Police impose curfew to curb election violence

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 November 2001, 15:43 GMT]
The Police Sunday imposed dusk to dawn curfew in Nattandiya area in the Western province following a clash between supporters of ruling People's Alliance and the main opposition United National Party. The curfew will be lifted Monday morning at 6 a.m., police sources said.

The Police said they were forced to use tear gas to bring the supporters of the main political parties under control Sunday afternoon. "Some supporters were wounded in the clash. The situation is now under control", said Mr.W.Abeyanayake, Superintendent of Police said.

Meanwhile the Police Election Secretariat said it has received 473 complaints of violence from political parties till Sunday morning since the nominations were filed on 27 October. Of them, the UNP has lodged 235 complaints, 165 by ruling PA and 25 by the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, police said.

In another incident, a convoy of vehicles in which UNP supporters were travelling to attend an election rally in Kandy were stoned at Talathu Oya in the Central Province, Sunday morning, UNP sources said.