PA crowd smashed office -UNP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 December 1998, 12:08 GMT]
A large crowd armed with knives, cudgels, guns smashed up the United National party's (UNP) election office at Ridigama in Dodangaslanda in the Kurunagela district about 100 kilometers north of Colombo this afternoon around 2.30 p.m.

A UNP spokesman said that the crowd comprised People's Alliance (PA) supporters and paid thugs from outside the area.

Violence has marred the elections to the North-Western Provincial Council (NWPC) from the time of the nominations.

The PA considers this a crucial election, as the outcome could set the trend for the polls in the other provinces and the Parliament in 2000.

The UNP said that the PA is trying to win by intimidating its supporters and unleashing violence to scare away voters.

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