SL polls: Commandos to guard booths as Rajapaksa struggles for third term win

Sri Lankan police said they were deploying elite commandos to guard polling centres ahead of voting in a closely-fought presidential election, after a campaign marred by violence. Scores of people have been injured in pre-election violence, including a drive-by shooting at a rally addressed by the main opposition candidate, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. Some 65,000 officers have been deployed to guard polling booths and counting centres during Thursday’s presidential election, Rohana said. “We have deployed them with orders to use proportionate force to deal with anyone who tries to disrupt the electoral process,” he told reporters. President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is seeking an unprecedented third term in office, was widely seen as the clear favourite until his former health minister Maithripala Sirisena mounted a surprise challenge two months ago. [caption id=“attachment_2033565” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] He faces a tough challenge from Sirisena, who has managed to unite opposition to the 69-year-old leader. Sirisena defected from Rajapaksa’s government a day after the election was announced because he said Rajapaksa was abusing his power and taking the country toward autocracy. An ultranationalist Buddhist party, the country’s largest Muslim political party and its main ethnic Tamil political party are supporting Sirisena. The main opposition United National Party and 26 lawmakers who defected from Rajapaksa’s government also support Sirisena. The independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) accused the ruling party of tolerating “flagrant violation of election laws” and said opposition party offices had been targeted. The CMEV, which is deploying more than 4,000 monitors across the country, said it had documented 420 incidences of violence since the election was announced on November 20. It said the Tamil-dominated northern Jaffna district, scene of a bloody civil war with separatist rebels, was worst hit. Rajapakse is widely detested by members of the country’s biggest minority and the main Tamil party has rallied behind Sirisena. International poll monitors say there are fears the government may use the military to block votes for the opposition, although the authorities deny this. Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu from CMEV said concerns have been raised about the vote in the north in particular and about the deployment of security forces that could have “an adverse impact on the voter turnout.” Sri Lanka’s military has been accused of intimidating opposition voters in previous elections and campaigning for President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Amnesty International said reports of violence and harassment of voters were “deeply troubling”. “The authorities have a responsibility to ensure that all people in Sri Lanka can exercise their rights to political participation and freedom of expression without facing threats or violence,” said David Griffiths, the rights group’s deputy Asia Pacific director. Rohana said the army was on standby after reports of attempted murders and violent clashes, although no deaths from election violence have been reported. Police have arrested 150 people in connection with poll-related violence, he said. Some 15 million people are eligible to vote Thursday to elect a president for a six-year term. Calling the election two years early was seen as an attempt by Rajapaksa to prevent defeat if the poll was held on schedule.