News
Presidential polls ahoy — All hands on deck at the SLPA
Opposition parties have charged that the misuse of state property has already got under way with the unofficial announcements that early
These days various groups of public servants are being invited to Temple Trees for meetings with the President. Pix by Indika Handuwala
presidential elections were due.
Misuse of state property to prepare election propaganda material and the summoning of state sector employees to Temple Trees, were considered preparations for elections. Already, nurses, pirivena teachers and Child Development and Women’s Affairs officers are among those who have met with the President, while several others have been invited.
The United National Party (UNP) has already lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Elections alleging the misuse of power, and the attack on their MPs when they visited a Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) property in Kompannaveediya this week.
Last Tuesday, four UNP MPs who visited the SLPA’s Security Training Centre on an “inspection tour”, following information that the place was being used for presidential election propaganda activities, came under attack by pro-government trade union members.
The MPs — Ravi Karunanayake, Ajith Perera, R. Yogarajan and Nalin Bandara — accompanied by some journalists, were threatened and their vehicles were damaged.
Mr. Yogarajan told the Sunday Times that as members of Parliament that allocated funds for state institutions, they had the right to visit any public establishment.
“When we went there, we witnessed SLPA workers in their uniforms, engaged in preparing propaganda materials like cutouts, banners, and television stands with monitors. We have photo evidence of this too. This is an illegal activity. Using government workers for party-political activities is a serious abuse,” he said.
The MP said they were stoned by the workers when they returned to the 
place and his vehicle was badly damaged. He said he lodged a complaint with the Kompannaveediya police, but to my horror, the police claimed that the incident was an accident.
However, a complaint lodged by the Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (NSS), the trade union wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), at the same police station resulted in the four UNP MPs being summoned to the Fort Magistrate’s court on charges of trespassing.
Mr. Yogarajan charged that the police had carried out no investigation with regard to their complaint.
NSS chief organiser Sanchaya Kumar Weligama said that the UNP MPs did not get approval from the authority to enter the port premises and went on to claim that the SLPA’s UNP trade union, Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, were not informed either about their “fact finding mission”.
Mr. Weligama said the premises next to the SLPA Security Training College, which the UNP MPs visited, was given to the SLPA on lease, and has been used by the “Nil Balakaya” – SLFP youth wing, for its activities.
“A former Ports minister made many political appointments – and these workers are boarders here,” he said.
He claimed that the security personnel of the MPs attacked them inside the port with weapons, during an argument, and therefore, they had to lodge a complaint.
Meanwhile the Elections Department is preparing for early polls.
A new district election office in Kilinochchi was declared open by Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya on Friday.
Assistant Elections Commissioner M.M. Mohammed, who was present at the event, told the Sunday Times that, in the past, counting of votes only of local elections and provincial elections took place, but since the opening of the new office, all election counting processes will take place here, and reported to the Jaffna office.
Department of Registration of Persons Director General, R.M.S Sarath Kumara said he has issued a circular to all Divisional Secretariats islandwide, to analyse details of persons who do not have National Identity Cards (NIC) and take necessary action to issue same.
“There is only a short time left before the presidential election for my department to issue NICs. Therefore, I am requesting people to send their applications as soon as possible. Then I can process them quickly without any delay. I have also informed the Elections Commissioner regarding the actions I have taken on this issue.” he said.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Human Rights and Research (CHR) in collaboration with Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) revealed in a study that there are over 15,157 eligible voters without NICs in the Trincomalee district.
CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said they have initiated a mobile service programme with the help of the Department for Registration of Persons to issue NICs and conduct awareness campaigns among the rural community to obtain NICs.