Quo Vadis, the Conga Line?
When Sri Lanka vied for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, there was a telling photograph taken at one of the bashes the regime threw in the Caribbean, the culminating event of a labour intensive, extravagant self-indulgent exercise. The photograph has Hon Namal Rajapaksha MP leading a conga line followed by the Governor of the Central Bank....
Speech by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu at the local budget in Jaffna
Good morning everyone. I have to talk to you about local government as a progressive partner in development in Jaffna. As I said yesterday, at the inaugural session, the importance of local governance is that it is the level of government closest to the people. Therefore, you have a lot of potential to lay the...
Media Monitoring Report, March 2011: Reportage of LLRC’s hearings in Puttalam and Mannar
The Media Unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives conducts qualitative and quantitative monthly media monitoring of mainstream print and broadcast media in Sinhala and Tamil. Each month, mainstream media coverage of a specific incident, region or process is quantitatively and qualitatively analysed along with general observations on media bias and violation of established media...
Audited accounts of Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV)
CMEV was formed in 1997 by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition Against Political Violence as an independent and non-partisan organisation to monitor the incidence of election related violence. Currently, CMEV is made up of CPA, FMM and INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre. Final report on election...
Commentary on Returns, Resettlement and Land Issues in the North of Sri Lanka
The North and East of Sri Lanka were the worst affected provinces during the ethnic conflict. Both areas witnessed death, destruction and displacement and are presently going through phases of rebuilding, reconstruction and development. Although Sri Lanka has faced numerous disasters and crises, both man made and natural, and experienced several phases of return, resettlement,...
Devolution in the Eastern Province: Implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment and Public Perceptions, 2008-2010
Foreword The challenge facing post–war Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE is to move to a post –conflict situation defined as one in which at a basic minimum, the causes of conflict are not sustained and certainly not re-produced. This requires the prioritisation of establishing a democratic peace with governance and reconciliation between...
Parliamentary Election April 2010: Summary of incidents to date
Total number of Incidents: 413 Major incidents: 231 Minor incidents: 182 Firearms involved: 55 Intra party disputes UPFA against UPFA – 78 UNP against UNP – 2 Details here in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Parliamentary Election April 2010: Summary of incidents to date
Special Release on voter concerns: Parliamentary Election 2010
6th April 2010, Colombo, Sri Lanka: CMEV has received reports from the Puttalam and Batticaloa Districts alleging preparations for voter impersonation in the polls on the 08th. CMEV urges the Commissioner to investigate these allegations and ensure that all action is taken to prevent voter impersonation. Illegal applications under displaced category in Puttalam District On...
Protecting Democracy Post-Election: An end to political violence and revenge
30th January 2010: A series of recent events connected to the presidential election last week give rise to extremely serious concerns about the state of democracy in Sri Lanka today. The campaign period, the election and its aftermath were marred by unprecedented disregard for the Constitution and the law, resulting in not only violence and...
Presidential Election 2010: Statement on election day observations
Read this as a PDF here. ### 27 January 2010, Colombo, Sri Lanka: On 26th January, Election Day, CMEV deployed 3,790 monitors in mobile teams and in polling stations throughout the island. On Election Day, CMEV recorded a total of 178 incidents of which 94 have been categorised as Major. The highest number of Major...
Presidential Election 2010: Election Day Media Communique No. 2
Read this press release in full as a PDF here. Map location here. ### Vaddukottai, Chavakachcheri and Tellipallai. CMEV’s mobile teams were dispatched to a number of locations where the attacks had reportedly taken place. CMEV teams verified damages at the following locations. A push bike parked overnight in front of the polling station, J/Chunnakam...
Presidential Election 2010: Media Communiqu? No. 15
This update released 18 January 2010. North Western Province Murder in Kurunegala According to Mr. Manjula Bandara (son of Member of Parliament and UNP Organizer for Wariyapola Ms. Amara Piyaseeli), between 12.30am and 1.00am this morning, Mr. Dhammika Herath (also known as Manju) was beaten to death by supporters of Minister of Rural Industries &...