by Deshawimala
While candidates battled on the political field and some for the ‘manape’, and some government members chose to battle the Commissioner of Elections, the LTTE used the opportunity to strike in the City of Colombo on Friday. The Tigers carried out a suicide mission near Town Hall where initial reports said five persons were killed in a suicide explosion near the Eye Hospital Friday morning.

Intelligence reports warned politicians in Colombo who have entered the October election fray not to hold meetings in the city as they had information of several LTTE suicide cadres infiltrating Colombo. Despite this warning some politicians from both the PA and UNP continue to hold pocket meetings ignoring the warning from the National Intelligence Bureau.

Security sources said the LTTE suicide bomber had targeted a Land Rover which carried some military officers, but eye witnesses claimed the suicide bomber attempted to enter the Eye Hospital where many military men are warded following injuries sustained in the war.

As candidates battled to get elected to the eleventh parliament, some in the government targeted the Commissioner of Elections, over the printing of secret stickers to ensure a free and fair election. Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake says he was acting under the powers vested in him to answer the call for just elections by political parties.

UNP General Secretary Gamini Athukorale reported to Dissanayake on forgery of polling cards and gave proof of his allegation by producing 81 forged cards. The Commissioner who examined the forged cards accepted that they were quite similar to the genuine ones printed by the Government Printer. Thereafter he decided to introduce a system to correct the situation. He ordered a printer to print secret stickers to be pasted to the polling card to prevent election malpractices.

Sources close to the Commissioner said the Elections Chief wanted to keep the move a secret for a brief period and to announce it to the political parties in the fray at the appropriate time. However, when parcels of printed stickers were being moved into the Elections Secretariat, the government got wind of the move and immediately directed the Criminal Investigation Department to commence inquiries.

The Commissioner of Elections following Athukorale’s complaint took steps in conformity with the law to get a recommendation from the Government Printer on the similarity between the genuine poll card and that of the forged one to refer the matter to the Inspector General of Police. The Government Printer confirmed that the forged cards were not printed at the Government Press. As police investigations were continuing, Dissanayake had no alternative but to think of some step to prevent rigging of elections.

He was not given an assurance by the IGP on a deadline the investigations would be over though the Commissioner warned that he was running out of time with hardly five weeks left for the election. He was also of the opinion that tampering of ballot boxes could not be prevented though they were sealed. As a measure to satisfy voters, contestants and others, he decided to print a secret sticker to ensure clean elections. His intention was to place the sticker on the cards just before they were despatched to the Postal Department. Being satisfied with the honesty and integrity of the printer, Dissanayake publicly took the full responsibility for this measure.

On the disclosure of this measure by the Commissioner of Elections, he came under severe criticism first by none other than the SLFP General Secretary S. B. Dissanayake. Dissanayake criticised the Commissioner saying the sticker was printed without informing the President and the government and therefore the step taken by the Commissioner looked suspicious. Later he corrected himself saying the government did not suspect the Commissioner but was unhappy that the government was not informed.

The Commissioner on his part reiterated that he had acted under powers vested in him. Under the present constitution, the Elections Commissioner is an independent person and is empowered to act in a manner without fear or favour. Therefore, the Commissioner has not violated any clause under the Elections Act but had complied with the laws to ensure a free and fair election.

When the political parties met the Commissioner on Tuesday, the PA Minister Alavi Moulana was critical of the step taken by the Commissioner but nine other political parties expressed satisfaction over the measure taken.

Following the dissolution of parliament, President Kumaratunga and her ministers claimed her government was fully committed to hold a free and fair election. This was repeated on many political platforms by the President who ordered her supporters to shun violence. The Commissioner of Elections has taken steps to uphold the policy of the government in power but he is being criticised by members of the very government which claimed to hold free and fair elections. The Commissioner has come in for praise from all quarters except from some in the government.

The Elections Commissioner who fearlessly went ahead to create the environment for a free and fair poll started to receive threatening telephone calls. On Tuesday morning he noticed unidentified men roaming around his house. Two men on a trailer bike was seen hovering around the area. Dissanayake immediately telephoned the Defence Secretary and sought protection. The IGP was directed to provide adequate security to the Commissioner. Immediately the police security was given to his house and the IGP ordered back up security to the Commissioner while travelling. The Commissioner later issued a press release to clarify certain newspaper reports as some newspapers (not the Upali Group) blew the situation out of proportion to say there was a demonstration outside the Commissioner’s house and that he was under siege.

The nation awaits a free and fair election to elect the eleventh parliament having experienced rigged polls in the past. Several non-governmental organisations and the Patriotic Movement launched a yellow ribbon programme where yellow strips of cloth were tied on people’s wrists as a plea to hold a free and fair election. At the inaugural ceremony at Elphinstone, UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse participated all smiles for a free poll.

