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Apr
04
India – Pakistan: “And as things have been, things remain. If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars”
Leave a CommentPosted in India Pakistan Relations, News Alerts - India, News Alerts - Pakistan
Apr
05
Int’l monitoring body says it should have powers to even ban parties or disqualify candidates
By Kelum Bandara
International election monitors stressed yesterday that Sri Lanka should have a proactive and strong Independent Election Commission even with powers to ban political parties and disqualify candidates unless they adhered to lawful election practices.
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) Executive Director Ms. Somsri Han-Anuntasuk told the Daily Mirror in an interview last evening that an Election Commission should not be afraid of powerful political parties and candidates when implementing the law. Read more »
Apr
05
The Program for Protection of Public Resources (PPPR) conducted by the Sri Lanka chapter of Transparency International said yesterday that it had received 200 complaints on the abuse of public resources during the General Election campaign.
The complaints received related to the abuse of government funds, vehicles and buses, buildings and utilities, media institutions and public officials for electioneering. The PPPR had also recorded a sudden increase of complaints which highlighted the increased level of abuse of public resources as the date of election neared. Read more »
Mar
04
By Srinath Prasanna Jayasuriya
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has directed Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya to ensure that all the illegal election posters, banners and cutouts are removed latest by tomorrow.
A spokesman from Police Head Quarters said that action had already been taken to remove such propaganda posters, banners and cutouts, as stipulated by the Commissioner of Elections.
He, said that the task needed more hands and according to the arrangements made, a Head Quarters Police Station shall employ four workers each while an ordinary Police Station shall employ three workers and two workers for other Police Stations.
Meanwhile the UNP yesterday brought the attention of Elections Commissioner to the unlawful display of posters and cut-outs by UPFA candidates at public places.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, in a letter to the Commissioner, said that though the Elections Secretariat had allocated a large sum of money to remove such posters, little or nothing had been done yet.
Mr. Attanayake said that the situation had affected the process of conducting a free and fair election.
Besides, the General Secretary had also said in his letter how the State media was biased even during this election period.
He noted that the state media institutions continue to slander the opposition without giving them a right of to reply.
Source: Daily Mirror – 02.03.2010
Mar
04
By S.S. Selvanayagam
A Fundamental Rights violation petition was filed before the Supreme Court alleging authorities had failed to ensure the right of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces to participate as citizens of Sri Lanka in the democratic process of exercising their votes.
The Centre for Policy Alternatives and its Executive Director Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu in a petition filed through Attorney-at-Law Mohan Balendra cited Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake, District Secretaries of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Vavuniyia and Kilinochchi –K. Ganesh, Emelda Sukumar, P.S.M. Charles and Rupavathi Ketheeswaran– respectively as well as the Attorney General as respondents.
The petition was filed in light of a grave and adverse denial of the due enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms that all Sri Lankans regardless of ethnic, religious or geographical classification are entitled to, which were sought to be denied to a section of Sri Lankan society effectively on the basis of their ethnicity and place of origin. Read more »
Feb
25
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
The Police Department yesterday said it was not in a position to frame charges against violators of the election law without the Attorney General’s advice and that was the reason cases have not been filed against most violators of the elections law.
“We refer the files to the AG’s Department and are waiting for instructions,” Police media spokesman Preshantha Jayakody said.
Commenting on the pasting of posters in every nook and corner, putting up banners, floats and cut-outs, he said it is up to the Police Department to remove them but financial and human resource constraints have hampered the action to be taken.
Asked about the reported allocation of Rs. 25 million for the task for the Police Department by the Elections Department, Mr. Jayakody said the money had not been received so far. “We act on the instructions of the Elections Commissioner to remove illegal banners and cut-outs. The instructions must come with the necessary funds,” he said.
Mr. Jayakody said only one complaint of election related violence had been received by the Police Election Desk by yesterday.
Source: Daily Mirror – 25.02.2010
Feb
25
Election Commissioner says
By Ranjan Kasturi
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has directed all District Secretaries to take immediate action to remove election posters, banners and cutouts in government office premises.
The Elections Commissioner has made the directive through a circular issued to the District Secretaries. He had asked them to ensure that no government premises including schools, pradeshiya sabha office premises, CTB depots, hospitals, government corporations and statutory boards, should have any posters, banners and cutouts of political parties. He had said that if there are such material steps have to be taken to remove them.
The Elections Commissioner has also ordered all the Commissioners and the Secretaries to ensure that all the Provincial Council premises are free of political propaganda material. He had directed to remove political propaganda material from their premises before February 26.
The circular has specified that even the display material exhibited with permission after payment of fees shall not be allowed during the election time and the police have been notified to provide necessary protection in removing such material.
