Overall voting peaceful, says CMEV

On Sep 22, 2024

Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) yesterday confirmed that the overall voting environment on election day was relatively peaceful, although it has recorded 223 incidents of varying seriousness across the country.

Issuing a media release, the CMEV said that the highest number of complaints were received from the Western (46), Central (31), North Central (31), Southern (29) and Uva (25) Provinces, with the Anuradhapura (21), Colombo (21), Moneragala (16), Kalutara (15) and Kandy (15) districts being the worst affected.

At a more granular level, significant violations were recorded from the electoral divisions of Medirigiriya (09), Dehiwala (08), Nuwara Eliya (08), Wellawaya (08), Akuressa (07), Horowpathana (07) Kesbewa (07), Panadura (07), Nawalapitiya (6), Kalkuda (06), Batticaloa (06) and Ratnapura (06).

The most troubling violence includes one act each of attempted murder and grievous hurt, two incidents of hurt and five of threat and intimidation, and four complaints of discrimination against persons with disabilities. Among the much longer list of election offences, intimidatory presence in the vicinity of the polling centres dominated in terms of potential impact with 28 reports, as did the related offence of illegal campaigning (55). Hence, while there is cause for

satisfaction with the election overall, these major acts of violence would have clearly had a negative impact on voters in the areas where they occurred.

In relation to the total of 223 violations, supporters of three candidates – Anura Kumara Dissanayake (31 percent), Sajith Premadasa (29 percent) and Ranil Wickremesinghe (14.3 percent) have been reported as allegedly responsible. Other candidates have negligible involvement in the violence and violations as reported to CMEV.

A more detailed account of the impact of these and other incidents will be included in the comprehensive analysis which will be contained in CEMV’s Final Report.

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