Sunday Times 2
We salute our Police Force
The 2015 presidential election was a highly tensed and closely contested election compared to the previous ones. The incumbent was challenged by the General Secretary of his own political party. This challenge became a do-or-die contest from the day the proclamation for the election was issued in November until election day on January 8. The campaign was marred by incidents of violence including a death of a supporter of the present President.
Police officers on election duty: A job well done
No sooner the nominations were called for than the Elections Commissioner entrusted the maintenance of law and order to the Sri Lanka Police Department. He gave a free hand to the Police to act against any violation of the election laws. Though the Police did take action against cut-outs, posters etc., they could not completely wipe out this sort of campaign due to the power the then President had. However, with the polls nearing, on January 6, the Elections Commissioner made a public statement that the Police Department had been given the total responsibility of maintaining law and order during and after the election.
During this period the Police came under the direction of the Elections Commissioner. In replying to questions by journalists at new conference on January 6, he made a bold remark: “if anyone was to attempt to grab ballot papers etc., the Police had been ordered to use the maximum force and not the minimum force”. The Police Department bolstered by the statement of the Elections Commissioner swung into action to ensure that the election was held peacefully without any untoward incident or violence. Every officer from the constable to the Inspector General of Police conducted themselves in a manner which brought credit and encomium from the people. In addition to their duties, it has been now reported that the Inspector General of Police led from the front and averted attempts by interested parties to disrupt the election results and create chaos. It has been reported that the IGP declined to be part of such exercise though mooted by powerful officials of the previous government.
The members of the public are proud of the service rendered by the Police service led by the IGP and his deputies. They withstood every possible attempt, every possible pressure to sabotage the people’s right in choosing whomever they wanted. It is clear to the public that the Police Department acted independently without being pressurised by any political party, especially the party which was in power, when the election was underway.
Now that you have maintained that independence and established law and order so that the citizens of the country could exercise their rights and live without any fear, we urge you to continue to act independently and carry out your duties in arresting any miscreant either from the government side or the opposition, and take them before courts. If you do this, the people of this country will appreciate that at last the law and order situation has been brought back to normal throughout the country. All these years, you have received brickbats because you failed to stand up to illegal orders and act according to the law. Now that the entire country is proud of the service you have rendered, it is our fervent hope and expectation that the citizens will be proud to witness that the law is being maintained against any miscreant irrespective of party politics.
Inspector General of Police, Sir, we are proud of you and the entire Police service whom you led from the front. Continue the good work and lead the Police service to maintain law and order which is the total responsibility of the Police service.
(The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector of Police)