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Polls
chief bans misuse of state resources The directives were sent to the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s office, ministries, provincial councils, heads of state organisations and the police chief, an official of the Elections Department said. The commissioner said the use of state resources ‘directly or indirectly’ to promote any candidate at the Presidential elections or any party was prohibited. He said that if the state media published a matter to promote advance or support any candidate or political party or the policies or programmes of any candidate or party, any opposing or contesting candidate or party should be entitled to a prompt right of reply. The commissioner ruled that if any state institution made, printed or prepared posters, pamphlets, pictures, cut-outs, banners, document film, cassette, video or other material for publication, broadcast or telecast in connection with the election, it should be done strictly on market values and accounts must be submitted to the commissioner. In the directive, the commissioner has defined state resources as personnel, all property, money, financial resources, credit facilities, electronic and print media. The commissioner’s clamp down came as two independent organisations also announced they were monitoring any misuse of state resources for any particular candidate. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence and Transparency International Sri Lanka said they would monitor the situation and take appropriate action. |
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