Wickremesinghe asked Rajapakse what the PA’s theme was for the election. Rajapakse paused for a moment to say, "We need nothing. Batalanda is enough". Wickremesinghe cracked, "It’s a baseless dead theme". The UNP has put forward a theme called "Your Future" but the PA says their theme is the same as it was during the presidential poll, "Vision 21".

Wickremesinghe and Rajapakse are friends though in rival camps. Rajapakse is viewed as the next leader of the SLFP. Wickremesinghe addressing a UNP rally last week said that his party was willing to work with the SLFP sans Chandrika. Rajapakse has the backing of the majority in the SLFP comprising many seniors except for some young turks close to the palace guard. They have been in the party for just nine years after Kumaratunga’s return to the SLFP in 1992.

Despite the calls for a free and fair election, violence is on the increase. While political parties battle, infighting among the PA ranks for the ‘manape’ has heightened. This was visible last Sunday when the Labour Minister John Seneviratne had a painful experience at Kalawana at the hands of the supporters of a fair deputy minister in the Ratnapura District. Seneviratne was invited to hold a pocket meeting in Kalawana by a businessman close to the PA and he went there as planned. After sometime, Deputy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi arrived at the same venue with her supporters. Seneviratne’s presence annoyed Pavithra and it led to a heated argument.

The Labour Minister used his experience to calm down the situation. He had been with the SLFP for thirty five years with Pavithra being a new comer to SLFP politics. After the meeting they proceeded towards, Kalu Palama where they were attacked by some PA supporters who accused them of infiltrating into the deputy minister’s territory. A supporter in the group of attackers opened fire wounding five persons in the ministers convoy. The Nivitigala Police moved in immediately and opened fire to bring the situation under control.

The Labour Minister disgusted of the attitude of his colleague wrote to President Kumaratunga next day condemning the conduct of the deputy minister adding that there were more serious threats posed to him from the PA than from the rival political parties.

The minister in his complaint to the President stated that he duly informed the Kalawana Officer-in-Charge of the Police station about his visit and the message was noted down by Woman Constable 671 Indralatha. The minister has alleged the Kalawana OIC was a relative of deputy minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and he had reason to worry about the security lapse on the part of the police.

Last Tuesday, UNP chairman Karu Jayasuriya, Gamini Athukorale and Ravi Karunanayake filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal to prevent the government engaging Samurdhi Animators in election work. After having filed this application Jayasuriya proceeded to Gampaha where he had a series of meetings to attend.

Senior UNP candidates in the district, Jayasuriya, Anura Bandaranaike and John Amaratunga after attending meetings in Kelaniya and Peliyagoda proceeded towards Ragama where they were to be welcomed by the recent PA defector to the UNP, Edward Silva.

On the Ragama road, PA supporters burnt tyres to obstruct the convoy of vehicles carrying the UNP candidates. It is learnt that this attack was led by a PA provincial councillor. Following the burning of tyres, a clash erupted and a grenade exploded in the scene wounding six UNPers. The co-ordinating officer of Karu Jayasuriya too was injured while the three candidates escaped unhurt.

Residents in the Mahabage-Ragama area expressed shock at the manner in which a procession led by Jayasuriya, Bandaranaike and Amaratunga was attacked as the are known to be moderate politicians who condemns terror. They have ensured that rival political parties are allowed to hold meetings in their strongholds in the district without interruption. Political violence during the campaign has taken six lives and left over a 100 wounded so far.

The battle of the "Brothers in Islam", — Fowzie and Ashraff which re-commenced last week continued during the week with both sides hurling abusive remarks at each other. Ashraff continued to use the election platform to attack Fowzie and the latter made prompt replies to Ashraff through the media. Ashraff’s latest position was that he would not attend cabinet meetings till October 10 to avoid sitting with Fowzie in the cabinet room. He also said that the Almighty Allah would throw out Fowzie from the next cabinet and till then he would sit in the opposition. Fowzie who laughed at these comments told this columnist that Ashraff was ducking cabinet meetings to avoid being pulled up by the President for violating recruitment procedures where he had recruited thousands to the Port after the dissolution of parliament.

The Finance Ministry circular prohibiting recruitment after the dissolution of the House had been violated, Fowzie claimed. Speaking further Fowzie said that Ashraff would definitely sit in the opposition next time thanks to the PA as Ashraff could come back as he was contesting under the PA’s chair symbol. "If he contested under the SLMC’s tree symbol, he would be hanging on that tree with no votes to come to parliament", Fowzie joked.

The PA now appears to have understood that Ashraff’s new alliance was not serving as a partner to strengthen the PA but was looking to grab the PA vote in many districts. Fowzie put the situation as a marriage only confined to the register with the parties sleeping apart.

In a dramatic move this week, PA General Secretary D. M. Jayaratne issued instructions to Minister Ashraff to refrain from using the photograph of Kumaratunga in his candidates’ posters. This directive clearly shows that the PA was now not treating Ashraff’s alliance as a partner. PA sources say that Ashraff has shrewdly taken cover under the PA to contest Amapara to avoid defeat as defeat was certain if he went under his own tree symbol with the PA and UNP taking the major share in the Amapara vote bank.

