• Tri-forces ready to assist Police in any contingency

The military will be discussing a contingency plan with regard to military deployment during the Presidential Election at the National Security Council.

“So far, the Tri-forces are ready and able to assist the Police forces with any help that they may require if a contingency arises,” the Ministry of Defence Media Spokesperson, Colonel Nalin Herath told The Daily Morning yesterday (16) in response to a query on military deployment during the upcoming Election. 

“We will be discussing our plans in detail and the number of military personnel deployed with the Security Council on 19 September.” Herath said that the military will assist the Police in situations such as riots, violence and any other areas where the Police would require help in maintaining order.

During the 2020 Presidential Election, 69,000 Police officers were deployed for Election duties while the Police confirmed that the military would also be deployed to assist the Police if necessary. However, like at the last Election, the military did not engage in election-related duties but was instead responsible for managing contingencies.

Sri Lanka has a history of election-related and political violence with a recent case of National People’s Power supporters being attacked by supporters of a rival political party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, while returning from a public meeting in Monaragala. Previously, a convoy of buses carrying Muslim voters was attacked in 2019 in an attempt to prevent certain groups from exercising their right to vote.

It was reported that the Election Commission has received 3,720 complaints of violations of the Election law, including 28 incidents of politically motivated violence.  

The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi, proved futile.