Opposition candidates’ houses attacked in Moneragala

By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera
The vehicle convoy carrying the UNP’s Chief Ministerial candidate (for the Uva PC) Harin Fernando, who polled the highest number of preferential votes at Saturday’s election, was attacked by a group of men armed with sharp weapons in Hali-Ela this evening, a police complaint said.

Three vehicles including Mr. Fernando’s vehicle were damaged in the attack.
A spokesman for Mr. Fernando said a complaint had been lodged at the Badulla Police station regarding the incident.

He said Mr. Fernando and others had gone to the Hali-Ela area after reports that a group of people were setting fire to some UNP election cutouts and offices in the area. When the vehicle convoy arrived at the scene just in front of the Hali-Ela police post, a mob armed with sharp weapons started to attack the convoy and damaged the vehicles.

“The rear window of Mr. Fernando’s vehicle was completely damaged due to the attack,” the spokesman said.

Mr. Fernando when contacted by Dailymirror  said a minister was behind the attack. He said the minister must have been angry and disappointed that his party had lost in his constituency -- at the Uva PC election.

A vehicle driven by an area correspondent who was passing, also came under attack and had its windows damaged.
In another development, Moneragala Divisional Secretary A.Paththinadan has lodged complaints with the Elections Commissioner and the IGP that several UNP and JVP candidates and their houses in the area had come under attack soon after the final election results were released. He said that several Opposition candidates had been injured in these attacks and requested for adequate security for these candidates for at least one week in order to prevent further attacks on them.

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) had contacted IGP N. K. Ilangakoon and requested him to impose a curfew in the area to control the situation. However the IGP had said the situation was under control and an additional police contingent had been deployed in the area