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by Nesan Shankar Raji
(The Sri Lanka Guardian bears no responsibility for the ideas of this article please contact to author if you have any comment Email: ttnesan@yahoo.com )
(March 11, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is our duty as representatives our people to report our view to the Tamil speaking people, the Government of Sri Lanka and the international community, on the local elections that took place in the East yesterday. We wish to state that these elections were rigged by the Government of Sri Lanka in order to give the TMVP (Tamil Peoples Liberation Tigers) the majority.
We cannot accept that these elections were conducted in free and fair manner giving the opportunity for our people to cast their vote freely. There is ample evidence of the TMVP engaged in transporting civilians at Chiththaa'ndi and Ka'ruvaakkea'ni. These civilians were picked up from their homes and forced to vote under sheer intimidation by the TMVP. Our members and many locals have also witnessed the TMVP actively engaging in blatant election fraud by sending locals to cast their vote using false ID cards and other documentation which was not thoroughly checked by the Police at the polling stations in Vanthaa'rumoolai, Paththaa'lai, Chiththaandi and Kalmadu.
The TMVP have consistently intimidated and harassed the local civilians into casting their vote in favor of them winning this election. Votes were being cast fraudulently at the voting booths in Vanthaa'rumooalai, Chiththaandi, Peaththaa'lai, Kalmadu, Kumpu'rumoolai and Kalkudaa. Vanthaa'rumoolai, Paththaa'lai, Chiththaandi and Kalmadu.
We also have credible reports from our members and local civilians that the TMVP’s candidate Irasaiah Satheeskumar alias Anpumani who was actively participating in the local elections of Ea'raavoor pattu Pradeshiya Sabha had threatened innocent families in Vanthaa'rumoolai that unless the voters elect him, he will forcibly conscript one child per household, residents of Vanthaa'rumoolai.
TMVP’s candidate Irasaiah Satheeskumar alias Anpumani is a key TMVP operative who has been involved in many abductions and murders in the East and the locals fear him. This explains why many locals voted in favor of the TMVP for they feared for their lives and did not want their children being recruited by the TMVP and carry arms. Local civilians have been flooding to our offices and reporting the many election violations of the TMVP. Furthermore we have credible evidence that ballot boxes were switched last night between 18.00 and 20.30 hrs so that the TMVP would have the majority and fraudulently win this election. We must clearly state that this election was a travesty of elections. This election is a total and utter farce and was in no possible way conducted in a democratic, free and fair manner. The election results were rigged to give the TMVP terrorists the majority. We have only the Government of Sri Lanka to blame.
Despite our numerous complaints to the local police, DIG (Elections) H.M.D. Herath, the Election Commission and to PAFFREL our complaints were ignored and no action was taken. None of our complaints were of a minor nature as DIG (Elections) H.M.D. Herath and PAFFREL have claimed in the media. The Government of Sri Lanka also chose to cleverly prevent the killing of our member Mr Rasamanickam Thiyagarasa being publicised in the media. This killing was a political killing because we were contesting in the local elections and the Government of Sri Lanka has failed to give us the support and conduct the investigation into his killing appropriately.
President Mahinda Rajapakse can in no way claim that these local elections have been free and fair. It is unfortunate that the Government of Sri Lanka has chosen to support the TMVP and ensure that they win these elections.
Despite our genuine efforts we have only won 1 seat in the Batticaloa Municipal Council thanks to the votes of our people and their support for our party EDF (Eelavar Democratic Front). If the elections were conducted fairly then our chief candidate Mr Rajanathan Prabaharan would have won the Batticaloa Mayor seat. We wish to wholeheartedly thank our people who voted for our party and we urge our people to continue to show their support.
In the coming months we will be keeping a close eye on the TMVP and will continue to work towards eliminating their armed abductions, extortions and killings in the East. We will continue to pressure the Government of Sri Lanka to disarm the TMVP totally. The Government of Sri Lanka and the TMVP can no longer justify the need of the TMVP to carry arms. The TMVP can never be part of the democratic mainstream so long as they carry arms and operate in the East like terrorists. The Government of Sri Lanka is making a huge mistake by supporting these TMVP armed terrorists that has cost the lives of many innocent civilians living in the East. Real democracy is being denied to our people living in the North and East and this is blatantly evident.
If the President truly values democracy then the Government of Sri Lanka would support and treat all political parties and their representatives equally. In the run up to these elections they have consistently failed to do so and have damaged their credibility not only in the eyes of the Sri Lanka people but also in the eyes of the International community. With the TMVP in power there is no way that the local people in the East are going to be in a position to live in peace and harmony, instead they will be living under fear of the TMVP terrorists. The TMVP are in no way representatives of the Tamil speaking people living in the East, they are the TNA (Tiger Nominated Agents) of the President and the Government of Sri Lanka.
(The Writer, Senior Leader & Spokesperson of the EROS)
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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