 04 March 2004 at 2300 hrs, in the Ashokapura colony in the Rambukkana Polling Division of the Kegalle District, UPFA supporter Susantha Kithsiri alleges that UNF supporters G. Jayasinghe, Chairperson of the Rambukkana Pradeshiya Sabha, and I.M Amila Prasad Bandara Tennekoon assaulted him and another PA supporter Manjula Indrasiri, while they were putting up posters. While it is reported that a gun was fired in the course of the incident, both Kithsiri and Indrasiri sustained knife injuries and were admitted to the Kegalle Hospital, where Kithsiri underwent surgery. Police have arrested 04 persons in connection with the incident including Sergeant N D Dharmadasa, the body guard of former UNF MP and current UNF candidate Premadasa Champika. CMEV spoke to Champika who rejected the allegations against Dharmadasa and told CMEV that the 04 persons were not arrested by the Police but voluntarily gave themselves up.

Also on March 4, Lal Thurairajah, EPDP candidate for the Digamadulla District and two civilians, Nadarajah and Najeem, were injured in an incident in which it is alleged that a grenade was thrown at Thurairajah and some of his supporters them while they were at the bus-stand in Kalmunai at about 11.45 a.m. Thurairajah was admitted to the Amparai Hospital and discharged after treatment. The other two persons were admitted to the Kalmunai Hospital. A complaint has been recorded in this connection at the Kalmunai Police Station (TM 135). The EPDP alleges that the LTTE is responsible for the attack.

Given the close co-relation between the areas from which reports of election related violence are being recorded in this election and the last one, we call upon the election Commissioner and the Police to put in place whatever special security measures are required in order to ensure a violence free campaign and election. Our records confirm that the areas of violence on Election Day are in turn closely co-related to the areas of violence during the campaign.

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	Sundanda Deshapriya Co-Convenor