* Asks Opposition to move SC against results

* Will stay on, ready to conduct general election

* Denies govt. interference, slams Katakatha Brigade

Reiterating that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s unprecedented victory at the presidential polls on January 26 was free from irregularities, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday (Feb. 3) urged the Opposition to move the Supreme Court against the incumbent without further delay, if it did not accept the results.

Addressing the media at his office, an irate Dissanayake said that the Opposition had only three weeks to file a case since the day of the election. "As it has already wasted seven days there should not be any further delay," he said. Dismissing Opposition claims that the President had secured a second term through a computer fraud perpetrated by a private agency, he emphasised that there was absolutely no basis for that claim.

He said that University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), affiliated to the University of Colombo, had been responsible for handling computer work related to the process, though counting was done manually. According to him, the UCSC had been involved in the process since 1981 and there had been no manipulation of results. He said that except for the late Professor V. K. Samaranayake, who had been involved in the setting up of the unit all other personnel had taken part in this year’s operation.

Dissanayake said that no one could have manipulated the process. But he severely criticised the government for turning a blind eye to directives issues by him and the Supreme Court to ensure a fair media coverage for major candidates. He said that he had done everything possible to ensure media impartiality but failed to achieve the intended results.

He was responding to Opposition criticism that his staff and the UCSC had helped the incumbent President to beat Opposition presidential candidate General (rted) Sarath Fonseka by a thumping majority of 1.8 million votes. He urged the Opposition and the media to get in touch with Dr. Ruwan Weerasinghe in charge of the UCSC and be enlightened on the process. He said that the Opposition had raised that issue with him. He regretted that some politicians could not comprehend even a simple issue.

Responding to The Island queries whether Basil Rajapaksa, MP, had interfered with his work to manipulate the final result, as claimed by the Opposition, a smiling Dissanayake said several people, including Lal Perera (presidential candidate), Sarath Manamendra (presidential candidate), Sharmila Perera (General Secretary of the National Democratic Front on whose ticket Sarath Fonseka contested) and lawyer Upul Jayasuriya had come to see him at his Rajagiriya office, though Basil Rajapaksa had not turned up there. He said that it was a blatant lie similar to several other ‘stories’ propagated by vested interests.

The Elections Commissioner said that trouble had started in the early hours of Wednesday (January 27), when political parties realised the general trend in voting. He said that there had not been a similar situation at any previous national election. He said that interested parties had spread rumours that he was being detained at gun point by the government; he had been rushed to Lanka (earlier Appollo) Hospital; he had met with an accident while on his way home from the Elections Secretariat and his children had been taken into custody.

"I have never ever experienced a similar situation before," the Commissioner said. The media might be able to trace those who were behind such rumour mongering, he said.

Dissanayake emphasised that he had not been harassed by any party. Referring to statements attributed to Opposition politicians that his body language at the announcement of the incumbent President as the winner indicated he was issuing the final results under duress, an exasperated Dissanayake said that he had had no sleep for almost 37 hours. "I was fatigued and particularly disturbed by the ‘stories’ doing the rounds. We did not know what was going on particularly in the light of rumours both here and overseas," he said.

Responding to a media query, Dissanayake shot back, "Don’t you think anyone else would not have been stressed out when faced with a similar situation?" He said that those engaged in propagating lies had used e-mail and SMS facilities to cause chaos not only in Sri Lanka but overseas as well.

Dissanayake, who had been severely critical of the government for not implementing the 17th Amendment to the Constitution for him to enjoy his long overdue retirement, said that he would gladly remain in office in case the Opposition filed a case. He said that both his staff and the Opposition had requested him to hold the forthcoming parliamentary polls and he intended to do so.