Source:http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/news/4609.html
Feb
19
Special attention to Chairmen of SLBC and Rupavahini
By Kelum Bandara
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, while issuing guidelines for the media to be observed in regard to the upcoming general election, has drawn special attention of the Chairmen of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation to the Provisions in Article 104(B) of the Constitution.
The Commissioner has set these guidelines in terms of this Article of the Constitution.
In his guidelines, the Commissioner has requested that a period of silence be observed from midnight on April 5 till the announcement of the election results. This is to enable voters to weigh the pros and cons of policies outlined by the parties in the fray and contestants, and decide how to cast their ballots. Read more »
Feb
16
Until the completion of the General Elections
The Elections Department has issued a circular suspending the recruitment of state sector employees until the completion of the General Elections in April, Department sources told Daily Mirror Online.
The sources said that the circular informed the government sector not to conduct the recruitment examinations for the state sector. No new recruitments are to take place in government institutions or departments until the completion of the General Elections in April.
Meanwhile, a special meeting is to be held today at the Elections Secretariat in Colombo, with the participation of Divisional Secretaries, Deputy Elections Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners and Returning Officers, to discuss the forthcoming elections that are scheduled to be held on April 8.
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake will chair the meeting.
It is learnt that special instructions are to be given to these officers regarding the elections.
Source: Daily Mirror – 16.02.2010
Feb
11
By S.S.Selvanayagam
A fundamental rights violation petition challenging the alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of Gen. Sarath Fonseka, the Common Opposition Candidate in the recently held Presidential elections, was filed before the Supreme Court yesterday.
His wife Mrs Anoma Fonseka and New Democratic Front Secretary Ms. Shamila Perera filed the petition for and on behalf of Gen. Fonseka.
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, Officer in Charge of Colombo Security Maj. Gen. Sumith Manawadu, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Head of the Military Police Military Provost-Marshal Brig. Wijesiri and the Attorney General were cited as respondents.
Feb
09
Former army Chief and opposition Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka and his media secretary Senaka de Silva were arrested by the military police a short while ago, opposition Member of Parliament Mano Ganeshan told Daily Mirror online.
Military spokesman Major Prasad Samarasingha confirmed that the General has been arrested from his Colombo office for committing military offences.
Meanwhile the memory chips of the cameras of the Daily Mirror photographer and an AFP journalist covering the arrest of the General were confiscated by the military who had surrounded the General’s office.
Source: Daliy Mirror – 09.02.2010
Feb
01
By Kelum Bandara
Vavuniya District Secretary Mrs. P.S.M. Charles yesterday found fault with the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake for not approving the special identity card issued for the displaced as a valid document for voting, right till the day of polling.
Mrs. Charles told the Daily Mirror that she, shortly after the declaration of the Presidential Election, requested the Commissioner to accept this as a valid ID card for the displaced civilians to cast their ballots.
“However, the Commissioner did not accept it initially. Only on the day of polling, he announced that he would accept it. I got the message around 10.30am on the day. Then, it was too late for me to educate the voters in this regard. Now, various political elements criticize me for not arranging adequate facilities for the displaced to vote,” the District Secretary said. Read more »
Feb
01
By Yohan Perera
Charging that party representatives at some counting centres had not received copies of the result of the recently concluded presidential election, Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CAFFÉ) yesterday called on Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to send copies to them of the total votes polled at these centres as soon as possible.
CAFFÉ Spokesman Keerthi Tennekoon said he had written to the polls chief asking him to send him copies of the result sheets. In the letter Mr. Tennekoon reminded the polls chief that carbon copies of results sheets are usually given to political party representatives while one is sent to the polls chief and another copy is filed thereafter. The CAFFÉ spokesman said this process has not been followed in some counting stations. Read more »
Jan
28
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake making a statement prior to announcing the final results of the presidential election noted the conduct of the state media even in the face of guidelines issued by him, but commended IGP Mahinda Balasuriya for taking necessary steps when matters were pointed out.
“It has to be stated with much reluctance that the co-operation received from some of the candidates and their supporters in ensuring a peaceful, free and fair election during the two months period of the election campaign was much less than desired.
It became necessary to issue directives and guidelines to prevent misuse of State resources and the State media. A Competent Authority had to be appointed to ensure observation of the guidelines by the media. The lack of positive response shown to the directives and guidelines is regretted. This attitude was the subject of much criticism and amusement of both the civil society and rival parties,” he said. Read more »
Jan
28
By Sumaiya Rizvi
Foreign observer and Mission Director of the Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL), Ichal Supriady said yesterday the Elections Commissioner should investigate and call for a voter registration audit if the local monitors allege fraud in the counting of votes and disfranchisement of voters.
“We expect the Election Commissioner to announce and clarify allegations of fraud,” Supriady said. If there are suspicions of malpractice in the counting process then the political parties should reach a consensus to recount or the option of re election, Supriady said. The common opposition candidate is entitled to make complains and the Elections Commissioner should look into them, he added. Read more »