2004 Parliamentary elections - considerable political killings in the offing

Nagananda Kodituwakku

The first political murder was reported today with a killing of a candidate of the forthcoming general election. In the meanwhile, the Sri Lanka's police have already asked the army, navy and air force to help stop rising poll-related violence as the main political parties prepared to launch their election "political war".

According to the Police Election Secretariat statistics 114 incidents of post nomination violence had been already recorded with a death of one candidate. However, the statistics of the last general election [December 2001] point towards that a substantial number of deaths during the election "war" inevitable.

The election violence figures recorded by the Police Election Secretariat just after the last general election [2001] should draw concern of human rights activists and organisations about the inevitable deaths that would probably surpass 2001 figures where over 2955 election related violence recorded.

According to the 2001 police election secretariat statistics there had been 2132 incidents of violence run up to the elections and 447 violence incidents post-election violence. On the day of the election there had been 376 political violence incidents. The total number of election violence related reported deaths were 58.

Trends in the "political battle front" only points to the deduction that the forthcoming election would marred with substantial number of killings between the political rivals. According to media reports the ruling party [UNP] has already ordered 250 bullet-proof jackets from a leading armament manufacturer in Russia to be used during the election "campaign".

It is interesting to note as to why the Lankan politicians go all out against the political opponents at the elections? Is it because the so-called would be "lawmaker" prepared to sacrifice their life for the country and the people? What made them to invest millions of rupees in the campaign to power?

Clearly in case of majority of the campaigners the answer is obvious; that is to grab the power by whatever means and to plunder more and more national wealth. Now the election commissioner has demanded all candidates who contest the elections to declare their assets. In order to stop the appalling situation, which is a clear threat to all norms of the democracy, the civic rights movements should demand the election commissioner to made public all assets declarations made by the candidates, which would be a somewhat preventive measure to remove criminality from the Lankan politics.