"What has worried many this time concerning the Eastern polls is the fact that the Government has partnered itself with a breakaway group of the LTTE —- namely the Karuna faction —- for the elections in Batticaloa." Image: Back to home from the TMVP Bunker +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(March 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Peoples’ Association for Fair and Free Elections (PAFFREL) filed a Fundamental Rights application in the Supreme Court last week, challenging the local polls slated to be conducted in Batticaloa in 10 days time for nine local government bodies.
Volatile situation
The petition stated that the operation of paramilitary armed groups in the Batticaloa district would hinder the conduct of free and fair local government elections in that area.
The petitioner has appealed for an Interim Order from the Court to annul polls, in the event violence breaks out at polling stations. This Interim Order if granted, would be valid until the final determination of this petition.
Meanwhile, a civil society collective last week appealed for postponement of the elections citing the volatile situation in the Batticaloa district.
After a two-day fact-finding mission to Batticaloa, the civil society group which comprised the Citizens’ Committee for Forcible Eviction of People; the Commission for Justice, Peace, Human Rights and Human Development; the Community Trust Fund; the International Movement Against Discrimination and Racism; the Justice and Peace for Integration of Creation; the Law & Society Trust; and the Rights Now - Collective for Democracy released a report titled “Afraid to even say the word: Elections in Batticaloa” at a media briefing in Colombo on Wednesday.
“Batticaloa elections seem to be about legitimizing brutality through forced political authority and participation”.
“The perpetrators of violence have sought to make a good impression on election monitors as they seek to legitimize their influence on local communities by entering mainstream politics while retaining their arms and using them as they wish,” the report stated.
Amusing and sad
The Government met such criticisms from various quarters, arguing that the record of violence in the Eastern district is not ‘so bad’ this time, given the notorious violence that characterised elections held in the past.
It is both amusing andsad to note that politicians in this country are blatant in admitting that violence has always been an inseparable and inevitable companion to polls held in the past. These are often the same polls by which they got elected to their seats and became known as the ‘representatives’ of the public.
What has worried many this time concerning the Eastern polls is the fact that the Government has partnered itself with a breakaway group of the LTTE —- namely the Karuna faction —- for the elections in Batticaloa.
This writer had an opportunity to visit Batticaloa last week and met with some of the candidates contesting the elections. The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal - the registered political party of the Karuna faction - seemed very enthusiastic about the elections - and reasonably so. However, all other parties made complaints about the ‘atrocities’ of the same TMVP.
Most of the people in Batticaloa whom this writer interviewed, were not inclined to making positive remarks about the outcome of the elections, but yet opted to express some optimism.
They offered only a spiritless smile when asked if there would be a free and fair election.
It was not quite a shock to learn that many of the Karuna cadres who are now contesting the election had been dispatched to countries such as India for ‘higher studies’ between 2003 and 2006.
The avenues through which those cadres could have travelled abroad are not difficult to guess, considering allegations of the Government’s involvement in securing the UK Visa for the TMVP leader Karuna.
Now, the Government prefers to keep mum on that issue most of the time. The problem seems to be that the Government, while fiercely carrying out campaigns to demonize the LTTE for the sake of giving a moral boost to the armed forces and the people of the country, has failed to pay sufficient attention to ‘sanitize’ ——through political propaganda ——- the former LTTE ‘comrades’ now in the TMVP, before aligning with them..... ( Via Email)
Volatile situation
The petition stated that the operation of paramilitary armed groups in the Batticaloa district would hinder the conduct of free and fair local government elections in that area.
The petitioner has appealed for an Interim Order from the Court to annul polls, in the event violence breaks out at polling stations. This Interim Order if granted, would be valid until the final determination of this petition.
Meanwhile, a civil society collective last week appealed for postponement of the elections citing the volatile situation in the Batticaloa district.
After a two-day fact-finding mission to Batticaloa, the civil society group which comprised the Citizens’ Committee for Forcible Eviction of People; the Commission for Justice, Peace, Human Rights and Human Development; the Community Trust Fund; the International Movement Against Discrimination and Racism; the Justice and Peace for Integration of Creation; the Law & Society Trust; and the Rights Now - Collective for Democracy released a report titled “Afraid to even say the word: Elections in Batticaloa” at a media briefing in Colombo on Wednesday.
“Batticaloa elections seem to be about legitimizing brutality through forced political authority and participation”.
“The perpetrators of violence have sought to make a good impression on election monitors as they seek to legitimize their influence on local communities by entering mainstream politics while retaining their arms and using them as they wish,” the report stated.
Amusing and sad
The Government met such criticisms from various quarters, arguing that the record of violence in the Eastern district is not ‘so bad’ this time, given the notorious violence that characterised elections held in the past.
It is both amusing andsad to note that politicians in this country are blatant in admitting that violence has always been an inseparable and inevitable companion to polls held in the past. These are often the same polls by which they got elected to their seats and became known as the ‘representatives’ of the public.
What has worried many this time concerning the Eastern polls is the fact that the Government has partnered itself with a breakaway group of the LTTE —- namely the Karuna faction —- for the elections in Batticaloa.
This writer had an opportunity to visit Batticaloa last week and met with some of the candidates contesting the elections. The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal - the registered political party of the Karuna faction - seemed very enthusiastic about the elections - and reasonably so. However, all other parties made complaints about the ‘atrocities’ of the same TMVP.
Most of the people in Batticaloa whom this writer interviewed, were not inclined to making positive remarks about the outcome of the elections, but yet opted to express some optimism.
They offered only a spiritless smile when asked if there would be a free and fair election.
It was not quite a shock to learn that many of the Karuna cadres who are now contesting the election had been dispatched to countries such as India for ‘higher studies’ between 2003 and 2006.
The avenues through which those cadres could have travelled abroad are not difficult to guess, considering allegations of the Government’s involvement in securing the UK Visa for the TMVP leader Karuna.
Now, the Government prefers to keep mum on that issue most of the time. The problem seems to be that the Government, while fiercely carrying out campaigns to demonize the LTTE for the sake of giving a moral boost to the armed forces and the people of the country, has failed to pay sufficient attention to ‘sanitize’ ——through political propaganda ——- the former LTTE ‘comrades’ now in the TMVP, before aligning with them..... ( Via Email)
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