Where and with whom were you and your wife between 3.30PM on Jan 26th and 4.45 PM on Jan 27th?
An open letter to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake
by Elmore Perera
Dear Dayananda,
A Free and Fair Election – An impossible dream ?
We, the People have a Sovereign right to exercise our franchise at free and fair elections. The very last time we could do so was in 1977. Giving vent to our disgust with the governance then prevailing, we gave J.R. Jayawardena, who claimed to be the long-awaited saviour of the Sri Lankan nation, a 5/6th majority. Free and fair elections were soon relegated to history. The election process rapidly degenerated to the level of the notorious Wayamba Provincial Council election in 1999.
In an attempt to stem this ominous trend, the OPA beginning in 1994, attempted to monitor elections. At the end of a discussion some of us had with you re monitoring the 1999 Presidential election, you claimed to have been at the receiving end of my lectures in SLIDA. I immediately assumed (rightly or wrongly?) that you had endorsed the need for exemplary conduct I consistently tried to instil into those who chose to listen to what I said.
In an attempt to reduce rigging at the Presidential election of 1999, you had affixed the now infamous “stickers” to Polling Cards. The potential abuse of such stickers was prevented by the accidental detection of this secret move of yours, by a VV.I.P. Consequent attempts made by a triumvirate of the most powerful personalities at that time, with the obvious connivance of a state agency, to sideline you and replicate the Wayamba election, were thwarted by justification of your bona fide and lawful, though admittedly futile and costly, act. However, you had not been vested with any power to control or even contain the violence and blatant violation of election laws that took place.
Disgusted with the mockery that passed off as “free and fair elections”, we the people, through our elected representatives in Parliament, adopted the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, drastically curtailing the extent of the Executive power of the Sovereign People which had been delegated to the President, and creating an Elections Commission of five members, endowed with extensive powers, for the sole purpose of restoring the conduct of free and fair elections.
The 17th Amendment, passed with only one abstention and no one against, became operative on 3rd October 2001, and provided the Elections Commission (EC) with sufficiently extensive powers, inter alia, to appoint other officers to the EC and delegate to them any power, duty or function of the EC, to notify the Inspector- General of Police of the facilities and the number of police officers required and then deploy them to secure the enforcement of all laws relating to the conduct of free and fair elections, to prohibit the misuse of any state property, and to enable the Competent Authority to take over the management of SLBC and SLRC in respect of all broadcasts which impinge on the election.
Regrettably, no Elections Commission was constituted and consequently, in terms of Section 27(2) of the said Act, you were vested with all the extensive powers, duties and functions of the Election Commission. Your failure to exercise most of these powers culminated in your validating the 2005 Presidential election where about 500,000 electors in the South and almost all the electors in the North were unlawfully disenfranchised.
Rather than invoking the extensive powers vested in you, so as to promote the conduct of a free and fair 2010 Presidential election, you only requested the IGP to continue to deploy the police officers himself, in the manner indicated by you. Belatedly, you issued directions for the immediate removal of cut-outs (and even provided the funds needed for same) and the cancellation of certain transfers. However, such directions were disregarded with impunity. You had chosen not to take cognisance of the fact that this IGP had been appointed by the President in violation of the Constitution, and had even been vested with the powers of the National Police Commission, also in violation of the Constitution, and certainly had to display greater allegiance to the President who appointed him, and to the Defence Secretary to whom he reports, rather than obey your commendable directives, confident that you would, deliberately or otherwise, not exercise the extensive powers vested in you to ensure compliance with your directives.
