Read the latest report by CMEV that captures the total number of violations in the Presidential Election campaign, with graphs and charts.
Presidential Elections 2010: Graphs and charts of election campaign violence Read More »
17 January 2010, Colombo, Sri Lanka: As of 14th January 2010, CMEV has confirmed a cumulative total of 609 incidents of election related violence of which 271 incidents have been categorized as Major. Of these, 2 incidents of Murder, 5 incidents of Attempted Murders, 73 incidents are of Assault, 77 are of Threat and Intimidation, 27 of Grievous Hurt, 30 incidents of Hurt, 35 cases of the Misuse of State Resources and 11 incidents of Robbery and Arson respectively. The total number of incidents involving the use of firearms is 88. In addition, 338 incidents have been categorized as Minor.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 14 Read More »
16 January 2010: According to North Western Provincial Councilor Mr. Sanath Nishantha Perera (UPFA), at 3.50pm, UNP supporters had shot at UPFA supporters in front of the UNP party office located in front of the Minnas Private Hospital, Madurankuliya, Puttalam District, resulting in the death of UPFA supporter Mr. Saman Kumara of Thonigala, Anamaduwa. According to the Spokesperson of the hospital, 4 other persons had been admitted to the Puttalam Base Hospital of sustained injuries during the shooting, and 3 of them have been transferred to the Kurunegala Hospital. According Director of the Kurunegala Hospital Dr. S. Rajamanthri, the 3 injured persons are not in serious condition. Two of the victims had suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and neck. They had received emergency treatment from the Puttalam Hospital prior to transfer. Read the full report of the murder here.
Presidential Election 2010: Special Report on murder Read More »
CMEV received a report regarding a clash between a group of NDF supporters and a group of supporters of Western Provincial Council Member, Duminda De Silva (UPFA) near the Umagaliya ground, Kolonnawa at around 11.30 pm on 13th January 2010. It is also reported that a tense situation has arisen in the area due to the clash. The group of supporters of Duminda De Silva, who came in 4 cabs, had intimidated a group of supporters of Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka who were decorating the stage for the meeting scheduled on 14 January. They had brandished a pistol and had attacked them. Subsequently NDF supporters also had attacked the perpetrators by stones according to reports received by CMEV. According to CMEV special mobile team information, Peter Kelard and Sampath, who sustained injuries, have been admitted to the Colombo General Hospital. When CMEV’s special mobile team visited the place, OIC of the Wellampitiya Police Station, HQI Liyanage and his team had arrived to the scene and Army had been deployed in the area to ascertain the security. It is learnt that no complaint has been made to the police and the tense situation prevails at the time this report goes out. Read the full report in Sinhala and Tamil here.
13 January 2010 Colombo: Sri Lanka when considering the postal voting over the last two day period, CMEV has received a total of 27 incidents related to postal voting. In addition, approximately 20% of army soldiers who requested votes have been rejected according to reports received by CMEV monitors, which was highlighted in our report yesterday. A further two incidents were reported from Ampara today, the first from Sandunpura Gajaba Infantry 3rd Batallion Camp where 100 persons applied for votes and only one person received their ballot, and the second from the Army 3rd Women’s Core where 163 persons applied for their vote, but only 112 received their ballots. Full details of incidents are available in our report available as a PDF here. Photos mentioned in the report above can be seen here and below.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 9 Read More »
Interview with Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Co-Convenor of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) over the murder of a political party supporter in Tangalla today and the lobbing of a hand grenade in Batticaloa. Both incidents are covered in detail in the CMEV Media Communiqué No. 8.
