Opposition parties to form alliance against election violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 August 2008, 06:15 GMT]
Mangala Samaraweera, rebel Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) parliamentarian, has started talks with the main opposition United National Party (UNP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to form an alliance to oppose the increase of election related violence in the elections to the North Central Provincial Council and Sabragamuwa Provincial Council scheduled to be held on August 23, sources in Colombo said.

Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) said Tuesday that it has received more than ninety election related violence complaints in the two provinces.

Anuradhapura district in the NCP has topped the number of violences.

Keerthi Tennekone, CaFFE spokesman, said his election monitoring group has also received number of complaints against the misuse of government properties and vehicles by government supporters for campaign work.

Several complaints have also been received regarding violation of election laws, he said.

Meanwhile, civil groups have expressed serious concern that in the coming weeks more election related violences are expected in the two provinces.

Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickremaretna, however, assured the Commissioner of Elections at a conference held in Colombo Elections Department Secretariat Monday, that the police have been instructed to maintain law and order to the maximum and not to allow any breach of election laws in the two provinces.

Representatives of political parties contesting the elections attended the conference.