Batticaloa candidates to be provided police protection

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2008, 13:14 GMT]
At a conference held Monday at Batticaloa district secretariat chaired by Mr.Sunderam Arumainayagam, the Government Agent(GA), the officals decided to provide protection to the candidates contesting in the March 10 local council election. Two policemen will be assigned for each candidate.

The conference was held to discuss the safety of the candidates, in view of the recent escalation of election related violence throughout Batticaloa district.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for Eastern region, T.Krishnanathalingam, Assistant Commissioner of Elections and representatives of the political parties Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam(PLOTE), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), and Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) as well the representatives of the independent groups were present at the conference.

831 Candidates are contesting for the 101 local council seats, sources at the Batticaloa election offices said.

There have been 3 incidences of election related violences in Vazhaichcheanai while there was one such incidence in Ea’raavoor.

A United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) candidate was abducted Friday and released the following day after being severely assaulted.