On Friday it was rumoured that a letter was being drafted at the highest level to be issued to Ashraff directly through the SLFP office warning him to avoid using the President’s picture in the election campaign of his NUA. Ashraff criticised Kumaratunga on her failure to honour the pledge given to resolve his crisis with Fowzie on private television last Wednesday. This appears to have annoyed Kumaratunga. The PA is now at an advantage over any rift with Ashraff as the latter is on the PA list in Ampara and if he pulls out all votes that would be cast for the PA would be counted as PA votes.

PA sources have pointed out that the trade unions in the Ports Authority supporting the PA has warned that the recruitment of persons carried out by Ashraff to the SLPA could affect the PA after the election result by way of an election petition.

Unions say that after the closing of nominations any recruitment to the state sector tantamounted to bribery under the Elections Act which would form the ground for an election petition. A PA minister asked to comment on the position taken by the PA oriented trade unions in the Port said, "yes, we must be careful as it is another way to hold the government to ransom after victory".

The Chief Minister of the North Western Province, Sarath Nawinna is not prepared to give into Ashraff’s pressure to re-appoint K. A. Baiz as chairman of the Puttalam Urban Council. Nawinna removed him following allegations of fraud and misappropriation of Council funds to the tune of Rs. 40 million. Though Kumaratunga promised Ashraff that Baiz would be brought back, she is now facing resistance from the PA group in that province. PA sources say that Ashraff always put forward impossible and unjust demands to embarrass President Kumaratunga.

"How can the President bring back a man who faces allegations of fraud", asked a senior minister adding that Ashraff should help the President in her campaign against corruption rather than safeguarding people who are corrupt.

SLMC sources said that while their leader was trying to safeguard people like Baiz, honest men in the fold were being sacked or suspended. They said the latest was the young rising politician from Batticaloa, Mohamed Hisbullah, the deputy minister who is reported to have been asked to answer a charge sheet by next Friday on a move involving an issue of a liquor licence to a businessman in Batticaloa.

Hisbullah though young, is a strong personality in SLMC politics. He once took Ashraff to court when the SLMC was in the opposition on the issue that Hisbullah violated the agreement to resign his seat after two years in the 1989 parliament to make way for another. A stubborn Hisbullah fought the case and continued the full term in that parliament.

SLMC sources said that Hisbullah has been threatened that if he fails to answer the charge sheet he would be sacked from both the SLMC and the NUA. Hisbullah has made Batticaloa his base and done a lot of work for the people and is confident of returning to parliament from any political party. Even if he was sacked from the NUA his nomination in the list stands under the Elections Act. If Hisbullah is sacked he will join the band of SLMC moderate MPs sacked so far — M. M. Zuhair, Abu Bakr and Dr. I. M. Illyas. Though Zuhair, Abu Bakr and Illyas kept a low profile on the decision to remove them, it is unlikely that Hisbullah would be so as Hisbullah is known to be a man capable of taking on his leader.

The SLMC these days is hunting for popular men in other parties to grab SLFP and PA votes at the October elections. However these attempts proved futile when the SLMC tried to tap the Mujibur Rahaman Group in Colombo which is contesting as an Independent Group. This group had been offered a Chairmanship of a Corporation under Ashraff’s ministry but the offer had been declined. The Rahaman group is reported to have said that as long as wheeler dealer businessmen were involved in the SLMC they would only eat into the SLMC vote in the city.

On Thursday, one of there businessman who is the star candidate in the Colombo District Ashraff’s alliance hosted a lunch to several Muslim women in a bid to get their support. This lunch was hosted at this man’s residence. The women dressed in their traditional ’purdah’ congregated and the candidate thought it wise to make a speech before the lunch. He said that some interested parties were spreading a story that he was a womaniser. "Do you see anything like that in me", he asked.

Muslim women are said to be sensitive to such questions and some men present at this lunch disclosed that the women who were embarrassed covered their faces with their shawls as they could not answer. To avoid further embarrassment they started to move out one by one towards the lunch table. The question remained unanswered and some close associates of this wheeler dealer too looked angry as it was not a forum to raise such questions specially in the presence of women of their community.

Some of them present at this lunch said the involving of men of this calibre into SLMC politics has made the Muslim community lose confidence in the party. They said that when men like Illyas, Abu Bakr and Zuhair played an active role in SLMC politics, discipline and decorum were given priority and the party gained momentum day by day. That was why it became popular."Now that popularity is lost and it would be buried if Hisbullah is sacked". lamented a SLMC supporter.

All political quarters anxiously await the October election to see how Ashraff who boasted of returning 11 MPs would fare. Fowzie had put the figure at five and that too with two national list seats given by the PA.