East polls signals end of free and fair elections – Ranil

I was amused to read the above statement by Leader of Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe.

I like to find out when Sri Lanka had a free and fair election after the 1977 General Election.

The rot began with the Scandalous Referendum of 1983 to extend the term of the then Parliament by six years.

Viswa Warnapala has written a well documented book on the referendum.

It was the most vulgar and criminal exploitation of the ballot.

Polling agents in Attanagalle were pulled out from stations and assaulted. JR gave the green light to do anything to win it.

Incidents similar to Attanagalle were seen all over the island.

The 1988 Presidential Election was again a violent one with several SLFP organizers killed on the day before and the day of the election. I was the SLFP organizer for Panadura.

I was a near victim when gunmen shot at me and my wife on the 18th of December, 1988. Eight of my supporters were killed, including the Secretary of the SLFP Youth League and my driver. It was a UNP government and they did nothing to arrest the culprits.

My wife and I escaped while the assassins were following us and shooting.

Was that a fair and free election ? After that, theGeneral Election under President D. B. Wijetunga was free of intimidation and violence.

I am sure that a flawed election in the Eastern Province is better than no election. The people of the East, who have been denied their human rights for over 20 years, now have a chance of taking the first step to democracy.