The “directives” reportedly issued by you to Ministry Secretaries and others re the abuse of state resources were largely disregarded, in violation of the Constitutional requirement that “every person under whose control such property is, for the time being, is required to comply with and give effect to such directions”. You did nothing further. You appointed a Competent Authority to control the broadcasts of SLBC and SLRC. The issuance of comprehensive Guidelines and even Directives failed to have any significant effect on the SLBC and SLRC. Without invoking any of the powers vested in you to “secure the enforcement of your directives”, you frequently appeared on TV, and attempted to exculpate yourself from your betrayal of the trust placed in you, by repeatedly complaining that your many directives, inter alia, to the IGP, to all Secretaries and the Media and those of your Competent Authority were not being heeded, and that you were helpless. You merely revoked the appointment of the Competent Authority without enabling him to take over the management of SLBC and SLRC, in respect of all political broadcasts or any other broadcast, which impinges on the election, under Arts 104 B(5)(c) and Act No. 3 of 2002.
To cap it all you announced that a “Sticker” would be placed on each ballot box to signify that it had been duly “checked”, “closed” and “sealed”. The necessary implication was that any ballot box which carried this “sticker” must necessarily be presumed to have been duly checked, closed and sealed by the Senior Presiding Officer in the presence of the Candidates and/or their duly nominated agents. You cannot plead that you did not realise that this procedure lent itself to mass-scale non-verifiable corruption. A news report of ballot boxes having been transported in a Navy Vehicle was immediately suppressed.
We the People, looked up to you to honour the trust placed in you by us, through our elected Representatives, and to hold a free and fair election. You signally failed to invoke the extensive powers set out in Articles 104C and 104E, to notify the IGP of the facilities and Police Officers required, appoint competent, non-partisan retired officers (of whom there are many) to direct the deployment of the facilities and Police Officers made available by the IGP, so as to ensure a “free and fair election”.
At about 2.30 p.m. on January 26th 2010, a public announcement was made on several TV Channels that casting a vote for General Sarath Fonseka was of no value because his name was not included in the list of Electors and that, even if elected, he could not lawfully hold the post of President. On this being brought to your notice, you issued a written statement that General Sarath Fonseka was indeed, lawfully entitled to be elected and function as President. Soon after this was broadcast on the TV, two or more VV.I.PP of the UPFA visited you at the Elections Secretariat and after some time you left the Secretariat in their Company. Thereafter you were seen in the Secretariat only minutes before you announced on 27th January, 2010, inter alia, that this was the worst election you have ever conducted, it was only when Indra de Silva was IGP that you were able to conduct a peaceful election, you had been told by powerful persons that your only function was to count the votes in the ballot boxes and announce the result, your election staff could not even ensure the safety of the ballot boxes, you will attend to the incidental functions relating to that election in the next few days in January and not thereafter even set foot in the Secretariat premises, and you wished to particularly thank the IGP Mahinda Balasuriya because he complied with all the requests made to him by you.
To the astonishment of the Public, you returned to the Elections Secretariat on 2nd February 2010, and retracted all the statements you made. You also declared that you were willing and able to conduct the General Election which will determine the future course of this country. Many, including me, have lost all faith in your commitment to conducting any free and fair election. You are, once again making attractive statements which, from your own recent experience, you no doubt know very well, will go unheeded. You have not even bothered to appoint a Competent Authority but have directed Party Secretaries to seek fairplay from the very Chairman who blatantly refused it. You have left it to the IGP to deal with any Police officers who failed to actively support the President. You have turned a blind eye to the flagrant abuse of State Resources. You are just going through the motions.
I challenge you to appear live on TV and truthfully divulge to the country where, and with whom, you and your wife were between 3.30 p.m. on 26th January 2010 and 4.45 p.m. on January 27th 2010, and also invoke all the Constitutional powers vested in you, not for the purpose of boosting your tarnished image, but for the purpose of conducting a free and fair election. If you do so, public confidence in your ability and willingness to conduct a free and fair election may well be restored, and it will not be necessary for me to tender an unqualified apology to you and your wife for having brought you to this state, and also to the Sri Lankan Nation for having prevented your removal from the election process in 1999 and thereby facilitating, what I believe, were fraudulent elections in Sri Lanka.
Please be aware of the maxim “Facts cannot lie, but men can”
With best wishes to you and your wife.
