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The people have  spoken

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
in Anuradhapura and Arthur Wamanan in Ratnapura

Polling at the North Central Provincial Council elections concluded yesterday in a relatively calm atmosphere amidst a higher than expected voter turn out.

Given the high level of violence recorded in the Anuradhapura District just days before elections, the atmosphere on the day of the elections was rather subdued.

Army personnel were also deployed to provide security on the day of the elections and the police did not permit any outsiders, including the media to enter into any of the polling stations in the Anuradhapura District.

Election monitors, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) said that over 70% voters turned out to exercise their franchise in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts. Most of the voting took place in the morning and by 11 a.m. over 50% of the voters in many polling stations had cast their votes.

The same trend prevailed in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts in the Sabaragamuwa provinces and once again, except for a few isolated incidents the election was peaceful and largely free and fair.  The enthusiasm shown by the female population in the provinces was rather shocking. So eager were they to cast their votes at the election that many were seen walking into the booths carrying their infants early in the morning.

Long queues

The long queues of voters waiting to cast their votes extended even to the gates of the polling stations. According to monitors, the people casting their votes in the early hours of the morning prevented any attempts of impersonation.

Opposition parties however, claimed that the high voter turn out was an indication of the people's desire to bring about a change to Sri Lankan politics through the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council elections.

The government however claimed it would emerge victorious due to the unprecedented support it has received from UNP and JVP supporters.

UPFA Chief Ministerial candidate for the NCP, Berty Premalal Dissanayake said minutes after casting his vote at the Deepani Maha Vidyalaya in Anuradhapura that the government would definitely win the North Central Provincial council elections.

He also dismissed allegations of violating elections laws and engaging in violence leveled against him by opposition parties by saying polling was carried out in a peaceful manner without any violence.

"If there is to be any violence it should happen now when the people are going to cast their votes. The media highlights only one side.

They speak of attacks on the UNP, but they do not say our supporters who have been shot, where one person is still in critical condition," he said. He also charged that it was the UNP that was engaged in violence.

UNP's Chief Ministerial candidate Major General Janaka Perera said the UNP managed to carry out its election campaign successfully amidst the violence unleashed by the government. Referring to incidents that took place in the Anuradhapura District yesterday, Perera said that there have been 128 reported cases where polling cards have been taken from the people.

Cases of assault

Among the other reported incidents, he said were 37 cases of assault, six cases of arson, nine cases of attempting to disrupt people from voting and 19 attempts to burn ballot boxes (six from Horowpathana, seven from Kala Wewa, one from Mihinthale and two from Kekirawa electorates among others).

According to Perera, not many cases of attempts on impersonation have been reported yesterday.

"We have information from very reliable sources that 10 ballot boxes were moved out from the Kachcheri into the Chief Minister's office," he said. Perera also said that although the senior police officials had called on the HQI to investigate into the matter, action was not taken till the conclusion of the elections.

Perera claiming victory at yesterday's polls said that although the government tried to rob the people's victory at the polls, the UNP has been very vigilant in acting to save the people's rights.

JVP's chief ministerial candidate, Wasantha Samarasinghe after casting his vote at the Thumbuttegama Central College said that the people's victory for the country would be brought through the North Central Provincial council election.

"The people will vote to rid the North Central Province from violence and corruption and everyone has united for that cause," he said. He added that unlike during the previous times, the people have come forward to safeguard their democratic rights.

"That itself is a sign they want a change. The people have responded to the government attempts to rig the polls," Samarasinghe said. Several voters who spoke to The Sunday Leader after casting their votes said they wanted to bring about a change to the North Central Province, as it was needed to bring about a better future.They said that the high cost of living and other issues were cause for much concern. However, there were also some who said they wished to see an end to the war and it was only the present government that could bring about such an end to the ethnic conflict.

"The government will win because we need to see and end to the war," 88 year old Appuhami said. A much younger Sineth Dasanayake said the voters were faced with a dilemma. "They have to choose between wanting a much needed change and ending the war," he said. Dasanayake added that while on the one hand the government has shown positive signs of ending the war, on the other the people faced with a high cost of living and the country is being isolated by the international community.

"People are not fools; they know that global fuel prices are not the sole reason for the high cost of living. The government has also got the country isolated among its international funders. We understand all these," he said.

