Make the elections free and fair - TULF Anandasangaree

05.08.2009

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa,
President of Sri Lanka.

Your Excellency,
Make the elections free and fair.

It is with deep regret that I wish to bring to your notice, the most disgraceful manner in which all democratic norms are violated to favour candidates of the Governing Alliance, at an election to a local body. The Cabinet Ministers have made themselves very cheap with various promises, including jobs. It is a pity to see these things happening in a country where you are the Head of the State. My frank opinion is that these activities will never be appreciated by the people and the net result would be utter disgrace to a nation, proud of its glorious past. I don’t lose anything by getting defeated at the poll, having contested a very powerful Government’s nominees. Only the country is the loser.

What is disturbing is the action taken by you on the advice of your Northern Minister I believe, to release a few families only, who hail from Jaffna, having kept them virtually in detention for several months, depriving them of their fundamental rights. If you don’t take immediate action to release all at the same time your action will prove counter productive.

I request you only one thing, in relation to the elections. Announce that you are ordering a free and fair election because the way things are, thousands of poll-cards are collected and some for payment clearly indicating that mass scale impersonation is going to take place. The gentleman I am referring to is an expert in that game.

Please save your good name. That is all I want.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,


V. Anandasangaree,
President – TULF.