TMVP 'forced people to contest'

The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) in its Special Report No. 29 states that the TMVP has forced people to stand as candidates at the Batticaloa local elections and refers to early reports that said: "All the men of standing had changed houses to dodge TMVP (Karuna and Pillayan groups) wanting them to contest on their behalf. These people had an unobjectionable cause - to keep away from all those carrying arms."

The Special Report records that in Valaichchenai, the TMVP forced an ordinary man, Kunalaraj, to stand for election by taking away his identity card to prevent him from running away.

In Mandur, a painter known as Ravi was forced to stand for election. Two policemen were imposed on him for his 'security.' When he works, the two policemen accompany him. Ravi who could barely feed his family now has to feed the cops with healthy appetites.

In Kallady, candidate Sankarathas Sivanandathas (Kanthan) was also forced to contest. The road where he lived was named after his father Sando Sankarathas, a legendary body builder. The nominations at Batticaloa Kachcheri closed at noon on Friday, January 25. Kanthan returned home. That night, armed men in a white van abducted him. The next day he was released in Mylambaveli outside the town. He had been badly beaten and tortured, but refused to speak about it though theories abound, adds the report. His was the first reported abduction after nomination and it was used by the TMVP to seek police protection.

The report adds that Kanthan's name had entered STF records as a former LTTE sympathiser. He lived in Colombo and retuned home when things settled. When forced to contest, he filed nomination papers and someone in the STF recognised him. It is believed the STF abducted him the same night only for Pillayan to get him released.

The report adds that according to local sources, the vast majority of the TMVP candidates are contesting under duress. The trouble is not just the LTTE. Like the children conscripted by the Karuna and Pillayan factions, the candidates too could at some point fall victim to their feud. 

Meanwhile, security has been strengthened in Batticaloa after some of the candidates of the local government elections received threats allegedly from the LTTE.

Nearly 100 of the TMVP's candidates had received such letters threatening them.

TMVP media spokesperson Azath Moulana told The Sunday Leader that the issue was taken up by the party with the police following which the police had made arrangements to increase security in the area.

"The security to our candidates or other candidates has not been increased. However, the number of barricades has been increased in the area," he said.

He however said that threats were expected and that the party was ready to face obstacles to contest the polls scheduled to be held on March 10.

The TMVP candidates had not received threats afterwards, but Moulana said that the party was ready to face threats in the future as well.

"Our candidates received these letters around February 17, as far as I can remember. But, we have not got threats or letters afterwards. The TMVP is ready to face the elections and anything that comes our way," Moulana added.

Batti postal vote completed

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The postal vote for the Batticaloa local government election closed last Friday at 4.30 pm with Assistant Commissioner of Elections, Batticaloa District, T. Krishnanandalingam claiming it was conducted in relative peace.

After all, only 934 qualified to cast a postal vote. Over 250 cast their postal vote on Thursday.

The local poll is significant for the government for a host of reasons. Come August, the government intends holding a provincial council election for the Eastern Province, the first time in 21 years.

According to Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, this would complete the process. "There was an amalgamated northeast PC under the 13th Amendment. It simply fell apart and the referendum was never held. The east is also very distinct so this would be a natural progression," he said.

Adds UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayanth, "There is no way to keep new political forces from emerging through this local poll. This is the first local poll to be held since 1994 and politically significant."

However, according to OIC, Special Election Monitoring Branch, Batticaloa Police, IP Sanath Ranjith, only 21 election related incidents have been reported so far of which 13 have already been resolved. Out of the remaining six cases the PA, TMVP and SLMC have submitted two each, and investigations are continuing.

Police have also taken steps to strengthen security by setting up additional road blocks and operating mobile police units 24 hours a day. Candidates have been assigned two constables each for personal security, he adds.

As election fever increases, measures taken by the police and the Elections Department were commended by PAFFREL Chairman, Kingsley Rodrigo who noted pre-election violence to be low due to the mechanisms in place. 

He said PAFFREL would go before the Supreme Court next week to obtain a mandate on three issues to strengthen the election process - namely the prevention of the use of firearms for election related purposes by groups other than security forces and police, ban the use of state vehicles by candidates and to seek a re-poll in polling centres where there would be evidence of rigging.

 Likewise, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) too conducted its own ground survey and observed the absence of any armed TMVP cadres moving around outside their offices perhaps due to being cautioned by both the government and security forces to demonstrate 'good behavior' in its bid to gain more legitimacy. 

Accordingly, the CPA notes much of the election related violence that has been reported was in the period preceding nominations. 

"While some of the incidents relating to violence against Muslim candidates were reported in the media, other incidents have either gone unreported or have not been presented as related to the elections. The political and armed groups have used various forms of violence, including killings, abductions, physical attacks and intimidation, during the election period," CPA stated.

The CPA noted that the identification of an incident as election related was a challenging process due to the context of violence in Batticaloa. "Despite, the 'liberation' of the east, the spate of killings, abductions and other forms of violence have continued, and in some cases even intensified as seen with armed robberies of houses and agency warehouses."

It added that though the violence has been classified as low, scanning the media over the month of January indicates some 27 killings recorded.

As the contest enters the final two weeks, security is being tightened. At present, 4,400 police personnel are deployed to ensure security with two assigned to each candidate. Some 38 special check points were also created for the contest.

Just the day before the postal voting commenced, on February 20 night, a grenade was hurled at independent candidate M.H.M. Aris' house in Eravur. Nobody was injured.

The three-party coalition comprising PLOTE, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (NABA), and Tamil Makal Viduthalai Puligal, the LTTE breakaway group and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) are expected to have a tight contest.

Some 831 vie for 101 slots in nine local bodies on March 10. Some 51 nomination lists have been accepted with nine being rejected. The election will be held at 285 polling stations with some 270,471 eligible to vote. This included over 6,000 displaced who will vote under a special scheme. The 831 candidates represent six political parties while 22 are independent candidates.