While voting was in full swing in almost every electorate in the Anuradhapura District, voting in the threatened villages was to the contrary. A voter from Kebitigollewa said most of the votes in the area have already been cast as majority of them were members of the civil defence force. "Also, 5-10% of the people cannot vote anyway because they have no identification papers with them," he said.

Minor violations

However, minutes after polling commenced at 7 a.m., minor incidents of election law violations were reported from several parts in Anuradhapura. One of the main incidents reported was from Galnewa in the Kala Wewa electorate where the resident of JVP candidate Dhammika Jayawardena was shot at and destroyed allegedly by Dissanayake's supporters. Jayawardena said that since polling began yesterday morning and he and his supporters were being constantly attacked allegedly by Dissanayake's supporters.

He said the attack on his house and the assault on his father who was admitted to the Megalwewa Hospital was a follow up to a rift that took place in the morning between the Galnewa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman's brother and one of Jayawrdena's coordinating secretaries.

Nissanka Udaya Kumara who was at Jayawardena's residence at the time of the attack said that a green cab and white van parked outside the house and two persons in military fatigue opened fire at the house while three persons who arrived in the van started to smash the house. "After attacking the house, they assaulted Dhammika's father. Soon after they left, Berty and his convoy passed the place.

While passing Berty had a good look at the place," he said. Election monitors said that at the time of conclusion of the polls, the major incidents recorded by them were the attack on the JVP candidate's residence and the assault case that led to it.

"Apart from that no major incidents were recorded from the Anuradhapura District," CAFFE monitors said.

Regardless of who may emerge victorious at the polls, the people have spoken in one clear voice - a change is definitely needed from who ever assumes power in the province.

Meanwhile the Provincial Council elections in the Sabaragamuwa province was held in a peaceful environment except for a few incidents of threats and intimidations.

Around 60-70% of voters turned up at the polling booths to cast their votes in the Kegalle and Ratnapura. Districts.

The voter turn up during the morning hours was dull in many of the places, but picked up momentum as the day progressed.

Security however was beefed up in the Ratnapura town. There were very little security personnel deployed in the interior.

JVP Chief Ministerial candidate Chameera Koswatte said that the environment was peaceful and that only few skirmishes were reported.

He also stated that the police had provided its support when they had complained of certain drawbacks during the polls.

The monitors last week lashed out at the police stating that they were functioning in a biased manner.

Police spokesperson SSP Ranjith Gunasekara had said that the police had taken maximum steps to ensure that the polls were held in a free and fair manner.

"We are not saying that they were fully cooperative. But, they took immediate action when we had brought certain drawbacks to their notice. It is good when considering the fact that they were blamed for not doing their job properly by the monitors," he said.

At least two police personnel were deployed at the polling stations.

Issues related to identity cards arose when some of the voters were not allowed to cast their votes, as they did not have their identity documents. The Election Commissioner's Department had made it compulsory for voters to prove their identity before voting.

PAFFREL Spokesman  Rohana Hettiarachchi however stated that it was not a serious problem and stated that it was the fault of the people for not taking the issue seriously.

Some of the civilians stated that the message to apply for at least the temporary identity card, which was issued for the provincial council polls was not notified. The Election Commissioner's Department made it compulsory for the voters to provide their identity documents in order to reduce election rigging.

Proof of identity

This message had not reached the people who are living in the interior.

Koswatte said that mainly women and older people who very rarely come to the main town were not aware of the process and therefore were not allowed to cast their votes.

"The good thing about this procedure is that people are asked to prove their identity before casting their votes. There is very little or no chance of impersonation due to this method," Koswatte said.

The civilians, even those who were asked to go away for not possessing the identity documents said that this was a good move by the authorities in order to reduce election rigging.

However, the sad truth is that some have not even got their national identity cards, though they had applied for it years ago. "It is good that they had done this. Several voters especially those living in areas affected by the recent flood said that they were expecting a change, as they were not properly assisted by the government.

They said that they were well looked after in 2003 when they had faced worse floods.

UNP Chief Ministerial Candidate, Ranjan Ramanayake also stated that the polls were conducted in a free and fair environment.

"The statistics show that more than 60% had voted. This shows that the people want change and that they are fed up of the current administration," he told The Sunday Leader.

The counting of votes started late last evening.