SEE!! HOW SINHALA DEMOCRACY OF MR REGIME WORKS!!!

Was it a free and fair election?

Having read various pronouncements by organizations and people who should know better, I am writing to correct this misconception. As I was present in the Kandy District during the recent campaign in Kandy, Kadugannawa, Gampola and Nawalapitiya, I am aware that the election was anything but free and fair. Hundreds of people were fed free from an official residence of importance on several days of the week. Is this free and fair? Or are the people who say it is free and fair both deaf and blind?. This is a blatant violation of the election law.

Early in the campaign, an UNP office was burnt in Murutulawa in the Kadugannawa area. Again, both in Pilimatalawa and Mahaiyawa, the poorest of the poor were threatened by gun toting goons saying that their homes would be burnt and they would be killed if the government lost the election. Is this free and fair?

On election day very early in the morning two polling agents for the UNP on their way to the polling booth were assaulted near the Isipathana Temple in Weligampola in the Nawalapitiya electorate. The assailant is known and the assaulted were Walter and Manju. The UNP candidate managed to put them back in the booth but Walter was badly injured. Near Galeboda Tamil Vidyalaya, a govt supporter and thugs chased away Tamil voters and didn’t allow them to vote. The same thing was done in Inguruoya by a Govt. supporter backed by thugs.

Again at Nawalapitiya Central College, supporters of the Government prevented voters from casting their votes with threats of assault and assaulting them. At Soysakelle, near the polling booth, a crowd of govt. supporters gathered and threatened voters, intimidating them.

In Udagama, in the Gampola electorate, they asaulted the driver of a van in which two women were travelling, assaulted one of the women, Ajantha, and used raw filth on the other who is Priyanthi Goonetilleke, a member of the UC, Gampola.

The worst incident was when some Govt. supporters came into the office of the UNP candidate when she was out in another area where trouble was reported, smashed up her office, assaulted the counting agents who had come there to go for the count to Kandy and stole their passes for the Kachcheri.

Among those assaulted was a 50 year old woman called Agnes Margaret. Are all these incidents free and fair? All these were reported to the police. In some of the earlier incidents, police went to the spot but as they left the problems began again. In the incident of the UNP office, although the police is close by, they delayed to arrive and although they knew exactly what took place, later entertained a false entry from those who had committed the assault. None of these can be called free and fair.

What is the mentality of young men who assault a middle aged woman, probably the age of their own mothers. Being drunk is no excuse for such brutal and unforgivable behaviour. One can only think that they were inspired by a leader in the area who assaulted his own mother before her death some years ago and she had to be hospitalized.

It is a shame that some including sections of the media prefer to bury their heads in the sand to please the powers that be because of sheer fright and make false pronouncements that the election was free and fair. The State media particularly the electronic media was used to the maximum even on the eve of the election when there is a ban on campaigning. As long as the Constitutional Council is not appointed and there is no Police Commission, the government continues to use the police and the State media as if it is their private property. I do not see any point in the opposition fighting elections till these are duly appointed.

It is up to religious leaders of all religions to see that the government does this. The advance of the troops in the war must be applauded but it must be remembered that when the UNP lost the elections in 1994, all these areas that are claimed to have been got back now were in the hands of the then Government run by the Wijetunge-Wickremesinghe combine. It was the SLFP government which lost these areas to the LTTE of which the present Head of Government was also part of.

As a father, I feel I must suggest ways and means by which we can stop this violence in politics and in life as many decent people will leave our country if this state of affairs is allowed to continue unabated. Firstly, all leaders of political parties must choose candidates who are educationally qualified with at least a degree from a recognized university. A lack of education encourages bad behaviour, violence, revenge and a negative attitude of win at all cost no matter who one tramples on. This is a bad example for the young who will think that this is the only way to success.

Secondly, no person who is involved in cases of murder, robbery, drug abuse and rape should be given nomination by any party.

Leaders must have inquiries to question how those who used to travel on bicycles, didn’t own a car are now owning several valuable properties, sending their children to International schools, owning duty free shops although they make speeches saying they have no income and therefore don’t pay income tax!

This is the only way that clean, fair and free politics and elections can be held. Another reason that fosters disunity is the preferential vote. Candidates are not interested in promoting the party or increasing its vote base. Each one goes for the preferential vote, fighting among themselves to get a larger slice. Parties get more and more disunited causing more friction and infighting. All this is ruining our country and chasing away professionals, the learned and intellectuals whom we can hardly afford to lose.

I appeal to all leaders of political parties to do something before this volcano they have created erupts making our country even more of a hell than it is at the moment.

Palitha Indraratne,

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