Presidential candidates promise violence-free polls: Catholic Church

Monday, 15 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A Sri Lankan Catholic Church leader has said the two main candidates vying for presidency inthe January 8th presidential election have promised a violence-free vote, with Pope Francis scheduled to visit the country just days later. The Pope is scheduled to begin his visit to Sri Lanka from 13-15 January, just five days after the poll and some church leaders have sought a postponement of the papal visit fearing violence after elections because of the acrimonious campaign. Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seeking a third term in office and his former health minister, Maithripala Sirisena, as the common opposition candidate, is challenging him. Sri Lanka’s Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told the Catholic weekly newspaper Messenger that the bishops’ conference met both candidates and received their assurances of no violence. “We need to have faith and believe in what they both told us,” Ranjith was quoted as saying. “In fact there were a lot of cross questions posed by the bishops and both candidates said that whatever their status is after the elections, either as the winner or as the loser, they will both welcome the Holy Father when he steps down at the airport.” Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church last month urged all the political parties not to use the Pope’s visit as political propaganda for the presidential polls. The Church asked the political parties to refrain from using the image of Pope Francis in the election posters.

Election violence: 19 hospitalised

Following the declaration of the presidential election, 175 cases of violation of election laws have been reported up to now, an election monitoring group in Sri Lanka says. The election monitor, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), says that out of the 175 cases, 48 incidents have been reported as violent incidents. There were four shooting incidents and one bombing among the incidents reported. Some 19 people have been injured and hospitalised, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said. Hettiarachchi said such violations of election laws could undermine the legitimacy of the presidential elections and urged all politicians to dedicate themselves to conduct a free and fair poll.