Fear over Jaffna poll

[ Saturday, 18 June 2011, 05:17.35 PM GMT +05:30 ]

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has written to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya expressing fears over the conduct of a free and fair election in Jaffna next month.

The TNA said it has raised the concerns with the elections chief after the first election rally to be staged by the TNA for the upcoming local government polls came under an attack this week. According to the TNA, similar letters were also sent to the Parliament Speaker, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Defence Secretary. Elections for 64 local government bodies including in Jaffna will be held on 23rd July and election monitors including LPAFFRE and CAFFE have also expressed concerns over the incident. The TNA warned had this week warned that talks with the government on issues concerning the Tamil community has been put under severe strain following the attack on the TNA meeting in Jaffna . TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said that the party was discussion the incident which took place in Jaffna on Thursday and the implications it will have on the talks being held with the government. The TNA and the government have had several rounds of talks over the past few months and the next round has been scheduled for 23 June. Premachandran said that five TNA MPs were on a stage addressing the public when the armed men initially chased away the public and later attempted to assault the MPs. Security officers however prevented the armed men from assaulting the TNA MPs. The TNA MP condemned the incident and said a complaint was lodged with the police and the army. The police are investigating the incident.