Sri Lanka election monitor, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said it will deploy special monitoring units at election violence hotspots.
CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen said at a recent awareness campaign for a “peaceful election” in Addalachahenai, Digamadulla District, that the organization had identified 15 possible hotspots. The most dynamic hotspots are Akkaraipattu, Pottuvil and Saindamarudu in the Digamadulla district, he said.
CaFFE has deployed a special monitoring teams in these areas and requested the Acting Inspector General of Police to strengthen security arrangements for the 15 “hotspots”.
Makeen said that there are actors in Digamadulla that are bent on affecting the free and fair nature of the election. “There is a lot of fake news. Hate speech is also increasing. There are even songs that promote hate. This is the first time we encountered this phenomenon,” he said.
CaFFE executive director also visited some of the hotspots in Digamadulla and spoke to people who were affected by pre-election law violations and violence. He also met representatives of various political parties and informed them of their role in ensuring a free and fair election.
The CAFFE observer team also met with candidates from several parties contesting for the Digamadulla district during the visit and announced their contribution to the peaceful election process. CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen and other observers visited the police stations in the area and briefed the OICs on possible developments in the area.
According to the Executive Director of CaFFE, a special observation team will be deployed in the Digamadulla District to monitor election violence until the post – election period.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
