Polls violence escalates ahead of Sri Lankan elections

Citizens of Sri Lanka were alarmed by the killing of a supporter of the opposition candidate in the run-up to the presidential election Sunday night.

The victim was clubbed to death while pasting posters of opposition common presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka and a group assaulted him with wooden poles.

The death came just after a condemnation made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa following an increase in killings, assaults and intimidation during recent presidential campaigns in the country.

Last week, two party supporters engaged in political campaigns were killed in the Southern and North Western provinces.

Therefore, the police was directed by Rajapaksa to ensure law and order to prevent clashes between political rivals until the election concludes.

Meanwhile, the major election monitoring groups expressed fear over escalating elections violations.

According to the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), the cases of polls violations are increasing daily and over 600 cases have been reported up to Jan. 17.

With two deaths and over 70 people hospitalized, the CaFFE accused the government of violating the election laws, carrying out malpractice and attempts of vote rigging by using government officials including police officers.

The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said there was a marked increase in election related violence and they have received 344 reports of violence including 102 major incidents.

The Center for Monitoring Election Violence has received over 500 reports of election violence and half of them are major violations.

But the National Polls Observation Center claimed there were exaggerations of real number of polls violence and some cases had been reported in several times.

The CaFFE also alerted the Elections Commissioner on issuing temporary ID cards for voters who do not possess a national or any other valid identification. It cautioned the commissioner about applications certified by unauthorized people.

The CaFFE requested the commissioner to declare the names of the authorized persons and the total number of temporary IDs issued.

Analysts noted that the majority of incidents have taken place in the Western Province, where the main activities of the two main candidates are centered.

The northern region, which was battered after the 30-year war and having a majority of Tamils, seems to be having a peaceful environment, while cases of polls violence in other provinces are increasing sharply, analysts said.

Rajapaksa, who declared polls two years prior to his six-year term, has been challenged by his former Army chief Sarath Fonseka.

Both of them are equally credited to end the 30-year-old war between the government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.

The Jan. 26 presidential polls will be the most important and decisive election in the country's history and both candidates try to get more Tamil votes, analysts say.

Source: Xinhua