PAFFREL and MFFE deployed 912 mobile monitors who observed the elections in mobile teams in 22 districts.  The two organizations also had 8,225 stationary monitors in the 22 districts.

The organizations are still in the process of receiving reports from their District Coordinators and monitors. These reports summarize the findings of only mobile monitors.

This statement issued at 11.00 p.m. dealing with the situation of the poll highlights some of the observations made by our mobile monitors.  It is based on the reports received from 300 mobile teams who visited 4,200 polling stations.

The preliminary observations of the mobile monitors indicate that the conditions for a free and fair election did not exist in the electorates of Hiriyala (Kurunegala District); Patha Dumbara, Nawalapitiya and Gampola (Kandy District); Laggala and Matale (Matale District); Katana (Gampaha District). PAFFREL/ MFFE believes that these violations were of sufficient seriousness to merit a re-poll.

The summary reports of the mobile monitors indicate that conditions were relatively orderly at the time they visited the polling stations in which reports have been received.

The situation in the north-east was different from the rest of the country in that it had to be held in conditions of high security and included areas in which the government was not in control.   As in the past, polling stations had to be clustered.  At this election, PAFFREL/ MFFE observers from Batticaloa and Vavuniya reported that voters from the areas controlled by the LTTE were unable to cast their votes due to the closure of checkpoints by the armed forces.  This deprived a significant proportion of the population of these two districts from exercising their franchise and will have a bearing on the outcome of the poll in the two districts.

Some of the situations and incidents reported are recurrent ones, and have been highlighted by PAFFREL / MFFE in previous reports.  They have not been adequately redressed within the existing legal frameworks.  PAFFREL/ MFFE strongly recommend that with the establishment of the new Elections Commission effective laws and procedures should be put in place to enable free and fair elections.

Details of some of the more significant violations are given in the district-wise breakdown below.

KANDY DISTRICT

PAFFREL/MFFE monitors reported large scale violence and election related malpractices from the electorates of Patha Dumbara, Nawalapitiya, and Gampola.  The incidents include murders, serious assaults, arson, voter intimidation, impersonation and poll rigging.  Armed groups were observed throughout the day intimidating voters and taking control of some areas in the district.  Most of the allegations were against supporters of the People's Alliance.

An anti tank mine and two smaller landmines were discovered in the Panwila area on the 4th of December and the area was not accessible today.  A tree had been cut down and used as a barrier to block access roads about two miles from Alkaduwa.  Police indicate that the roads would be cleared for the transportation of the ballot boxes to counting stations.

None of our mobile monitors could visit Nawalapitiya due to the violence and intimidation prevailing in the area.  According to reports reaching our monitors the situation was extremely violent and ballots were being cast forcibly in almost all of the polling stations.

Deaths

Patha Dumbara

Darwin Singho (76 years - UNP supporter)
Death resulting from bomb blast at Wattegama

Unidentified person
Death resulting from shooting at Wattegama

Unidentified person
Killed at Udatalawinna

Katugastota
Seven members of the SLMC
Death resulting from bomb explosion when there was a firing between SLMC and PA supporters after polling ended.

Among some of the serious incidents observed were -

- Nine of twelve polling stations visited by one of the PAFFREL/MFFE mobile teams in Patha Dumbara were invaded by armed gangs between 7 and 10 a.m. The gangs were shooting in the air, chasing away voters and stuffing ballot boxes.
- Only two of the polling stations visited had UNP poling agents present in them. All the others had been assaulted and chased away.  An UNP polling agent from Wattegama had been hospitalised.
- A very chaotic situation was observed at Uda Talawinna where villages attacked seven young men from Colombo and burnt their vehicle in retaliation to the violence and intimidation perpetrated on them.
-  An armed gang who arrived in two vehicles (Nos.54 - 1908 and 59 - 1276) to the polling station at the Doluwa Temple in Gampola shot at voters and threw bombs at them.  Three persons were critically injured.  The vehicles were subsequently observed in the entourage of a senior PA Minister.

KURUNEGALA DISTRICT

Deaths

Gokarella in the Dodangaslanda Electorate
K. D. Seneviratne (PA supporter)
Death resulting from a hand grenade being thrown at voters at the Nalawa polling station No.30 at 7.45 a.m. two others were injured

There have been serious election malpractice and intimidation observed and reported from the electorate of Hiriyala.  A UNP polling agent, Daya Ranasinghe was abducted and JVP polling agents chased away from the polling station No.15 at Kiribamuna by supporters of the PA and members of the Presidential Security Division who arrived at the station in a convoy of 15 vehicles.  A senior MP of the PA was in the entourage.  It was observed that this gang was moving from polling station to polling station, chasing away voters and polling agents and stuffing ballot boxes. Most of the allegations were against supporters of the People's Alliance.

