Presidential Polls Getting Increasingly Violent - CaFFE

November 24, 2014

Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) has stated that pre-election period of 2015 Presidential Election is getting increasingly violent as shots were fired two houses in Madampe, Puttalam last night.

The house of a staunch UNP supporter named Milton, at Medagama, Madampe was attacked twice after midnight yesterday. The house of Sudeh Priyankara, at Second Lane, Medagama, was also attacked.

CaFFE stated that it believes both men were targeted because they lit fire crackers after former SLFP Secretary Maithripala Sirisena announced his intention to contest as the common opposition candidate.

Milton said that a group of people on motor cycles arrived at his house at about 12.20 a.m. and fired shots. While they left once after residents of the house came out, one motorcycle returned and fired shots.

These are the second and third shooting incidents after the election was declared, CaFFE has pointed out. Along with these, CaFFE has received information about four instances of election related violence and three victims of these incidents are being treated at Colombo and Kurunegala hospitals. One person is in a critical state.