“There are no political ethics in Sri Lanka. Candidates violate everything mentioned in the elections act,” said Dr. Prathibha Mahanamahewa, senior lecturer of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. According to him, the act contains three main sections that explain election offences, corruptions and illegal acts. According to sentence No 66 of the act, “preparing official ballot papers without any authority”, “buying or selling of ballot papers”, “contesting for an election or holding of rallies by a person without civic rights”, “asking for votes by a person who is not a candidate”, are considered as offences. In addition to that, one party can open only one election propaganda office in a single district.

“The Commissioner of Elections has stated that posters, cutouts can not be displayed during the election period. The elections commissioner is playing on a ‘cheating game’ during the whole election period of two and a half months. Illegal cutouts are displayed right in front of 11 district election offices and you can see them just as you come out of the gates. But no one is doing anything to remove them. It is the same about election offices. No one can ask for votes for a candidate but today the wife goes from place to place asking voters to vote for the husband” said Thennakoon. (Read More)

According to Keerthi Tennakoon from the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) senior Cabinet ministers are even being prevented by their own party men from campaigning in certain areas.

“This is the extent of the ‘manape’ fight and things may go out of hand on the night of counting. Every election law has already been flouted. There is no democracy and nothing is free and fair in this ongoing campaign,” Mr. Tenakoon said.

“The same issues cropped up even in the earlier elections. Election Chief Dayananda Dissanayake gives orders to the police, but beyond that nothing is being really implemented. So much so that a life-size cut-out of a UPFA candidate stands at the entrance to the Kandana police station situated at the main junction,” he added. “Even the opposition is violating the laws, to a lesser extent with their posters and cut-outs. The whole set up is a big joke,” Mr. Tenakoon further said. (Read More)

Keerthi Tenakoon with the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) confirmed the TNA problem in Kilinochchi adding that Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayake had been notified.

He said that similar situations existed in other parts of the country as well where certain candidates and parties had given up campaigning owing to threats and intimidation. He cited Nawalapitiya as the worst affected, where even senior ministers are not been allowed to campaign in the area by a person from the same party.

“Other affected areas are Kurunegala, Galle and Matara”, Mr. Tennakoon said. Meanwhile some 70 election-related incidents including violence, intimidation and the abuse of state resources have been reported since the close of nominations on February 26, he said.

The bulk of the incidents involved clashes between supporters of candidates belonging to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), he further said. (Read More)

With less than a month to go for the forthcoming general elections which record an unprecedented number of candidates in the country’s election history, the debate on the effectiveness of the election laws too has become prominent in the political arena.

The general public as well as interested parties raised their eyebrows on exorbitant amounts of money spent on election campaigns by the candidates. With new developments taking place in its path to democracy in the post-war era, focus is highly levelled at transparency and clarity of its law makers. Thus, parties lobbying for non-corrupt parliamentary members are increasing pressure on authorities as well as politicians to fully enforce the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law in order to put an end to corruption.

Spokesperson for CaFFE, Keerthi Tennakoon said that these documents should be made public.

“What is the point in declaring assets if the public has no access to those details? The declaration comes in a sealed envelop and is being kept in a box sometimes not even being opened. What we say is these should be made public documents and then only the purpose of having such law will be fulfilled,” he said.

In most of the other democratic countries around the world declaring assets is mandatory in law when contesting an election. “Not only they should declare their assets but in most of these countries there are restrictions in election campaigning too. In fact, those candidates cannot spend more than a certain amount recommended by authorities,” an official of the Elections Commissioner’s Department said.

According to him our neighbour, India, enforces this law fully where there are instances of powerful politicians penalised for not being genuine in declaring their assets. .......... (Read More)

An Elections Department official said yesterday even though the majority of candidates are grossly violating election laws they are unable to take any action against them beyond warning and advising them in writing.

Elections Department consultant Bandula Kulatunga said that they have received several complaints regarding the usage of public servants in election campaigning meetings but in spite of the warnings the activities have continued. “Recent  incidents  were  reported in Colombo, Kelaniya as well as in Negombo. We wrote to the relevant authorities and parties and have advised them to cease any such activities,” he said.

However, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that the campaign meetings had continued. “The meetings were conducted by several UPFA candidates. Not only were they misusing their power to influence public servants, they had also used public property,” he said pointing out that 20 buses had been utilised to transport the teachers to the meeting. (Read More)

Minister of Education and the General Secretary of UPFA Susil Premajayantha said yesterday allowing election monitors at the counting centres  at the general elections is a good move.

Mr. Premajayantha made this point responding to a question asked at a forum organised by  Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC on ensuring that the upcoming general elections  is a free and fair one. He said Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) had requested that their officers are allowed to monitor the counting centres and it is a good move to allow them to do so.

Stating that five members of each political party are allowed at each counting centre, the Minister said it is essential to ensure the counting of votes of an election is fair. (Read More)

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has directed IGP Mahinda Balasuriya to remove all illegal cutouts and banners before March 15 and to stop buses displaying stickers of candidates from plying. He had also directed him to confiscate those buses if they fail to remove those display material.

He gave these directions when he met the IGP together with political party leaders last afternoon at the Elections Secretariat to discuss moves aimed at conducting a free and fair general election.

Democratic National Alliance frontliner and Former JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake told journalist that the polls chief gave these directions on cutouts and advertisements when they raised objections on the violation of election laws and also on the unfair deals which the lesser affluent candidates got when it came to campaigning. He said there was inequality between the wealthy candidates and the less fortunate ones. Mr. Dissanayake said wealthy candidates were able to spend billions for their campaigns while the lesser fortunate ones were left helpless. (Read More)

The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Elections Commissioner to ensure that the identification documents allowed for voters during the last Presidential election should be adhered to at the forthcoming Parliamentary elections too for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Justices Jagath Balapatabendi and Chandra Ekanayake also directed that if the temporary camp identity cards of the IDPs were used as valid identity for voting at the recently held Presidential elections, the same documents too should be included for the purpose of identity of the Internally displaced voters to exercise their franchise at the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.

Deputy Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam appearing for the Attorney General informed Court that at the recently held Presidential elections, 51 buses were provided by the District Secretary of Vavuniya for the transport of IDPs to exercise their franchise.

The Court directed the same number of buses be utilized for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections for the transportation of the IDPs ensuring them to vote during the polling from 7.00 am to 4.00 pm.  The application was withdrawn. (Read More)

The police yesterday arrested UNP Ratnapura District candidate Dunesh Gankanda alleging that he had attacked a group of policemen at the Kahawatte police station.

Ratnapura SSP L.J. Kularatne alleged three policemen had been injured in the incident that took place around 5.30 am yesterday.

However, making a statement to the Kahawatte police Mr. Gankanda said he was severely assaulted by police officers.

The Ratnapura SSP said the incident had taken place when the police had tried to remove two cutouts of Mr. Gankanda that had allegedly obstructed a road in the Pelmadulla town. Mr. Gankanda in his complaint to the police had said he questioned the police officers as to why only his cutouts were being removed when there were many cutouts of government Ministers displayed without any problem. He also said that he even showed the cutouts of government ministers to the policemen who had come to remove his cutouts.

Minister of Irrigation and the Ratnapura District Parliamentarian of UPFA, Jayatissa Ranaweera was released on bail yesterday by the Embilipitiya Magistrate.

He was produced before the Court for allegedly attacking a convoy of vehicles belonging to Rural Development Minister Premalal Jayasekera of the same party.

Accordingly, Minister Ranaweera and one of his personal body guards, Police constable Dharmasena Ekanayake were ordered by the Embilipitiya Magistrate Chathima Wijebandara to be released on Rs. 220,000 and a personal bail.

The attack on a line of vehicles used by supporters of the Rural Industrial Minister – Premalal Jayasekera causing damages to a vehicle were the charges levelled against them, on March 8 around 11 p.m., near Chandrika Wewa in Embilipitiya Police Division. (read More)