PA supporters were observed forcibly stuffing ballot boxes at about 3.30 p.m. at the  Natiya and Thambarawa polling stations.

PUTTALAM DISTRICT

Deaths

A 7 year old boy killed in shoot out between PA and SLMC supporters in the Puttlam town at about 2.00 p.m.

Intimidation was observed in the electorates of Anamaduwa, Nathandiya, Puttlam and Chilaw.  Among the incidents were -

- A shootout between two candidates of the PA and the UNP near the Talladiya polling stations No.36 and 37 resulted in one person being critically injured and hospitalised. The army was called in to get the situation under control.
- The vehicle of a PA candidate was destroyed by UNP supporters and this resulted in a shootout near the Virukodai Muslim Maha Vidyalaya No.5 polling station in Puttlam.
- PA supporters chased away opposing polling agents from the Sembukuliya polling station No.5
- A PA candidate and his supporters were observed assaulting and chasing away UNP voters from the Mattekotuwa polling station No.35 in Nathandiya.
- UNP voters were assaulted and their polling cards taken away by PA supporters near the No.60 and 61 polling stations at Chilaw.  It is reported that the police had not taken any action.

MATALE DISTRICT

Deaths

Wilgamuwa
Unidentified person (PA supporter)
Death resulting from a shooting at Wilgamuwa

A bomb was thrown at the Mandandawala, Hindu Vidyalaya at about 2.30 p.m. injuring 17 persons who were subsequently admitted to the Matale Base Hospital.  Two of the injured are reported to be in critical condition and were transferred to the Kandy Teaching Hospital.  All of the injured were UNP supporters who were found to be residents of Anuradhapura engaged in election work in the Matale District.

HAMBANTOTA DISTRICT

Deaths

Lunugamwehera, Navimana
Urapolage Athula (UNP supporter)
Death resulting from a shooting at Navimana another person was injured and hospitalised
 

VAVUNIYA DISTRICT

Voters in the areas controlled by the LTTE who were due to cast their votes at clustered polling stations situated in government controlled areas were unable to cross into these areas because the main army controlled checkpoint at Paramanathankulam was closed. About 2000 voters were observed at the checkpoint in the morning.  The closure of the checkpoint obviously prevented all eligible voters from LTTE controlled areas from exercising their franchise.

BATTICALOA DISTRICT

The army checkpoints at Vavumathivu, Ambalanthurai, Paththirippu, Mangani and Chenkaladi were closed preventing voters from LTTE controlled areas crossing into government controlled areas to cast their votes at clustered polling stations in the Batticaloa district.

TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT

A PA supporter, K. G. Chandrakumara, was injured as a result of police shooting on the Trincomalee-Kantale road near polling station 91 close to Kantalai. He has been transferred to the Trincomalee Base Hospital from the Kantalai Base Hospital.

JAFFNA DISTRICT

The voting in the Jaffna Peninsular was considered brisk and keen. There were reports of impersonations in the Jaffna peninsula by the EPDP, TA and UNP. Clashes were also reported between supporters of the UNP and the EPDP.

Polling agents of the UNP who were to work in the island of Delft were attacked and not permitted to land there. In the island of Keyts, there were only a few polling agents of the UNP, the majority of polling stations had only agents of the EPDP.

A local observer of the CMEV was abducted allegedly by members of the EPDP and assaulted but was released on the basis that no complaint would be made to the police. He is currently receiving treatment in a private hospital. A lecturer from the Jaffna University was assaulted allegedly by the EPDP and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

In the Vadamarachchi area, voting was once again brisk but impersonation was reported.

People displaced from the Chavakachcheri were permitted to vote in Jaffna town.

RATNAPURA DISTRICT

Although three deaths were reported from the Ratnapura District on the eve of the election, our teams reported no serious incidents in the District on election day. Polling seemed to be occurring in an orderly manner.

GAMPAHA DISTRICT

Observers reported significant intimidation at Katana, Negombo and Divulapitiya.  Among the incidents were -

- A UNP woman  supporter was knifed in the stomach by PA supporters in the vicinity of the Katana Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya.
- ]PA supports were observed to be forcibly stuffing ballot boxes at the Dungalpitiya, Thalahena and Daluwakotuwa polling stations in the Negambo electorate.
- PA supporters were forcibly stuffing ballot boxes at the Muruthana, Bambukuliya, Athgala, Thoppuwa, Aikkandiya polling stations in the Katana electorate.
- PA and UNP supporters assaulted each other in the vicinity of the Welihinda polling station in Kotadeniyaya resulting in damage to six vehicles belonging to UNP supporters.
 
 

Kingsley Rodrigo Executive Director PAFFREL

Wimal Fernando Secretary MFFE