As the polling day for the Provincial Council election nears, election related violence is on the increase according to media reports.
Complaints regarding at least 49 incidents of violence related to the forthcoming provincial elections have been lodged at various police stations in Eastern province until Saturday, May 3, according to the Police.
The highest number of incidents was recorded in Ampaarai district where police have been notified of 26 violent incidents. In Batticaloa 18 complaints have been received while 7 incidents were reported in Trincomalee.
However Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa dismissed complaints of election related violence and said that there is no election violence in east as claimed by opposition parties.
Earlier, Peoples Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), an election monitoring group reported that 32 complaints of election related violence including two killings have been reported till Friday, May 2 from the three districts of the east since the nominations closed for the provincial council election which is scheduled to be held on May 10.
The police has announced it would deploy about 10,000 police personnel in the east for election duty to curb violence and maintain law and order during the election period and on the polling day.
In the meantime, according to reports from Batticaloa, paramilitary members of Pillayan group have warned the residents in Kaluvaagnchikkudi located in Manmunai South and Eruvilpattu division of the Batticaloa district of adverse consequences if they fail to attend and vote for ruling UPFA alliance in the forthcoming elections for the Eastern Provincial Council.
The group has referred to the low percentage of votes polled in the local elections and said such low attendance would 'not be tolerated' by the top hierarchy of the outfit.
Only 48% of the voters had participated in the local elections held in March. Of these, 13% of the voters had cast invalid votes.
Complaints regarding at least 49 incidents of violence related to the forthcoming provincial elections have been lodged at various police stations in Eastern province until Saturday, May 3, according to the Police.
The highest number of incidents was recorded in Ampaarai district where police have been notified of 26 violent incidents. In Batticaloa 18 complaints have been received while 7 incidents were reported in Trincomalee.
However Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa dismissed complaints of election related violence and said that there is no election violence in east as claimed by opposition parties.
Earlier, Peoples Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), an election monitoring group reported that 32 complaints of election related violence including two killings have been reported till Friday, May 2 from the three districts of the east since the nominations closed for the provincial council election which is scheduled to be held on May 10.
The police has announced it would deploy about 10,000 police personnel in the east for election duty to curb violence and maintain law and order during the election period and on the polling day.
In the meantime, according to reports from Batticaloa, paramilitary members of Pillayan group have warned the residents in Kaluvaagnchikkudi located in Manmunai South and Eruvilpattu division of the Batticaloa district of adverse consequences if they fail to attend and vote for ruling UPFA alliance in the forthcoming elections for the Eastern Provincial Council.
The group has referred to the low percentage of votes polled in the local elections and said such low attendance would 'not be tolerated' by the top hierarchy of the outfit.
Only 48% of the voters had participated in the local elections held in March. Of these, 13% of the voters had cast invalid votes.