Yours sincerely,
Elmore M. Perera
B.Sc., LL.B, F.C.M.A., Dipl. PMD (U. Conn), TREND (U. Conn), CSSI,
Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Surveyor,
Management and Training Consultant,
Attorney-at-Law, Commissioner for Oaths, E-mail: elm144@sltnet.lk
Notary Public and Company Secretary,
Former Addl. Director SLIDA and Surveyor General,
Past President, Organisation of Professional Organisations,
Vice President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance
38 Comments
The elections commissioner by continuing in office beyond retirement has displayed his innate greed for money. He had no need to do so. Whom is he serving the people or the rulers.
He has in the process compromised the entire democratic process in this country and ruined the future of generations to come. If this allegation is true he should be stripped of all civic rights and given a life sentence.
The election commissioner has no right in any sense to deprive the ultimate democratic right of the all Sri Lankan peopel. We are really suspecious about you commissioner.
I listen to you address at the time you release the Election Results last presediential elecation 2010. It direclty implies that something has happen during the time as you counting the eletion result. Did what you release last presidential election fradulent?
This is a shame. Now the facts seems to be coming out?
Dont expect a free and fair election from this election commissioner.He is ashameless man for the post.There is no doubt now he has undertaken a contract for parlimentary power for Rajapakses.People dont know the truth, but Rajapakse brothers know the reality.Therefore they are doing there best to win the majority.I am quiet sure this man will retire as soon as general election over with their expected results.This man hate opposition parties.He always try to justify his decisions with his authority.However he fails to exercise his authorities to conduct a free and fair elections.Other question is why MR do not want to let him retire? There is secret between these two. We have to have system to punish them even after retirement. I think we have a good example from Genarals case.We can arrest them under army act!
Dont expect a free and fair election from this election commissioner.He is ashameless man for the post.There is no doubt now he has undertaken a contract for parlimentary power for Rajapakses.People dont know the truth, but Rajapakse brothers know the reality.Therefore they are doing there best to win the majority.I am quiet sure this man will retire as soon as general election over with their expected results.This man hate opposition parties.He always try to justify his decisions with his authority.However he fails to exercise his authorities to conduct a free and fair elections.Other question is why MR do not want to let him retire? There is secret between these two. We have to have system to punish them even after retirement. I think we have a good example from Genarals case.We can arrest them under army act!
According to your decorations listed under your good name it appears that you had been the chairman of OPA and a lawyer too. My question is why were you delaying writing this article so much of time. Nevertheless, you now have the prime responsibility to appear before courts when this issue is taken up by the judiciary, to prove all these malpractices done to rig the presidential election results 2010. We await your humble participation on that occasion.
Instead of challenging the much maligned Dayananda Dissanayake, Elmore should post this to his nemesis the retd. CJ Sarath N De Silva who barred the erudite Elmore Perera the self made legal luminary from appearing as an Attorney at Law in the Higher Courts: "I challenge you Sarath N De Silva former hero of the Supreme Courts of Sri Lanka, to appear live on TV and truthfully divulge to the country where, and with whom, you were between .....in a lonely roadside kerb around the Parliament complex one dark night some years back; this is to develop a Prima Facie case for the purpose of boosting your tarnished image. If you do so, public confidence in your ability and willingness to conduct fair campaigns for the Retd. General SF may well be restored...."
Dear Elmore M. Perera,
What's this fuzz is all about. In this case, your query is about, it may seem, EC - a public servant, was away for 1hr 15min after weeks of hard work. What right do you have in breaching intruding in to some ones private information, especially his wife (are you aware of a citizen’s right to privacy).
Before you ask someone else to declare/testify private information, and EC to respond, would you declare your political allegiance over the last three years. Knowing the answer to above by my-self well enough since 1982, I may confirm that EC has no obligation what so ever to answer your stupid question. In fact as a public servant he does not report to you. If public servants are carted around answering what they do with their wives in every 1hr 15min, the AR of Sri Lanka must be something worth reading.
