TNS Corner
Violence escalates as parties hit campaign trail

Feb 25, 2004, 05:32

As nominations closed for the snap election on Tuesday noon and the parties gear for a five weeks of intense political campaign, election-related violence was reported from many districts in the Island nation.

Police had to use tear gas and baton charge on unruly supporters of political parties to take control of the situation in some places, according to police sources. In Kegalle district, police baton charged and used tear gas to disperse UPFA supporters who clashed with the police. The unrest started when UPFA and UNF supporters clashed in the Kegalle District Secretariat premises soon after nominations were submitted.

Several policemen and UPFA supporters were injured in the incident. A Sinhala daily correspondent Chandana Pushpakumara was attacked by an unidentified gang and was admitted to the Kegalle hospital. In another incident at Hemmathagama in Kegalle, three UPFA supporters were injured, when a group of UNF supporters, who were returning after nominations, had attacked a UPFA office.

Four people, two UPFA supporters, a Sub Inspector attached to the Ahangama police and a police Sergeant attached to Akmeemana police, admitted to the Karapitiya hospital in Galle district, when UPFA and UNF supporters clashed at the Galle Secretariat.

Meanwhile, a Kurunegala town office belonging to former Kurunegala District MP and UPFA candidate Jayantha Herath was attacked by an armed gang. SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said around 3.30 p.m. the house of Mr. Herath and the election office close to his house and his supporters were attacked. Three lorries, five buses, and eight motorcycles were damaged when thugs from the UNP attacked UPFA supporters when they were returning after nominations at the Kurunegala District secretariat, said Mr. Sirisena. He claimed the thugs attacked houses, offices and also fired several shots.

Earlier Nominations for Sri Lanka's snap elections closed at 12 noon with a record 6,024 candidates ready to battle for 225 parliamentary seats. There were 24 recognised political parties and 192 independent groups fielding candidates. "Only 11 nomination papers were rejected for various reasons," a spokesman for the elections commission told TNS.

Sri Lanka's election chief Dayananda Dissanayake said that he could not forecast the level of violence during the campaign despite fears expressed by poll monitors that the run up to the vote could be bloody.

On the last election in 2001, a staggering 2297 incidents of election violence, has being reported to the election monitoring center. The total death toll stands at 45 while over 350 persons have been hospitalised with serious injures. Among the incidents reported 1189 had been reported by the UNP, 798 by the PA, 87 by the JVP, 77 by the SLMC and the balance by other parties and individuals.

The district of Chilaw recorded the highest number incidents with 256, followed by 236 from Anuradhapura, 165 from Ampara, 109 from Kegalle, 105 from Matara, 104 from Gampaha, 98 from Kuliyapitiya, 93 from Tangalle, 87 from Kurunegala, 86 from Kandy, 78 from Batticaloa, 77 from Nuge-goda, 75 from Polonnaruwa, 73 from Kalutara, 52 each from Kelaniya and Nuwara Eliya and 51 from Galle.

The UNF is to kick off the election campaign with an inaugural rally in Kandy on Thursday while the UPFA will hold its inaugural rally in Anuradhapura on the same day.

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