The CID yesterday filed a report to the Mount Lavinia Magistrate Court regarding a complaint made by Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) MP Mohamed Muzammil alleging that he was attempted to be bribed by MP M. Mustaffa.

The CID informed the court that Parliamentarian Muzammil had lodged a complaint claiming that M. Mustafa wanted him to extend his support to the Common Presidential Candidate General Sarath Fonseka for a consideration of Rs 30 million and that a sum of Rs.4.2 Million had been arranged as and advance.

“According to the complaint, on January 15, the advance of Rs.4.2 million had been allegedly handed over to Mohamed Muzammil at a hotel in Colombo 6. Police Inspector Rohan Masimbula of the Financial Investigation  Unit of CID produced the report stating that the alleged action amounts to an offence committed under the section 79/E / 1 of the Presidential Elections Act.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has deployed several teams to Chilaw and Kurunegala to further investigate and arrest the suspects involved in election violence which resulted in the deaths of two youths.

Six police teams under the direction of CID Director DIG Nandana Munasinghe have been deployed to Madurankuliya in Chilaw where a 19-year-old youth was killed when the van he was travelling in came under gunfire and also resulted in ten other supporters of the UPFA sustaining injuries, police media spokesman SSP I.M Karunaratne said.

The van carrying the UPFA supporters came under gunfire as it passed an election office of opposition common Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka.
In the other incident in Kurunegala one person was killed and four others injured when a hand grenade exploded on Monday in the residence which is also the election office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Minister Jayaratne Herath. (Read More)

Issuing statement, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said "The High Representative of the European Union is deeply concerned by mounting pre-electoral violence in Sri Lanka, which has already caused deaths and numerous injured."

Ashton recalled the EU's firm conviction that a peaceful environment is an essential prerequisite to free and fair elections.

"The High Representative calls on all Parties in Sri Lanka to actively contribute to a climate of serenity in which the people of Sri Lanka can choose their political leadership in free, fair, and unbiased elections," the statement said. (Read More)

According to the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), the Northern Province has been the most peaceful province in the run-up to the Presidential election so far. CaFFE said that not a single election related act of violence has been reported from the area, and that there have only been a very few number of complaints regarding unlawful publicity and promotion.

Almost 65% of eligible voters in the Northern Province are without a valid National Identity Card (NIC). Therefore, the government had started a programme where they issue temporary ID cards. However, according to CaFFE very few people have actually obtained these temporary IDs. CaFFE also reported that it had found large numbers of polling cards lying around in sub post offices. The organisation says that the lack of political campaigning in the North even by major Tamil political parties might have caused people to be apathetic towards the Presidential election.

CaFFE reports that some people will have to travel between 2 to 36 kilometres to find a polling station, even though several stations have been set up around the Province. Furthermore, CaFFE says that most people who have recently been resettled will not vote at the upcoming election because of several reasons: Being settled far away from their registered places, lack of awareness on how to proceed to be eligible, reluctance to go back to camps where some of the polling stations are located.

The injured were admitted to the Hambantota Hospital.

Tissamaharama Police are conducting investigations.

UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya yesterday called on public servants, members of the armed forces and the police to remain impartial and unbowed to the political pressures faced by them on a daily basis.

“We wish to make this special appeal to all patriotic public servants of our country as we reach this crucial juncture in our country’s destination. We are well aware of the calibre and integrity of our public service. Unfortunately due to the actions of a few politically motivated, corrupt officers the whole public service and the Police Department in particular have been brought into disrepute,” Mr. Jayasuriya said. 

Mr. Jayasuriya in a statement said: “The current election campaign has also strained the public service to its limits with enormous pressure being exerted upon civil servants to support the incumbent in his desperate efforts to remain in power. (Read More)

The January 26 presidential election in Sri Lanka has been marked by a large number of violent incidents, most of which have been linked to supporters of the incumbent—President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The first death occurred on January 12 at Hungama in the district of Hambantota—Rajapakse’s home area. A gunman opened fire on a bus carrying people to a rally for the main opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka. A woman was killed and 10 people were injured.

The attack is likely to have been carried out by pro-government thugs. According to the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), the attackers shot at the tyres of the bus before opening fire on its rear windows and the passengers inside. The manner of the attack indicates it had been well planned.

The following day, several people were injured, including local BBC correspondent Thakshila Dilrukshi Jayasena, in clashes between thousands of supporters of Fonseka and Rajapakse at Polonnaruwa in North-Central province. The opposition accused the government of deliberately organising a march to counter its protest against government election violence. (Read More)

The Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake at a meeting today (19) with the political party secretaries and representatives said, as the State media are not abiding by his orders, and undue pressures are being brought on the competent authority appointed by him, he had relieved the competent authority of his duties with effect from midnight yesterday (18).

The Elections Commissioner said that he is in utter disgust as the State media had totally disregarded the competent authority.

Referring to the latest announcements by the Commissioner of Elections, the national organiser of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Keerthi Tennakoon aptly said, “This is one of the saddest days in Sri Lanka’s election history.”