Thugs terrorise people in Polls provinces : UNP says

The main opposition UNP yesterday charged that underworld figures from the South had been deployed by the ruling UPFA in the three provinces where the elections were being held to terrorise people UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the UNP, even government ally SLMC and the JVP election officers had been attacked by these persons while the candidates and their supporters are also being threatened asking them to keep away from the election cam- paign.

Mr. Attanayake said he had requested the Commissioner of Elections and Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take action against senior police officer Premalal Ranagala of the Ampara District alleging that he had been supporting the ruling party candidates in the district. “This police officer is more or less engaged in politics rather than carrying out his duty,” he alleged.

Mr. Attanayake said the provincial council election was turning out to be a violent one with the disturbing trends developing the Eastern Province and the Anurdhapura District. “The situation in these areas is worse than we expected,” he

“This police officer is more or less engaged in politics rather than carrying out his duty,”

said.

Coming up with another allegation he said more than 200 CTB buses were being used for election campaigning by the ruling UPFA.

Mr. Attanayake charged that the ruling party was engaged in such behaviour because the provincial council election was swinging towards the opposition way.