DailyMirror
Corrupt practices – Misuse of State resources – Re-election null and void due to widespread intimidation, bribery
Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka who is held in detention at the Navy Headquarters yesterday filed an election petition before the Supreme Court challenging the re-election of incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
General Fonseka in his petition asked Court to nullify the election of President Rajapaksa and instead to declare General Fonseka as the duly elected President of Sri Lanka.
He asked Court to order the Election Commissioner and his staff to re-count the ballots cast at the January 26 election and that it be done in the presence of the petitioner and the other 21 candidates or their authorized representatives.
He cited President Rajapaksa and the other 21 candidates including Sarath Kongahage; Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake; President’s Counsel Razik Zarook and Kalinga Indatissa; Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe and Wimal Weerawansa as respondents. The petition alleges that Messrs. Zarook, Indatissa, Samarasinghe, Weerawansa and Kongahage had committed corrupt practices while acting as agents of President Rajapaksa.
General Fonseka in his petition said the re-election of President Rajapaksa was null and void due to the widespread intimidation, bribery, misconduct, non-compliance with the provisions of the Presidential Act and other corrupt practices, which had prevented a majority of voters were electing their preferred candidate General Fonseka as President Rajapaksa.
General Fonseka alleged that acts of bribery were committed between November 23 last year and January 26 the date of the election.
He alleged the occurrence of further incidents including the use and misuse of State resources for the promotion of the candidacy of the President.
General Fonseka alleged that false statements had been made in relation to his personal character and that President Rajapaksa, a few days before the election, exhibited a fake document purporting to be an agreement between him and the Tamil National Alliance. The allegedly fake document was on a deal which might lead to the division of Sri Lanka in the event General Fonseka was elected President.
He alleged that at about 1.00 p.m. on Election Day, Messrs Kongahage, Zarook, Indatissa, Samarasinghe and Weerawansa issued a false statement that General Fonseka was not qualified to be elected as President, and even if he was elected as President, he would be disqualified from holding such office.
The General said that these false statements were repeatedly telecast and broadcast over the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the Independent Television Network and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Lakhanda.
He alleged that this was done with the knowledge and consent of President Rajapaksa.
General Fonseka also mentioned many instances of non-compliance with the provisions of the Presidential Act.
He said counting agents of the presidential candidates were threatened and chased away by UPFA thugs while election officers, the police and security forces personnel did little or nothing to prevent this.