Elections monitoring bodies fault President
By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody- March 11, 2014
Calling it an act unbefitting of a national and political leader, elections observers and monitoring bodies, People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and Intellectuals for Human Rights Network for Election Monitoring (IHR NEM), have all condemned President Mahinda Rajapaksa's involvement in the 'live' Janapathi Jana Hamuwa programme held last week.
"As a President, he has the right to intervene in people's issues. However, he is also the Leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and therefore he shouldn't use his position to get undue... ..advantage for his Party which is also contesting the elections. That is why we object. Even though we have staggered elections, we are not saying that development should come to a standstill. But nobody, including the Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya, can control the President, the Secretaries and the Ministries, and therefore they must control themselves and not engage in such violations during times of elections," the Executive Director, PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, CaFFE, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, said: "This is a straightforward act of election campaigning, although officially according to the law, it is not illegal. This propaganda act was done abusing state property with the radio broadcasting system, premises and equipment, are all government resources. This is a very indirect way of getting a clear advantage for the ruling Party."
IHR NEM Media Spokesman and Legal Adviser, Chaminda Gunasekera, went on to say, "The President's intervention is unfair to other contesting parties, and is certainly favourable to the development of the UPFA."
Now Police officers ordered to carry firearms
By Gihan Nicholas-March 11, 2014
Inspector General of Police (IGP), N.K. Illangakoon, has ordered all police officers to carry a revolver while on duty with immediate effect, Police Media Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana said.
The decision was apparently followed by recent attacks on police officers while they had been carrying out their duties. Expressing his views to Ceylon Today, the Police Media Spokesman said that, in fact the decision in this regard had been made previously although it had not been adhered to by police officers.
"All police officers would be hereafter required to carry a firearm while on duty which could be either a pistol or a revolver. This is a re-enactment of a previous decision that had been made. We were compelled to re-enforce this regulation due to the recent escalation of assaults on police personnel," SSP Ajith Rohana explained.
By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody- March 11, 2014
Calling it an act unbefitting of a national and political leader, elections observers and monitoring bodies, People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and Intellectuals for Human Rights Network for Election Monitoring (IHR NEM), have all condemned President Mahinda Rajapaksa's involvement in the 'live' Janapathi Jana Hamuwa programme held last week.
"As a President, he has the right to intervene in people's issues. However, he is also the Leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and therefore he shouldn't use his position to get undue... ..advantage for his Party which is also contesting the elections. That is why we object. Even though we have staggered elections, we are not saying that development should come to a standstill. But nobody, including the Elections Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya, can control the President, the Secretaries and the Ministries, and therefore they must control themselves and not engage in such violations during times of elections," the Executive Director, PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, CaFFE, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, said: "This is a straightforward act of election campaigning, although officially according to the law, it is not illegal. This propaganda act was done abusing state property with the radio broadcasting system, premises and equipment, are all government resources. This is a very indirect way of getting a clear advantage for the ruling Party."
IHR NEM Media Spokesman and Legal Adviser, Chaminda Gunasekera, went on to say, "The President's intervention is unfair to other contesting parties, and is certainly favourable to the development of the UPFA."
By Gihan Nicholas-March 11, 2014 Inspector General of Police (IGP), N.K. Illangakoon, has ordered all police officers to carry a revolver while on duty with immediate effect, Police Media Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana said.
The decision was apparently followed by recent attacks on police officers while they had been carrying out their duties. Expressing his views to Ceylon Today, the Police Media Spokesman said that, in fact the decision in this regard had been made previously although it had not been adhered to by police officers.
"All police officers would be hereafter required to carry a firearm while on duty which could be either a pistol or a revolver. This is a re-enactment of a previous decision that had been made. We were compelled to re-enforce this regulation due to the recent escalation of assaults on police personnel," SSP Ajith Rohana explained.
