by Saman Indrajith
There won’t be an environment for the voters to cast their votes peacefully if the two major parties do not stop violence at least in the last two days prior to the December 5th General Election, the JVP says.

"The number of election related violence have passed 1700 and 17 persons were killed so far on election related incidents. If this scenario continues, we do not think a free and fair election can be held and we feel it would affect election results," JVP’s General Secretary Tilwin Silva told the last press conference of the JVP election campaign held at Hotel Nippon yesterday.

Both the two parties, one in power and the one seeking power try to defeat each other by violence and have instigated their supporters against political opponents. "The JVP is the only party that didn’t break any election regulations but was subjected to thuggerism unleashed by both the PA and the UNP. We have information that some thugs have been instructed to go to polling booths in red shirts in the pretext of being JVP cadres to snatch polling cards from the voters," he said.

"There will be a mud slinging propaganda against us, and many forces might distort the image of the JVP with tons of lies, but our victory is ensured."

"We’ll definitely win," said Propaganda Secretary of the JVP Wimal Weerawansa. Since many surveys have indicated the inevitable loss of the major parties, they are trying to create terror in remote areas where the JVP can win. "Then, it is easy for them to rob this election, and the PA can declare curfew in such places which will eventually affect the result of the election," he said.

"Both the PA and the UNP are killing the last hopes of a free and fair election," he lamented. The JVP has informed the IGP and the Election Commissioner about the possible threat to the December 5th General Election, and have requested the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader to take immediate action to ensure a conducive environment for the election.