I am aware of the maxim “Facts cannot lie, but men can”, and we are also aware tons outrages of lies your camp used in the campaign
Cheers,
Saman de Silva
Dear Mr Elmo Perera
I am so glad that erudite people like you still exist in this country where everyone is scared to voice an opinion. It may have missed the EC's mind that he does not have immunity like the President. One day he can be taken to courts if not here even in Hague.
Dear Elmo,
Why won't you ask Mano Ganeshan, Ms Shamila Perera and Sarath Manamendra about Mr Dissanayake on 26th Jan 2010 night. They met him at the elections commission on hearing rumours that he was abducted by Basil & Gotabhaya.
Stop rumor mongering even at this stage.
Whilst Asitha Gamage's comments were valid to some extent, few months or years ago, in the present article of Elmore Perera, it sounds 'Yanne Koheda -Malle Pol"
EC has worked many years after his retirement age, as such he is unable to handle pressure in this challenging job. Further, he could be a victim of so called VVIPS considering his age and gentleman qualities. Why government wants to keep him in his position with repeated requests from him is highly suspicious and questionalbe.
Dear Elmo
This is a great article. You have got guts to Pin Points his lacking. I am sure this will be appreciated by people who have some sense towards free and fair elections in this country.
Well done
Where and with whom were you and your wife between 3.30PM on Jan 26th and 4.45 PM on Jan 27th?
Dayananda Dissanayake was with Elmo Perera's wife and Dayananda's wife was with her children......any problem ?
who is this fool advertising him-self
Chartered Management Accountant, Chartered Surveyor,
Management and Training Consultant,
Attorney-at-Law, Commissioner for Oaths, E-mail: elm144@sltnet.lk
Notary Public and Company Secretary,
Former Addl. Director SLIDA and Surveyor General,
Past President, Organisation of Professional Organisations,
Vice President, Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance
MY SINCERE FEELINGS IS THE ELECTION TO BE STALLED,AS THERE IS NO DEMOCRACY INTHIS COUNTRY ,WHAT THE NATION NEED NOW IS A REVOLUTION.IF RAJAPAKSE BROTHERS GAVE 180 MILLION TO THE LTTE,THEY BOUGHT THE EC TOO.
IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE ALLEGATION, THERE ARE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.MY DEAR FELLOW SRI LANKANS,YOU NEED TO DECIDE,HOWEVER THERE IS ENOUGH DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE TO PROOF WHERE THE EC WAS,AT THAT SPECIFIED DAY N TIME.ALL DIPLOMATIC YOU ARE AWARE OF THIE CORRUPTED ELECTION COMMISSIONER N THE RAJAPAKSE BROTHERS.
WE WILL REVIEW THIS AT THE PANEL BEFORE THE UN.THIS ELECTION COMMISSIONER NEED TO BE IN HIS DESIRED PLACE THE JAIL,TIME WILL ENLIGHTEN THE WHOLE PICTURE.BLESSED TO YOU THE EC N THE BROTHERS.
Reply to Saman de Silva,
Please read the article carefully. It indcates that the EC was away for 1 day, 1 hr and 15 min. Then rewrite your respond...
Mahinda Rajapaksa won the election by 1.8 million votes. The election monitors concluded that this was a fair and free election. I rest my case and you should take a rest too.
You know what guys, you all should not blame this innocent man, because he was under the threat of MR, Basil and specially from Gota. When the second statement he publicly announced about the 2010 presidential election results his wife was kept at president house and was threatened him to go and make a statement to the public that the election results are true and there was no malpractices had been taken place. And also he was asked to withdraw his previous statement that he will not step into the EC office hereafter and will retire from the post of EC. Who does not think about his wife's life at a situation like this and why should that innocent lady pay for this dirty things. That's why he made that second announcement even without his consent. Then he was asked to stay in the post until the General Election is over. May be he was given some lump sum the way he (EC) acted according to their wishes, but I don't know about that.
I never thought much of that face & expression of the EC - has looks quite similar to IGP Balasuriya - typical paga-jara kossa look.
