CMEV - Interim Report of Eastern Provincial Council Elections - May 2008

Slide 2: About CMEV CMEV was formed in 1997 by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition Against Political Violence as an independent and non-partisan organization to monitor the incidents of election related violence and has monitored or observed every election since then. It is currently constituted by CPA, FMM and INFORM Human Rights Documentation.

Slide 3: CMEV Operations While overall monitoring and evaluation was coordinated at the Colombo office, each district had a designated district coordinator who was assisted by field mobile teams and stationary monitors. 3.In Trincomalee : 6 field monitors, 6 mobile monitor teams and 110 stationary monitors 4.In Batticaloa : 12 field monitors, 8 mobile monitor teams and 190 stationary monitors 5.In Ampara: 6 field monitors, 8 mobile monitor teams, and 70 stationary monitors

Slide 4: JSP A-Z JVP EDF UNP PNG IND 1 EPDP UPFA LTTE SLMC TMVP POLICE Grand Total Perpetrators Murder Att.Murder Griev.Hurt 1 1 Hurt 1 1 1 2 Assault Threat & Intimid. 0 0 2 3 9 1 2 5 1 Misuse of State Resources Robbery Ballot Stuffing Sys. Imper 5 25 Sml.Scl. Imper 1 Seizing Polling Cards Poll.Agt Related Major Incidents Voter Related 2 1 1 1 Ballot Box Related ID Issue 5 Elec.Official Related 2 1 Att Stuffing & Imper Intimid. Presense Ele.Mtr Related 2 2 Arson 0 0 0 30 1 0 1 4 0 7 1 0 0 4 0 1 1 Abduction Offences by party Major(Total) 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 12 18 29 Mischief Threat Damage toProperty Election Offence 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 3 3 Others Minor incidents Minor(Total) 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 5 3 64 0 1 2 14 0 17 Total # of Incidents 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 81 17 23 32 Firearms Involved 7 1 2 4 Poll. Centre Remarks 8 3 2 3 20 25 61

Slide 5: Offences report (cumulative) Major Incidents Minor incidents Remarks Total # of Incidents Damage toProperty Ballot Box Related Firearms Involved Threat & Intimid. Intimid. Presense Election Offence Poll.Agt Related Ele.Mtr Related Misuse of State Sml.Scl. Imper Seizing Polling Ballot Stuffing Att Stuffing & Voter Related Major(Total) Minor(Total) Elec.Official Poll. Centre Att.Murder Griev.Hurt Sys. Imper Abduction Resources Robbery Mischief Polling ID Issue Murder Related Assault Others Threat Imper Cards Arson Hurt District Division Kalkudah 4 1 1 6 3 3 9 12 Battical Batticaloa 1 1 4 1 12 2 1 1 23 1 1 2 4 27 1 20 oa Padiruppu 2 2 1 1 3 3 Total 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 31 0 1 1 6 0 8 39 1 35 Ampara 1 1 4 1 1 8 7 7 15 6 Sammanturai 1 1 0 1 1 Ampara Kalmunai 0 0 0 Potuvil 1 2 13 16 1 1 17 6 13 Total 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 25 0 0 0 8 0 8 33 6 20 Seuwila 0 0 0 Trincom Trincomalee 2 1 1 4 1 1 5 5 alee Mutur 2 1 1 4 0 4 1 Total 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 8 0 0 1 0 0 1 9 0 6 GrandTotal 0 0 2 3 9 1 0 0 0 30 1 0 1 4 0 7 1 0 0 4 0 1 64 0 1 2 14 0 17 81 7 61

Slide 6: Alleged perpetrators of violence Polling District TMVP UPFA EDF JSP SLMC UNP EPDP LTTE JVP IND 1 POLICE A - Z PNG TOTAL Division Kalkudah 2 4 1 1 1 9 Batticaloa 15 10 1 1 27 Batticaloa Padiruppu 1 2 3 Total 18 14 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 39 Ampara 5 1 9 15 Sammanturai 1 1 Ampara Kalmunai 0 Potuvil 14 1 1 1 17 Total 14 7 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 33 Seuwila 0 Trincomalee 1 4 5 Trincomalee Mutur 1 1 1 1 4 Total 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 9 Grand Total 32 23 0 0 1 4 0 1 0 0 3 0 17 81

Slide 7: Problems with highest frequency • Systematic impersonation • Voter intimidation • Obstruction of voting • Election related violence • Chasing away and intimidation of Polling Agents

Slide 8: Valaichennai / Kattankudy • Pre-poll violence • Systematic impersonation • Voter intimidation • Presence of armed gangs • Distribution of false identification • Transporting of voters • Obstruction of monitors’ access to polling stations

Slide 9: Thirukkovil / Aaliyadavembu • Voter impersonation by underage persons • No proper mechanism to verify identification • Distribution of polling cards by TMVP members • Presence of armed groups in the area • Inactive police personnel • Chasing away of polling agents

Slide 10: Thiriyai • Repeated cases of election violence, particularly assaults on various politicians • Ballot stuffing in Thiriyai • Systematic impersonation and voter intimidation • Abuse of state resources • Propaganda material being distributed on election day

Slide 11: Other Major Offences • Grievous Hurt • Intimidation of election officials • Assault and Intimidation of Political Party Officials • Abuse of State Resources

Slide 12: Other Major Offences •Intimidation of voters •Intimidation of Polling Agents •Propaganda and Election Campaigning continuing past midnight of the 8th

Slide 13: Challenges to monitoring • Detaining of monitors • Chasing away of monitors • Obstructing monitors’ access to polling stations • Ineffectiveness of local police • Monitors received little co-operation from the SPOs and other election officials • Threats by politicians

Slide 17: Recommendations 1. The conduct of the election clearly reinforces the urgency and pivotal importance of implementing the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in full. This entails the reconstitution of the Constitutional Council and its nomination of members to independent commissions, including commissions for the Police, Elections and Public Service – all of which have key responsibilities for the conduct of free and fair elections. 3. The serious problems observed by monitors regarding the conduct of the Police and officials responsible for the conduct of a free and fair election demands this. 5. Political parties need to ensure that their Polling Agents are present in the Polling Stations and are not deterred in fulfilling their responsibilities by threat, intimidation and assault prior to Polling Day and on Polling Day.

Slide 18: Recommendations 1. The procedures agreed upon with regard to Voter identity and the required documentation with regard to this, must be clearly communicated to the officials in the Polling Stations and strict implementation ensured. IDs required for voting must be such that they cannot be easily forged. 3. Given the violence and malpractice that takes place outside of the Polling Station and the impact it has on the exercise of the franchise, procedures must be put in place to ensure that reports of these violations are taken into account when considering whether annulment and re - polling is necessary. 5. Steps should be taken to ensure that the detailed reports of election observers/monitors stationed in Polling Stations can be received by their organizations in time to be communicated to the Election Commissioner, before the counting of votes commences.

Slide 19: For contact details, comprehensive maps and more CMEV reports go to http://cmev.wordpress.com