The first murder of Presidential Election 2010 campaign: A video interview Read More »
At 12.20 pm today, a bus containing UNP supporters was shot at on the Thalunna road in the Hungama area in Thangalle. Ms. Kusumawathie Kuruppuarachchi who suffered gunshot wounds to the stomach was initially admitted to the Thangalla hospital. She was subsequently transferred to the Matara hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, as confirmed by ward 6 staff of the Matara hospital. 2 other persons with injuries were admitted to the Thangalle hospital. Also, at 1.00am this morning an unknown group lobbed a grenade at the house of SLMC supporter Mr. M.B.S. Hussein’s located in Ottamawadi, Valachchenai. Mr. Hussein called the police at the time of the incident and the police arrived at the scene shortly after. No persons were injured, however windows, doors, and furniture of the house were damaged. The CMEV monitor was informed of this incident by Mr. L.T.M. Furkhan Pradeshiya Sabha member Valachchenai. Read the full CMEV report here.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 8 Read More »
11January 2010 Colombo Sri Lanka CMEV has confirmed 176 Major incidents of election related violence as of today, since the gazette notification of presidential election on 23rd November 2009. Most of the major incidents (39) have been reported from the Southern Province. CMEV highlights the most recent confirmed Major incidents in this report. Download it in full here.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 7 Read More »
CMEV has recorded a cumulative total of 316 Incidents of election related violence since the issue of the Gazette Notification on 23rd November 2009 announcing the Presidential Election. Of these, 133 are classified as Major and 183 as Minor incidents. The highest number of Major incidents have been reported from the Hambantota(17) and Galle(11) Districts. Included in this media communique are details of two major incidents. Read it in full here.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 6 Read More »
As of 8th January 2010, CMEV has confirmed a cumulative total of 281 incidents of election related violence of which 117 incidents have been categorized as Major. Of these, 36 incidents are of Assault, 31 are of Threat and Intimidation, 18 of Grievous Hurt, 7 incidents of Hurt, 6 incidents of Attempted Murder, 11 cases of the Misuse of State Resources and 4 incidents of Robbery and Arson respectively. The total number of incidents involving the use of firearms is 38. In addition, 164 incidents have been categorized as Minor. Out of 117 Major incidents, 85 incidents have been reported against the ruling UPFA – this being the highest number reported against any one party. Of the total figure of 281 incidents, the UNP had been accused as the perpetrator in 15 incidents and the JVP in 6. Incidents of violence are increasingly being reported from the Southern province (67), North Western province (44) and North Central province (39). CMEV reiterates its concern about the upward trend in election related violence and calls upon all concerned, especially the Election Commissioner and his officials, the Police and political parties to take all necessary steps to deter such violence and to deal with those who are responsible for it. We call on all presidential candidates to demonstrate their commitment to eradicate political violence and malpractice. Read the media communique in full, with more details on incidents reported, here.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 5 Read More »
The CMEV brought to the attention of the Election Commissioner the illegal display of banners and cutouts in public places and within the premises Government Offices & buildings, by the letter dated 5th January 2010. CMEV appreciates the order given to the Police by the Elections Commissioner, to remove all illegal banners and cutouts from public places and government premises, and institutions on the 5th of January 2010, at the meeting held for party secretaries… CMEV has noted that coinciding with the increase in cutouts the level of violence has increased as a direct result of disputes arising from cutouts and their placement. Read the media communique in full with more details here.
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqué No. 4 Read More »
CMEV is running a tri-lingual public information campaign to raise awareness on the documents required for voter identification in the run up to the Presidential Elections. The posters and banner ads can be seen, freely downloaded, printed and disseminated via from here. They also appear below as an interactive screenshow.
Presidential Elections 2010: Your vote is your constitutional right. Use it! Read More »
3rd media communiqué of the Southern Provincial Council election can be downloaded in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
Southern Provincial Council Election 2009 – Media Communiqué 3 Read More »
Jaffna MC UPFA: 10,602 (13 seats), ITAK: 8,008 (8 seats), Ind.1: 1,175 (1 seat), TULF: 1,007 (1 seat) -Daily Mirror Uva Province UPFA: 418,906 (25 seats), UNP: 129,144 (7 seats), JVP: 14639 (1 seat), Up Country Peoples Front: 9227 (1 seat).-Daily Mirror Vavuniya UC ITAK: 4279 (5 seats), DPLF: 4136 (3 seats), UPFA: 3045 (2 seats), SLMC: 587 (1 seat) -Daily Mirror
Final Results – Uva, Vavuniya and Jaffna 2009 Read More »