THIS ELEKSON GON SINNER IS A BACKBORNLESS SOB AND A PUPPET OF MR,GOTTA,BASILA AND NAMAL BABY.THIS IDIOT COMMISSIONER WILL SUFFER FOR THE BETRAYAL HE DID TO THE SRI LANAKAN CITIZEN. HE DESERVES NOT ONLY MR'S HOLIDAY PACKAGE BUT ALSO ANOTHER ACRE OF GOVERNMENT LAND FROM COLOMBO.IT IS REALLY WORTH FOR MR TO OFFER THIS, AS MR IS GIVEN THE MANDATE WITH 1.8 MILLION MAJORITY TO WEAR THE CROWN OF FAKE DHUTUGEMUNU. CURSE ON YOU BLOODY CROOK.
Mr Elmo Perera is a spent force in the legal fraternity. He was bared from functioning as a lawyer by the so called CJ Sarath Silva. Now he is trying to wipe the dust and re emerge as a national hero by writing stupid articles. What right has he to question a man about his where abouts during one hour and 15 minutes? He was in the toilet for all we care and his wife was having a bath in the bath room.Go tell this idiotic stories to kindergarden children. As Channa said better ask Sharmila perera and Manamendra as they were the spies sent by the likes of Elmo Perera to spy on the EC and they may divulge all these intimate details of his encounter with the wash room accessaries!!!!!!
Dont blame the the poor guy. He has no choice..He is still under the gun..We may get the truth before he dies..but then it is too late.Even if they appoint another Commissioner its the same their own men.
This govt is so..powerful no one can fight with them.
Only God can...time will come soon. God will teach them a good lesson for all the crimes that they have done under the guise of democracy .
Dear sir,
appreciate your frank letter sent to Mr Dayananda, your ar great person, i am respecting you sir, we need like you person to srilanka.higher position people always think that they can cheat people.
Isham
Dear Elmore and the readers,
please don't pretend that the democracy is the best thing that ever happen to the mankind and you are the guardian of it it is as bad as or as good as the other system like socialism and Communism or monarch or kingdom ETC.
lets say the biggest democracy India in which elections are won by thuggery or money but when it is certified it is always praised "democracy ascertained ".
In the west IF USA who ever collect more money before the election , win the election.
(some time court decide )
In UK who ever talk well get elected
Democracy survive due to the fundamental weakness of the stupid mass .
the weakness are 1) people are emotional rather than intelligent .
2) common people are always in need of of some thing (recognition,money, food,job etc)
3) they carry STILL the herd mentality from their ANIMAL DAYS OF evolution .
4) common man doesn't know that he is stupid
To be a stupid is not that bad may be even ones fate but not knowing it is sad
To our country MR is the right person at the right time BHAGAWAT GEETHA SAYS" WHAT EVER HAPPENED DID HAPPENED WELL, WHAT EVER HAPPENING NOW ARE ALSO HAPPENING WELL, WHAT EVER GOING TO HAPPEN WILL ASO HAPPEN WELL" THERE FOR dont mess your head too much
Indeed a freat artcicle, whoever oppsoes these are either linatics or paid public money suckers of maharaja.
Hats Off,Mr.Perera.We need an ANSWER from EC,on this issue.Many writes, but should follow untill they speak to the PUBLIC.You must be knowing something?Give them out.Then the All the Sri Lankans come to know the truth!It will help Gen;SF to come out.
Kumar
Who is this sucker Elmo Perera? Even if all this happens 1.8 million votes is unbreachable.So keep your big gap closed!
Mr, Saman Silva,
You missed the time duration, read well and add it with 24hrs please. I think highest officer on elections shouldn't get that long private time, during a very significant time of the country. He definitely should get his retirement rest, but officially.
Mr Elmore,
We really appreciate your writing, for withstanding the current situation. If he didn't fully implicate the constitutional power of EC without saying here and there "I'm stressed", he should be ashamed and we should trial him in court.
