Northern Province Election Violence: CMEV Update
September 16, 2013
The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has noted five incidents of polls related violence in the Northern Province, between September 13 and September 15. The Polls monitors report that TNA supporters had been questioned by the CID and at least four arrested for distributing leaflets.
Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu - Co-Convenor CMEV
Another report states that in Chavakachcheri an unidentified group had accosted a group of TNA supporters and beaten them with polls. The monitors also report that agricultural cultivations belonging to TNA supporters had been uprooted and destroyed today in the Kopai electorate in the Jaffna District. The CMEV reports that in Point Pedro yesterday several individuals attached to military intelligence and the EPDP, a Government coalition ally had obstructed a TNA meeting.
The CMEV was formed in 1997 by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition against Political Violence as an independent and nonpartisan organization to monitor the incidence of election related violence. Currently, CMEV is made up of CPA, FMM and INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre.
The following is the full report by the CMEV:
Northern Provincial Council Election 2013 РCommuniqu̩ No 2
15 September 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka: As at 4.30 pm on Sunday 15th September, the following reports of election –related violence in the Northern Provincial Council election have been received by CMEV:
13th September 2013, Kodikamaam Electorate, Jaffna Electoral District, Northern Province: CMEV field monitor reported that CID officers had questioned TNA supporters about leaflets they were distributing and had informed the police to arrest them. Police arrested 04 supporters of TNA candidate Mr. Chandralingam Sugeerdhan (Candidate No 14). When contacted Kesawan Sajanthan (Candidate No 13) confirmed the incident and mentioned that the police had informed them that they were in breach of election law. Kodikamam Police Station confirmed the incident.
On 13th September 2013, A32 Road, Maravanpuli Junction, Chavakachcheri Electorate, Jaffna Electoral District, Northern Province: Ten supporters of Mr. Kajadeepan (Candidate No. 17), TNA were campaigning in the above mentioned area when at around 5pm an unidentified group accosted them and beat them with poles. The attackers fled the area in a vehicle (No: 59-3641). Gnanaprakasham Kishor and Raj Kumar Rajindan were admitted to the Chavakachcheri Hospital (Ward Number 6) at 7.55 p.m. When contacted, Police Sergeant Arjan Sunil confirmed that such incident had occurred and that the Police was investigating it further.
