Central Province polls campaign heats up with intra-party clashes
Tuesday, 20 August 2013 00:00
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Polls monitors say that the NWU Kotagala organiser was stabbed in Hatton after UPFA’s Digambaran and Thondaman clashed in Kotagala
Kotagala organiser of the National Workers Union (NWU) Kumar was stabbed in Hatton after a clash between supporters of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and NWU, both constituent parties of United People’s Freedom Alliance, which occurred at Commercial Junction, Kotagala yesterday, polls monitors said.
The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said vehicles have been damaged and that several individuals have been injured in the clash.
Members of Parliament P. Digambaram and P. Rajadurei (NWU) were travelling to Hatton from Nuwara Eliya in a convoy of vehicles when supporters of Minister Arumugam Thondaman attacked them, the elections monitors said.
“CaFFE observes that this is the most serious election related instance of violence in Nuwara Eliya. Rajadurei, who recently resigned from the CWC, joined the NWU yesterday. With this, instances of election related violence rises to nine,” the polls watchers said.
This is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Kotagala, CaFFE said, adding that due to the influence of Minister Thondaman, law was not being enforced in the area. (DB)
