No point in Zimbabwe type elections in SL: Karu

• Senior politician says ballot papers surfacing with votes marked for Fonseka tell a dangerous story about the 2010 Presidential race

• Calls for communal and religious harmony

By Dharisha Bastians

The ballot papers surfacing in different parts of the island, nearly all of them with votes cast for former General Sarath Fonseka, tell a dangerous story about our recent electoral history, UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday.

The Opposition MP, who was formerly his party’s Deputy Leader, said that it was particularly significant that the issue of the discarded ballot papers was surfacing in an election year. He said that in 2010, upon discovery of 64 dumped ballot papers in Ratnapura, he had complained to the Elections Commissioner and renewed his concerns when the new Elections Commissioner took office.

“The response was that these may have been ballot papers that the counting officers had rejected. However we have got it proved that these are in fact authentic ballot papers that have been deliberately spoiled and discarded,” Jayasuriya charged.

This rocks the peoples’ faith in the electoral process and lends credence to claims by polls monitors that elections in Sri Lanka are not free and fair, the senior politician said.

“There is no point in holding Zimbabwe type elections and calling it democracy,” Jayasuriya told media personnel.

The UNP lawmaker added that it was in fact the Commissioner of Elections that should be complaining to the police about the ballot papers that were surfacing in different parts of the island. “There have been many doubts raised about the 2010 Presidential Election. In many cases, the result percentages of the returning officers did not reflect in the final district result – it was almost always more,” Jayasuriya added.

“These ballot papers now appearing are only those we have seen so far – we don’t know how many more there are. But the peoples’ suspicions have been raised and it is important to fix this problem that directly relates with the people’s franchise if we are to continue to hold real elections in this country in the future,” he said.

On a separate note Jayasuriya said he was disturbed by recent ugly incidents threatening the harmony between Buddhists and Muslims. He said the country had suffered greatly by the spillage of blood in ethnic conflict and urged all peace loving citizens to ensure there is harmony between all communities and religions.