10,000 Puttalam Muslim IDPs barred from voting

Friday, 9 January 2015 03:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Strongly condemned by Bathiudeen In one of the biggest violations in recent Sri Lankan electoral history, almost 10,000 ready and eligible voters in Puttalam were unlawfully deprived from voting in the 8 January presidential elections. “These 10,000 people were IDPs in Puttalam who have registered to vote in Mannar. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has directed the officials to provide 20 SLCTB buses for them to travel to vote in Mannar and return on 8 January. We are thankful to Deshapriya for this considerate gesture. However, a ruling coalition political strongman from Puttalam has illegally obstructed and blocked these buses from taking off from Puttalam with IDPs on the 7th evening, thereby preventing the suffering IDPs from moving and exercising their voting rights,” said Wanni District MP and ACMC Leader, former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday.Bathiudeen stated that the Puttalam-Anuradhapura road, the designated route the buses were supposed to ply, were blocked with tyres and firewood in many locations, blocking the movement of buses and called for an investigation in this regard.

“In Commissioner Deshapriya’s letter to the IGP dated 7 January Ref. No. DE/CE/02/04, he has informed the IGP that he granted permission to provide 20 SLCTB buses to Puttalam IDPs to travel to Mannar and cast their votes and also requested to provide Police protection to these buses as needed. Deshapriya’s request was based on the request made to the Commissioner by myself and Idroos Illiyas asking for this facility. But the Puttalam political strongman has illegally obstructed the buses taking off from Puttalam on the 7th evening, threatening and calling the bus drivers to stop taking off and taking steps to obstruct roads. We therefore call for an immediate national inquiry and investigation in this regard,” Bathiudeen added. “This is one of the worst violations by anti-democratic elements to affect a large number of voters taking place in our history. We strongly and unequivocally condemn this act,” he asserted.