The Centre for Monitoring Elections Violence (CMEV) yesterday said that some 18 major election related offences were reported, including murder and attempted murder, out of a total of some 25 complaints.

The statement issued by the CMEV yesterday cited that the offences in the latter category include murder, attempted murder, assault, threat and intimidation, impersonation and ballot stuffing.

The CMEV pointed out that out of the major offences, three were reported from Ampara and two were from Trincomalee. Among the incidents that were highlighted in the CMEV report were the systematic impersonations in Thambiluvil, Tirukovil in Ampara District.

TMVP supporters at polling station 52, AK/Thambiluvil Central College were seen removing voter ink from their fingers and returning to vote repeatedly with new polling cards at around 9:15 a.m.

Also, in 51, AK/Thambiluvil Kaleimagal Vidyalaya, Thambiluvil, TMVP members were observed distributing polling cards at the entrance to the polling station and impersonating voters. Given the systematic impersonation of voters, CMEV calls for the voting in polling stations 51 and 52 to be annulled.

The CMEV statement also reported several mortar attacks close to polling stations. Two polling stations; Sri Sudharashanaramaya in 2-C Village and Pannalagama Vidyalaya, Pannalagama, had undergone mortar attacks at approximately 7 a.m. yesterday.

Due to the violent disruption that occurred in these polling stations, the CMEV requests the Elections Commissioner to order a re-poll for these polling stations.

The CMEV further reported an intimidation incident at Dehiattakandiya. The statement stated that the CMEV observed three vehicles (WP KD 3784 Maruti Alto, 32-3381 Pajero, JF 3114 Double Cab) in the surrounding area of Wevumedagama and Diyawiddagama yesterday morning.

CMEV monitors have reported that two people in these vehicles had been bearing arms and that they had stopped a Land Master tractor carrying voters and snatched their polling cards.

Although these groups of armed people were arrested by the Police, Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara had come to the Police Station and claimed that the arrested persons with arms were in his security detail. The individuals had been released by the Police without statements or complaints.

Several incidents of assault were also mentioned by the CMVE. Two EPDP party members had been assaulted by the TMVP Arapattu Organiser Shanthan and his cadres at 1:10 p.m. yesterday and Mohammed Nilam, candidate No. 10 of Independent Group had been assaulted near the polling booth by alleged UPFA supporters at around 9 a.m. yesterday.

The CMVE has also highlighted the incident at Tiriyaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kuchchaveli, where a large group of people allegedly assaulted voters at 7 am. The statement cited that according to SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem, the thugs were both inside and outside the polling station and they had prevented people from casting their vote.

The CMEV statement further stated that their observers were not permitted to monitor polling stations in Palathoppur. The observers had been taken arrested at a checkpoint at around 10:40 a.m. yesterday. They had been taken in for questioning to the Muttur Police Station and had been released by noon.

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