You have no right to ask about people's private lives.The elections went fairly(I mean the presidential ones)and as soon as they were finished Ranil was saying the elections were fair and peaceful.After that he with others start shouting about foul play just because others especially SF did not want to accept the bitter truth.Whether you like it or not Rajapakshas in this country stopped the war when all the other knee jerking politicians were afraid of LTTE and let them have a parerral administration which is a gross violation of Island's constitution.As we know LTTE collected tax,had police and all other services on their own in an undemocratic way.Did u know that?So everybody loves the people who destroyed a ruthlessgroup of terrorists and let people move freely to one paert of the country to the other.
before publishing this article ,all srilsankan know about this.but mr elmo u are too late now because thuggery family now are in power.they do what they need,srilankan people are afraid of going streets to protest against them.they are dangerous and wild family-suwantha
“At about 2.30 p.m. on January 26th 2010, a public announcement was made on several TV Channels that casting a vote for General Sarath Fonseka was of no value because his name was not included in the list of Electors and that, even if elected, he could not lawfully hold the post of President”.
--------
Well, it was so. Also the learned ex professor of Law Hon. G. L. Peiris chaired a press meet and emphasized the same point. If so, may I ask GLP to show evidence whether Basil Rajapaksa who is contesting the General election from Gampaha district and Sajjin Vas Goonewardena and actress Anarkali, all these three being domiciled in Colombo and the latter two elected for the Southern Provincial Council from Galle district, are registered voters in the respective constituencies?
Further, some say Basil Rajapksa is an American citizen while others say he is a green card holder, the fact is known to him and God only. What ever that may be it is proved that he is an US tax payer with dual passport while his elder brother is said to be an American citizen who took the Oath of Allegiance.
When UPFA filed a case against Fonseka that he was a green card holder thus becoming a foreigner and can not be a candidate, would not that apply to Basil Rajapaksa and one or two other green card holding candidates with the UPFA?
If an Army officer discussing politics while in uniform is a crime, can a Secretary of a ministry who controls the very army officer, canvas for a party or a candidate in an election?
Alice in the Wonderland
There were serious breaches on the fateful day of the Presidential election:
1) Election Commissioner was not at the election Secretariat at the time ballots were counted.
2) According to the Swiss journalist she has seen Mr Basil Rajapakse at the secretariat.
3) Counted results were sent via Email from the counting centres to the secretariat. (Not by fax signed by representatives of both candidates)
4) Some centres carbon copy of the counting results were not given to the opposition party.
If I understand the comments above it appears that EC was under some kind of pressure. Truth is like a rubber ball that is pressed under water. It will bounce to the top sooner or later. When it does, those who exerted such pressure on EC will be found naked in front of the whole world. Someone quoted from Begawath Gita that everything happens for good. True. It also says that Adharma (injustice) will be annihilated towards the end.
Hi, Elmo,
I would have wanted to ask this question to the EC a millions of time. It would not have been a fair question to ask. What could that poor man have done under the circumstances? Sacrificed his life and that of his family in vain trying to prove a point? He would not have got anywhere even if he decided to do so in the name of fair-play. He would have been admitted to a hospital on a pretext of having a relapse of heart attack and his next in line would have taken up the position which would have bee worse. At least this man came out with a statement with a "maanasika aathadiya" story even with a recorded statement - not live...?
If people of this country cannot understand the meanings of such simple message, let us suffer too. After all he has done what he can under the circumstances.
You are talking about his powers he has not exercised. How would YOU exercise such powers if you were in his shoes? Commit 'harakiri" making a statement? would that be telecast? Do not be knave!
In democratic society - even in which we undeservedly pretend we are one - anyone's views are subject to critique. Elmore, by no means is a washed out lawyer as someone acidly remarks here in ignorance. The man who inflicted a temporary halt to his growing practise did that out of personal pettiness than of jurisprudent depth. The character is now reviled and scorned like no single high judicial officer ever was in our history in the position he was. In addition to his versatality listed here Elmore - my friend and neighbour - is also a practising Christian well-versed in the Bible and many other religions. Many in the know are aware what happened to DD the EC in the many wee hours he simply "vanished" at a momentous time every minute of his movement was under public scrutiny. When the details of this sordid drama becomes available to the public every Sri Lankan worth his name may have to hang his head in shame.
