Two more murders reported from Batti, Medirigiriya

Police Department,” Police Spokesman, ASP Mr. Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Election Commissioner Mahinda Desapriya said additional police, including Special Task Force personnel, have been deployed to provide extra security in several districts during today’s general elections. The districts where security had been beefed up had been identified after studying reports from election monitors.

The Army will also have a contingent of soldiers placed on standby in the event police need assistance to maintain law and order on Elections Day or afterwards, Military Spokesperson Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera said.

However, it was re-iterated that the security at the polls would be handled by the Police while the tri forces were to be kept in readiness to assist in election related duties if the Elections Commissioner makes such a request, he said. He said that the Navy and the Air Force had been asked to transport ballot boxes and election officials to and fro during the election period..

In Medirigiriya, a farmer had been killed during a clash between agriculture officers and farmers on an issue that arose regarding water distribution

Two more murders were reported from Batticaloa and in Medirigiriya yesterday(16). A supporter of UNFGG candidate Amir Ali, J.Ameen was shot and killed while he was cycling on the Oddamawadi – Hudapalli road on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Ali, who was a candidate representing the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) led by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, was set to contest the upcoming poll from the UNFGG following an agreement reached between the two parties.

In Medirigiriya, a farmer had been killed during a clash between agriculture officers and farmers on an issue that arose regarding water distribution. An agriculture officer has been arrested by the Medirigiriya Police on suspicion and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a report on the incident from the Secretary of the Irrigation Ministry, Director General of Information, Dr. Darshini Gunatilaka said.

Meanwhile following warnings issued by intelligence agencies after President Maithripala Sirisena expelled two key loyalists of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa from the party, the Police Department had decided to strengthen security for the VVIPs.

The President on Friday sacked Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Anura PriyadarshanaYapa and United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Susil Premajayantha and suspended their party membership and appointed Duminda Dissanayaka and Prof. Vishwa Warnapala respectively to fill the two vacancies..

The decision to beef up VVIP security was mainly aimed at preempting the eruption of clashes after polls results are released.

“The Presidential Security Division (PSD) is fully manned by the STF now and police personnel attached to the PSD have been transferred to various other divisions of the