SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY CLAIMS SURPRISE WIN IN PARLIAMENTARY VOTE MARRED WITH VIOLENCE AND DEATH
Record ID:
584919
SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY CLAIMS SURPRISE WIN IN PARLIAMENTARY VOTE MARRED WITH VIOLENCE AND DEATH
- Title: SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY CLAIMS SURPRISE WIN IN PARLIAMENTARY VOTE MARRED WITH VIOLENCE AND DEATH
- Date: 8th December 2001
- Summary: (W4) COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (DECEMBER 5, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. MV BALLOT BOXES FROM COLOMBO POLLING STATIONS OUT OF BUS; SECURITY SUPERVISING PROCESS; MV MORE ELECTION WORKERS CARRYING BALLOT BOXES OUT OF BUS TO COUNTING STATIONS (4 SHOTS) 0.23 2. MV ELECTION WORKERS CHECKING BALLOT BOXES; MV SECURITY OVERSEEING PROCESS; SCU ELECTION WORKER CHECKING BALLOT BOX NUMBER AGAINST HIS LIST; MV SOLDIER AND SEALED BALLOT BOX (8 SHOTS) 1.07 3. ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER DAYANANDA DISSANAYAKE WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM 1.15 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAYANANDA DISSANAYAKE SAYING "In several areas, violence has been erupted. Due to violence the poll has been disrupted to some extent. In certain places the poll has been captured, to some extent, and some of the areas, very emminently violence has erupted. To that extent we have to consider whether these polling stations have been annulled or not. So if there is violence, of course it should have an impact on the poll. So that has to be detailed out with the report that we are getting" 2.04 (W4) KANDY, SRI LANKA (DECEMBER 6, 2001) (REUTERS) 5. SLV EMPTY STREETS DURING CURFEW; LAS MAN LOOKING OUT OF WINDOW; MV WOMAN WALKING (6 SHOTS) 2.35 6. MV BODY OF ONE OF THE MUSLIMS KILLED IN POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON ELECTION DAY TAKEN OUT OF MORTUARY AND INTO VAN; MV SECURITY; MV BODY BEING PUT INTO VAN; MV MOURNERS CLOSE VAN DOOR (4 SHOTS) 2.55 7. MV SECOND BODY OUT OF MORTUARY AND INTO VAN (4 SHOTS) 3.19 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNP PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CANDIDATE FOR THE AREA, KEHELIYA RABUKWALLA SAYING "In my constituency minoriteis, the Tamils, the Muslims, they are the minorities. Although they are minorities they were holding their right to vote. They did everything possible to safeguard their own vote. This is the price that they had to pay finally. I hope that the authorities will take the necessary actions for these brutal killers 3.43 9. MV MOURNER RUNS THROUGH THE CROWD IN BRAWL 3.52 10. MV MAN TRIES TO CALM SITUATION DOWN SHOUTING IN TAMIL; MAN BEING DRAGGED AWAY FROM A FIGHT; MV ANOTHER MAN WITH A GUN BEING CALMED DOWN; SCU ANOTHER MAN CRYING (4 SHOTS) 4.20 11. MV BODY OF ANOTHER MUSLIM VICTIM OF KILLINGS ON ELECTION DAY BEING CARRIED OUT OF MOSQUE; MV PEOPLE WATCHING; MV BODY INTO VAN; SCU MV PEOPLE WATCHING (5 SHOTS) 4.37 12. MV ANOTHER MUSLIM KILLED IN VIOLENCE LAID OUT IN HOUSE; SCU CHILDREN WATCHING; SCU WOMAN CRYING; MV MEN PAYING THEIR RESPECTS; SCU BODY LAID OUT (4 SHOTS) 4.55 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: COLOMBO AND KANDY, SRI LANKA
- Country: Sri Lanka
- Reuters ID: LVA7NSUKTGXAQ5S9OIABSYJALYY0
- Story Text: Sri Lanka's main opposition party has claimed a
surprise win in the parliamentary vote although the Elections
Commissioner said violence and suspected ballot stuffing meant
several polls had be annulled.
With about one-third of the votes counted on Thursday
(December 6) the United National Party (UNP) surged ahead with
48 percent of the vote to about 38 percent for President
Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance (PA).
Only hours after the ballot boxes were gathered ahead of
the counting on election evening, a curfew was imposed to keep
a lid on ethnic tensions and inter-party clashes which have
marred the poll.
The curfew was then extended until dawn on Friday.
The government announced the islandwide curfew after the
Muslim Congress supporters were killed in election violence.
The snap election, called after several defections put the
ruling PA and its Marxist coalition partner in danger of
losing a no confidence vote, has been one of the bloodiest on
record.
The independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence
(CMEV) said on election eve that there had been more than
2,000 clashes in the six-week campaign and together with
observers from the European Union (EU) they warned the vote
could be tainted by ballot stuffing and more bloodshed.
On Wednesday, the CMEV monitoring centre called for new
elections in 15 polling area in seven of the country's 22
electoral districts.
Just as the vote counting began on Wednesday (December 5)
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said violence had
been reported in several areas on election day itself and that
he planned to meet with party leaders on Thursday to discuss
the possibility of annulling the vote in those areas.
"In several areas, violence has been erupted. Due to
violence the poll has been disrupted to some extent. In
certain places the poll has been captured, to some extent, and
some of the areas, very emminently violence has erupted. To
that extent we have to consider whether these polling stations
have been annulled or not," he said in a live broadcast to
the nation.
"So If there is violence, of course it should have an
impact on the poll. So that has to be detailed out with the
report that we are getting," Dissanayake added later.
It is the first time Dissanayake has powers to order
re-polling instead of annulling the vote as he did last year
and on Thursday he announced to the nation that voting in
several areas had indeed been annulled because of suspected
ballot stuffing.
He also said he would meet party officials before deciding
whether to order new voting in the areas in Kandy and Gampaha
districts, two of the most populous in the country.
The CMEV said several polling stations in the Kandy area
had all their votes cast before polling even opened.
Last year Kandy was the scene of massive ballot stuffing
which the monitors blamed on the ruling party and voting was
annulled in serveral parts.
Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem said 9 of its
supporters were shot dead in a clash with majority Sinhalese
PA supporters on Wednesday. Another four were killed in
seperate incidents in the area.
One witness said the nine had been driving in a van with
ballot papers from the polling station when the convoy was
attacked. Two vans in front got away.
The UNP parliamentary candidate for the area Keheliya
Rabukwalla blamed the government for the deaths.
"In my constituency minoriteis, the Tamils, the Muslims,
they are the minorities. Although they are minorities they
were holding their right to vote. They did everything possible
to safeguard their own vote. This is the price that they had
to pay, finally. I hope that the authorities will take the
necessary actions for these brutal killers," he said.
At least 15 people were killed on Tuesday and Wednesday,
taking the election death toll close to 60, with 700 people
injured.
Most of the violence has been blamed on militants backing
the PA and the UNP.
The government also closed key checkpoints in the the
war-torn north and east, preventing tens of thousands of
minority Tamils from voting.
Election monitors reported vote rigging and violence in
several parts of the country soon after polling stations
opened following a night of bloodshed in which 5 people died.
The military closed the main checkpoint in the northern
Wanni district and two key checkpoints in the eastern
Batticaloa district, preventing voters in rebel-held areas,
where there are no polling boots, from reaching polling
stations located in government-controlled territory.
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