Widespread violence, last-hour ballot stuffing mark elections in East

Pro LTTE website www.tamilnet says that Paramilitary TMVP personnel entered several polling stations in the Tamil areas in Batticaloa and Trincomalee and stuffed the ballot boxes forcefully during the last-hour, before the ballot boxes were removed to counting centers in Batticaloa. Meanwhile, election officials said an average of 60% voter turn-out was registered across the three districts in the East. The polling was high in Sinhalese and Muslim areas while an average of 45-50% votes were registered in Tamil areas. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has recorded 64 incidents at 6:00 p.m. Saturday. Majority of major offenses were committed in Batticaloa district, followed by Ampaa'rai (12) and Trincomalee (08).

30 000 additional personnel, including STF elite commandos, from the Sri Lankan armed forces were deployed in duty to ensure free and fair elections throughout the Eastern province, according to the sources there.

Meanwhile the CMEV said systematic impersonation was most widespread with a particular concentration in the Batticaloa District where 15 of the 22 such incidents occurred.

Areas of serious concern in respect of violence and malpractice in the province are Valaichchenai and Kathankudy in the Batticaloa District, the Pottuvil Polling Division in the Ampara District and Thiriyai in the Trincomalee District.

The CMEV called upon the Election Commissioner to order a re-poll in these areas.