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