Elmore, who public lectures and insists in "whistle blowing" in this our grotesque "democracy" once again fights for all of us - loud and clear from the days he took a powerful UNP Minister to Law Courts 30 years ago from the Tennis Courts. To somn revolting fearlessly and at personal risk against patent injustice runs in the blood-stream.
ISS
Kingsley,
It is you who is naive ! If they killed the EC and his family, do you think the reason would not have been obvious ? Obvious even to the buffaloes who pass for the majority of voters in this country ?
The EC is nothing but a snivelling, backboneless , coward who has destroyed the future of this country.
He will be cursed by future generations and his children may wish they had been killed on that fateful day, in the cause of bringing out the truth !
Anonymous!
You made some valid and intelligent observations about a man (?) called GLP. This worm (my apologies to the worms of all sorts other than the parasitic versions for they mind their assigned businesses) calls himself a professor of law by some fate of sorts and imagines that even if he farts it has to be a subsection of some law and the innocent public should accept it as such. The law books he has written are absolute gibberish and plagiarist at best.
Some people call him Mr.Bean for his stance and comic appearance like that of Atkinson but that is where it stops. Atkinson is really an extremely talented actor and any comparison of GLP is only an insult to him.
The Commissioner had deserted his post at the most crucial time - in the immediate aftermath of the polling in the presidential election.
He has a duty to reveal where he was,to the voters of this nation.
The popular beleif is that he was 'abducted' by two VVIPs and held incommunicado at a place where he was brainwashed/threatened to desist from inquiring into irregularities in the counting procedures in the many counting centres and to do likewise in the pending parliamentary election.
There are also reports that his wife and daughter were 'abducted' and held at another venue at the same time.
This may be why he now does not wish the pending election ( ballotting and counting ) to be monitored by foreign observers - as he fears drastic retaliation if he does so.
The stage is now set for fraudulent procedures in the coming election.
Elmore Perera is a distinguished Human Rights lawyer who was retained by many who suffered state repression.He was very unfairly disbarred by the former CJ Sarath Silva only for "speaking loudly" in court, when he was reading his submission in a 'public interest' case.Such disbarrment has not happened in any other democracy.
Mr. Das,
The EC knows exactly which side of the bread the butter is in and he played his game accordingly - so that a super-comfortable retirement is assured for him and the extended family. Hang democracy, the interest of the people and his office. Of course, as to the latter for the records he made a few grunts, noises here and there initially after the results were closed. And the rest we all know. The man, if you remember, began his tenure with a bang getting embroiled in a massive racket involving a huge printing Contract in the Dept on which the Sunday Leader went to town. So the wheeler-dealers moved in at that time and kept him going reminding him the debt may have to be repaid someday - and so faithfully it was. The Quid Pro Quo, if you want to know,is in Mafia lingo "let this little bird also wet his beak a little" (Mario Puso - The Godfather) All's well that ends well, friends for somne - not for the country or the people. Damn them, they should be able to take care of themselves in that Land which the Brit Govt this week warns "is of global concern"
ISS
Elmo
It really does not matter where or with whom he was. As commissioner said, at every counting center, a carbon copy of results signed by the top three candidates' representatives were given to those representatives. So far there was NO CLAIM by anyone that at any particular centre a representative of Sarath Fonseka was not given the copy of results as explained by the commissioner. So, the Commissioner or Basil Rajapakse was not able to change the results. There was no claim that the results of a particular electorate was wrongly broadcast. SF camp can collect all the result sheets and make manual calculations. Even Somawansa in 360 program recently accepted that the Jilmart was based on suspision, but not on evidence. A better claim could have been if you ask him to publish all the result sheets signed by the representatives of SF. I am sure these will be admitted in the evidence in the court. Elmo, now it is time you got over this rubbish, seriously.