Download PDF of this report here. 8th August 07:00pm, Polling in the elections to the Jaffna Municipality, Vavuniya Urban Council and Uva Provincial Council was relatively incident free with voter turnout figures of 20%, 49% and 62% in the three areas respectively. Of the areas polled, attention focused on the Jaffna Municipality, on account of it being the first post war poll in a predominantly Tamil area. In this respect, the voter turnout of 20% should be seen in terms of an effective 40%, given that the actual number of voters present and able to vote in the municipality was not the figure on the electoral register, but roughly half that number. Some 41,000 polling cards were retained at the Post Office. These could not be delivered to the prospective voters, as the latter were not present to accept delivery of them at the addresses given on the polling cards. Provision was made for these voters to obtain their polling cards form the Post Office until 3pm today, polling day. The low turn out figure in Jaffna can be attributed to a number of factors, primarily that of voter migration, voter preoccupation with livelihoods and quality of life, the impact of the IDP situation and voter disinterest in the elections as either being unnecessary and irrelevant at this point in time, a foregone conclusion in terms of result or held in accordance with political priorities other than their own. CMEV wishes to underscore this last point and its bearing on the low turnout. In particular there are outstanding issues with regard to the adequacy of information made available to the IDPs, with regard to voter registration as well as the access of political parties to potential voters in these camps. CMEV fully recognizes the number of factors militating against political activity in the camps and agrees that they reinforce the argument about the inappropriateness of elections at this time. In the Uva Provincial Council election, CMEV received a number of allegations pertaining to the misuse of state resources by the ruling alliance and in particular on behalf of its chief ministerial candidate Shasiendra Rajapaksa. The misuse of state resources in this way is a recurrent bad practice in all elections and reinforces the argument of CMEV, its constituent organizations and other civil society organization about the pivotal importance of the implementation of the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution and the establishment of independent commissions for the arms of the state that are responsible for protecting and strengthening the integrity of the electoral process. CMEV received reports of 2 major incidents and 2 minor incidents in Jaffna MC Elections and reports of 3 major incidents and 2 minor incidents in the Vavuniya UC elections during Election Day. There were two incidents of assaults against candidates of the SLMC in Vavuniya, one incident of assault against ITAK supporter in Puttalam(Jaffna MC) and one incident of assault against EROS supporter in Vavuniya. CMEV also received reports of two incidents of campaigning during Election Day in Vavuniya. In the Uva Provincial Council elections, there were 14 incidents in total from the Badulla district and 20 incidents from the Monaragala district during Election Day. There were 7 major incidents in the Badulla district and 4 major incidents in the Monaragala incident. These incidents included two incidents of assault in Badulla district and 1 incident of assault in Monaragala district. There were 3 incidents in which election officials did not allow CMEV monitors to enter the polling station in the Badulla district. There were 2 similar incidents reported from the Monaragala district. There was 1 incident in the Badulla district where the polling agent was found distributing campaign material for UPFA candidates. There was also 1 voter related incident in the Monaragala district. Some of these incidents are described below. Assault of Candidates At 12pm, SLMC candidates Mukkankoolu Ravichandran (Preferential No. 09) and Abdul Latheef Mohamed Munawfar (Preferential No. 02) who were on their way to the polling station on a motor bike, were assaulted by supporters of UPFA Minister of Resettlement Rishad Bathiudeen at the V/Muslim Maha Vidyalaya, Pattanichchipuliyankulam (Polling station No. 1). According to Ravichandran, the assailants had travelled in a Toyota Hi- Ace van bearing the registration number 251 – 5092. A.L.M.Munawfar also informed the CMEV monitors that the assailants had attempted to run him over with the vehicle and had identified the assailants as supporters of Minister Rishard Badurdeen (ACMC), known as Rizni, Rafees, Rifthiyan, Majeed, Haroun, Safree and Nassen. Police Constable T.Wimalajith at the police post at the Vavuniya Base Hospital Police confirmed to CMEV that Mukkankoolu Ravichandran admitted to the hospital with minor injuries. Minister Rishad Bathiudeen when contacted by the CMEV said that he was informed of such an incident, but he was not connected with the incident in any way. He also said that it is a personal conflict between two individuals. Assault of Voters and Supporters At 8am Mr. H. S. M. Naseer driver of ITAK candidate Mr. Mohammed Aleem Jamaldeen (Preferential No. 02) of the ITAK was assaulted by M. Mujahir and others who are supporters of Minister Rishard Badurdeens. CMEV was informed that the driver was assaulted and the vehicle was damaged. Mr. H.S.M.Naseer subsequently made a report on this incident to the Puttalam Police (CIB 0290/57). CMEV mobile team reported that at 11.30am Sivakumaran a supporter of the EROS party was assaulted by a group of supporters at the Rural Development Society Kurumankadu (Polling station No. 3) by the Democratic People’s Liberation Front (PLOTE) party who arrived in a van. Sivakumaran sustained minor injuries during the attack. During police investigations in connection to the incident Kanthar Thamotharampillai Linganathan, (candidate No 2) the Chief candidate of the PLOTE party rejected all allegations made against his party. The police confirmed this incident to the CMEV mobile team. A voter was assaulted at Polling Station No.50, Karametiya Junior School Polling Station, Moneragala polling division, Moneragala District at around 3.15pm. The assault was reportedly carried out by
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