2014 Uva Provincial Council election - Election Day report

 Sunday, 21 September 2014 

Campaign for Free and Free Elections (CaFFE) has received 102 election related complaints on September 20, the Election Day. This is the highest number of election day incidents CaFFE has observed in the recent provincial council election cycle, seven elections during two years.

CaFFE has received 21 complaints of election related violence including the use of firearms. These incidents were mainly reported from Bibile, Moneragala, Wellawaya, Bandarawela, Haputale and Wiyaluwa electorates and some of these demonstrated the impotence of the police before regional politicians. 

There were a number of supporters who had arrived from other parts of the country campaiging for several parties and these groups roamed Uva province in a large number of vehicles in the pre-election period. Even on the election day these groups held vehicle parades and conducted election propaganda activities. CaFFE observers reported that several politicians from other parts of the country also arrived near polling centres and attempted to influence voting, some of these interventions led to violent clashes.

As mentioned earlier police were often powerless before local politicians and this had a serious affect on the law and order situation on the ground. Police took little action to stop the vehicle parades and vehicles that roamed the province displaying the preferential numbers of candidates, this was especially noticeable in Moneragala. CaFFE observed a number of vehicles with fake or garage number plates operating in the province and attached herewith is one such photo parked in Sellakataragama. There were a number of reports that unmarked Defender jeeps travelled in several areas of Kataragama including Wallimatagama,   Gotamigama and  and Sellakataragama fishing village.

 These outside groups were guided by Samurdhi and Economic Development officers who had earlier led the campaign to woo voters for the UPFA by distributing goods in pre-election period. CaFFE believes that the election day was far from free and fair due to the below mentioned incidents. However these are only a few incidents and CaFFE will release a full report on these incidents soon.
       
1. Chandana Geeth Kumara who was on his way to the polling centre at Welkele vidyalaya (no 7) in Badulla was attacked by supporters of UPFA candidate Leelasena. He is currently receiving treatment at ward number 8 at Badulla hospital.

2. UPFA candidate Anura Vidanagamage roamed Mahiyanganaya with 27 Defender Jeeps in a bid to intimidate voters. Residents of the area said that these groups attacked the office of JVP's chief ministerial candidate on Election Day. These groups also arrived at Hebarayaya kanishta vidyalaya and Ulhitiya Maha Vidyalaya.

3. Supporters of UPFA southern provincial minister DV Upul attacked the vehicle in which UNP's chief ministerial candidate Harin Fernando's father was travelling in at Kirindiella, Badulla. Sharp objects were used during the attack and shots were fired.

 4. Supporters of UPFA MP Uditha Lokubandara assaulted Sunil Shantha, the JVP polling agent in Yahalabella, Haputale after he objected to issuing a ballot paper for Malini Lokubandara, Uditha's mother, who arrived at the polling centre without an accepted identification document. Lokubandara's supporters assaulted Shantha after he left the polling centre and Shantha was admitted to the Diyathalawa hospital.

5. There were also three complaints of using firearms during the voting period. There are the attack by provincial minister DV Upul, a shooting incident at Kirindiela, Diyatalawa and the assault of a UNP Eastern provincial councillor by UPFA's Lakshman Seneviratne near Galauda polling centre, Viyaluwa, Badulla..

Most of the complaints from Moneragala were lodged against the UPFA, however there were also a few complaints against the UNP and the JVP as well. However these complaints only came from UPFA legal advisors deployed at UPFA operation office and these complaints were pre planned and systematic in nature.

The situation after the election is peaceful but tense. Shops in Badulla, Diyathalawa and Bandarawela were closed soon after the election expecting violence to breakout.