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"To us
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Home > Tamils - a Nation without a State > Struggle for Tamil Eelam > Democracy, Sri Lanka Style > British Refugee Council on Democracy, Sri Lanka style
Democracy Continues, Sri Lanka Style...
"In elections marked by violence, the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) secured a slender victory on 6 April, in all five Provincial Councils, four of which were earlier controlled by the main opposition United National Party (UNP)....
...... Over 340,000 votes were spoiled, including 50,000 in Colombo District, indicating according to observers, a loss of public confidence in the electoral process.
Some 32,500 policemen were deployed, but there was widespread violence in the run-up to and during elections. The police received some 1,000 complaints, including 298 on election day. Murder, grievous injury, abduction and arson were reported. A man was killed in a bomb attack on the UNP office in Kegalle on 4 April. Another UNP supporter died in a clash in Matale on the same day. A PA member was shot dead in Udathumbara on 5 April.
An organised campaign of intimidation was directed against election monitors.
Sources say that death threats from PA politicians in some areas forced monitors into hiding. Lands minister DM Jayaratne accused the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) of supporting the UNP and releasing false statistics. CMEV Director Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu said that the Centre was acting within the law. He has challenged the minister to have legal recourse if there is evidence of illegality.
The CMEV says that 911 polling stations were monitored and in 302 (33%) of them systematic impersonation, vote rigging and chasing out polling agents were observed. ...
The Provincial Councils are elected under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, following the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987, for the purpose of devolving power to the provinces, particularly to the Tamil-majority north-east, as a solution to the chronic ethnic conflict in the island. After ten years, there is lack of effective devolution and provincial elections are seen by some as glorified opinion polls for national elections. The North-East Provincial Council was dissolved in June 1990 and no election has since been held....
Genuine attempts at peace and ethnic reconciliation, which would give confidence to the minorities, are lacking....
