By Feizal Samath
COLOMBO, Dec 11 1999 (IPS)

Independent poll observers in Sri Lanka have found a simple way of circumventing rules that bar them from polling stations in the upcoming presidential election — using voters to report any irregular happenings.

“We will put in place a unique voter-relay system where voters, working for us as volunteers, would go into polling booths at intervals of every half or one hour and report what is going on inside,” said Godfrey Gunatillake, chairman of PAFFREL.

His organisation has monitored every election in Sri Lanka for the past 10 years. Though independent observers like PAFFREL or the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections are legally barred from entering polling booths, senior presiding officers have always provided access.

But last week, the Acting Election Commissioner W.M.B.P. Dassanayake, under pressure from a skittish government, informed private polling monitors including PAFFREL that they would not be allowed into booths.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga and opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe from the United National Party (UNP) are the main contenders in the presidential race on Dec. 21. There are a total of 13 candidates in the fray.

Kumaratunga’s ruling People’s Alliance (PA) is opposed to poll observers and had asked the acting election commissioner to exclude both local and foreign observers, although their presence was jointly requested by the other candidates.

The ruling party’s general secretary D.M. Jayaratne, who is also the agriculture minister, asserted that local monitors, particularly the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), were not impartial during the recent provincial council polls.

However, at a Cabinet meeting, the government decided to dispell fears of vote rigging and permit foreign monitors. Commissioner Dassanayake has sent requests to 15 countries.

A total of 22 foreign observers — from South Asia and non- governmental organisations — have so far accepted the invitation, officials said. They are expected to arrive here after Dec. 16.

Executive Director Kingsley Rodrigo said PAFFREL hoped to enlist and train at least 10 voters per polling station to report back on irregularities in the polling booth.

“What we want them to do, while casting their vote, is to look around and see whether all the polling agents are there, whether there are police officers present and whether the process is smooth,” he explained.

PAFFREL and CMEV are the two main local monitors, with a third organisation, the Movement for Free and Fair Elections (MFFE), working together with PAFFREL in a joint exercise.

Rodrigo said PAFFREL has separately invited foreign observers and so far, 25 people from Europe and Asia — mostly lawyers, human rights activists and retired judges — have confirmed their acceptance. They include five from Europe, 10 from South Asia including members of the Calcutta Bar Association and 10 from the Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections.

“We wanted some observers from the United States but were unable to do so due to funding problems and also due to the Christmas holidays,” he said. The CMEV was also hoping to get 25 foreign observers.

While foreign observers invited by local monitors would also not be permitted inside polling booths, Rodrigo said foreign observers sponsored by the Elections Commissioner are likely to get access, as in the past.

“This time however we are going to strongly object to the commissioner, as he has no right to allow any person inside polling booths other than election officials, voters and agents of candidates,” he said.

PAFFREL has mobilised 8,000 volunteers drawn from various NGOs — including Sri Lanka’s biggest community service group, Sarvodaya — to cover more than half the 9,000 polling booths across the island.

Apart from vote rigging, there are fears of widespread violence, not uncommon in Sri Lankan elections. There was unprecedented vote rigging and intimidation during the Wayamba or northwest provincial council elections earlier this year which was won by the ruling party.

Earlier this week, the government accused independent election monitors of inflating figures of poll-related violence.

Sri Lanka’s Media minister and government spokesman Mangala Samaraweera told reporters on Dec. 7, that the poll monitors, particularly the CMEV, and a section of the media were trying to embarrass the government by exaggerating the violence.

“This is being done by them on behalf of Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe in a desperate move to find reasons for his evident defeat in the presidential elections,” Samaraweera said.

So far three people have died and police have reported 300 complaints — assaults, intimidations, damage to property — from different political parties in the run up to the closely-fought presidential poll.

The CMEV has also reported more than 300 incidents, while PAFFREL said it received 169 complaints. “We normally check and recheck these figures. We only consider written complaints, not ones made by phone,” Rodrigo said.

He said the situation was less explosive than in the run-up to the last 1994 election when 20 people, including UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake were killed.

Last week, PAFFREL said in a statement that the highly personalised nature of the campaign conducted by the two main candidates, Kumaratunga and Wickremasinghe, was taking the two main parties on a course of bitter confrontation.

“We are deeply apprehensive that this together with other ugly features of the campaign such as the type of posters being displayed and attacks on party offices can exacerbate rivalries and endanger the peaceful conduct of the election,” it said.

