Elections violence and security in Jaffna

The police department had deployed around 8,000 policemen and 500 personnel from elite Special Task Force (STF) for duty on elections day to maintain law and order in places identified as hot spots by the Elections Commissioner, police sources said.

The Ruwanwella and Chilaw areas have been identified as hot spots by the Elections Commissioner. Number of incidents where election laws been violated came from Kaduwela.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested 121 persons through out the campaigning period for violating election laws and so far 87 complaints have been lodged with the Police Elections Desk, police media spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said.

Most of the incidents were reported where supporters of major political parties engage in removing or tearing down cut outs, banners and other election propaganda material.

According to the Police Elections Desk, 34 vehicles that were being used to carry out election campaigning in an unlawful manner have also been taken into custody.

Police said that the removal of election propaganda material that violated election was steadily progressing. Most of the incidents have been settled as most of the organizers in different electorates have been advised to prevent such incidents in their electorates.

Labourers were recruited as policemen that can be deployed to the purpose of removing elections propaganda materials are different from each station. The labour force is used to balance if there is any shortage. According to the Elections Department many cutouts and banners are yet to be removed in Killinochchi and Jaffna.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said that the security in the peninsula was in safe hands and no incidents violating elections laws had been reported.

He said the security on the elections day would be handled by the police and in case of any emergency the army would assist the police.

“The army will not be conducting any patrolling on the elections day and soldiers will be stationed at their respective points”, he said.

The police plans to place tight security would be deployed in all areas where the local government election is to be held on today for 65 local government bodies. (SD)