UPFA supporters paste stickers on Moneragala buses by force

Wednesday, 03 September 2014 

United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) supporters have forcibly pasted election stickers on over 60 private buses in Moneragala, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has informed the Commissioner of Elections. The election monitor also sent a large number of photographs of such buses as evidence to election officers.

A number of drivers and conductors  have informed CaFFE that these stickers were pasted by force. Displaying election stickers on public transport services is not only an election law violation but is also a breach of the motor traffic act.

Meanwhile all the main bus stands and most of the bus halts in both Badulla and Moneragala districts have been covered with illegal election propaganda material. Although the Department of Elections have given millions of rupees to the police to remove election propaganda material, nothing has been done to remove these materials.

Incidents of violence continue to rise in Uva as a group of men travelling in a Defender Jeep have assaulted Mohammad Ajmal, a supporter of United National Party (UNP) chief ministerial candidate Harin Fernando and Badulla district candidate Jayantha Kannangara yesterday around 3.30 pm.

 CaFFE has received 178 election related complaints out of which 129 have been reported from Moneragala and 40 from Badulla. There are nine complaints common to both districts.