Excerpt:

By Feizal Samath
COLOMBO, Dec 10 1999 (IPS)

Independent poll observers in Sri Lanka have found a simple way of circumventing rules that bar them from polling stations in the upcoming presidential election — using voters to report any irregular happenings.

“We will put in place a unique voter-relay system where voters, working for us as volunteers, would go into polling booths at intervals of every half or one hour and report what is going on inside,” said Godfrey Gunatillake, chairman of PAFFREL.

His organisation has monitored every election in Sri Lanka for the past 10 years. Though independent observers like PAFFREL or the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections are legally barred from entering polling booths, senior presiding officers have always provided access.

But last week, the Acting Election Commissioner W.M.B.P. Dassanayake, under pressure from a skittish government, informed private polling monitors including PAFFREL that they would not be allowed into booths.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga and opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe from the United National Party (UNP) are the main contenders in the presidential race on Dec. 21. There are a total of 13 candidates in the fray.

Kumaratunga’s ruling People’s Alliance (PA) is opposed to poll observers and had asked the acting election commissioner to exclude both local and foreign observers, although their presence was jointly requested by the other candidates.

The ruling party’s general secretary D.M. Jayaratne, who is also the agriculture minister, asserted that local monitors, particularly the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), were not impartial during the recent provincial council polls.

However, at a Cabinet meeting, the government decided to dispell fears of vote rigging and permit foreign monitors. Commissioner Dassanayake has sent requests to 15 countries.

A total of 22 foreign observers — from South Asia and non- governmental organisations — have so far accepted the invitation, officials said. They are expected to arrive here after Dec. 16.

Executive Director Kingsley Rodrigo said PAFFREL hoped to enlist and train at least 10 voters per polling station to report back on irregularities in the polling booth.

“What we want them to do, while casting their vote, is to look around and see whether all the polling agents are there, whether there are police officers present and whether the process is smooth,” he explained.

PAFFREL and CMEV are the two main local monitors, with a third organisation, the Movement for Free and Fair Elections (MFFE), working together with PAFFREL in a joint exercise.

Rodrigo said PAFFREL has separately invited foreign observers and so far, 25 people from Europe and Asia — mostly lawyers, human rights activists and retired judges — have confirmed their acceptance. They include five from Europe, 10 from South Asia including members of the Calcutta Bar Association and 10 from the Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections.

“We wanted some observers from the United States but were unable to do so due to funding problems and also due to the Christmas holidays,” he said. The CMEV was also hoping to get 25 foreign observers.

While foreign observers invited by local monitors would also not be permitted inside polling booths, Rodrigo said foreign observers sponsored by the Elections Commissioner are likely to get access, as in the past.

“This time however we are going to strongly object to the commissioner, as he has no right to allow any person inside polling booths other than election officials, voters and agents of candidates,” he said.

PAFFREL has mobilised 8,000 volunteers drawn from various NGOs — including Sri Lanka’s biggest community service group, Sarvodaya — to cover more than half the 9,000 polling booths across the island.

Apart from vote rigging, there are fears of widespread violence, not uncommon in Sri Lankan elections. There was unprecedented vote rigging and intimidation during the Wayamba or northwest provincial council elections earlier this year which was won by the ruling party.

Earlier this week, the government accused independent election monitors of inflating figures of poll-related violence.

Sri Lanka’s Media minister and government spokesman Mangala Samaraweera told reporters on Dec. 7, that the poll monitors, particularly the CMEV, and a section of the media were trying to embarrass the government by exaggerating the violence.

“This is being done by them on behalf of Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe in a desperate move to find reasons for his evident defeat in the presidential elections,” Samaraweera said.

So far three people have died and police have reported 300 complaints — assaults, intimidations, damage to property — from different political parties in the run up to the closely-fought presidential poll.

The CMEV has also reported more than 300 incidents, while PAFFREL said it received 169 complaints. “We normally check and recheck these figures. We only consider written complaints, not ones made by phone,” Rodrigo said.

He said the situation was less explosive than in the run-up to the last 1994 election when 20 people, including UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake were killed.

Last week, PAFFREL said in a statement that the highly personalised nature of the campaign conducted by the two main candidates, Kumaratunga and Wickremasinghe, was taking the two main parties on a course of bitter confrontation.

“We are deeply apprehensive that this together with other ugly features of the campaign such as the type of posters being displayed and attacks on party offices can exacerbate rivalries and endanger the peaceful conduct of the election,” it said.

Excerpt: