POLLS DEPT SEIZES 24 MINISTERIAL VEHICLES
POLLS DEPT SEIZES 24 MINISTERIAL VEHICLES
2013-08-19
by Ravi Ladduwahetty
The Department of Elections has seized 24 ministerial vehicles engaging in polls malpractices and violations in the run-up to the 2013 Provincial Council polls.
“The majority of them have been in the North-Western Province and a few in the Central Province with no complaints from the Northern Province,” Deputy Elections Commissioner, M.M. Mohamed, told Ceylon Today.
He also explained there were 110 complaints lodged with Elections Department with 24 of them being in relation to the misuse of ministerial vehicles, 40 others in relation to
posters and cutouts. He stressed all complaints were made by the ruling party members and bordered on intra-party squabbles in their quest for preferential votes.
However, there have been no instances of killings and physical assaults, he said.
He also said Section 66 of the Provincial Council Act No. 2 of 1988 clearly explains what constituted as election malpractices and that Section 91(1) says the punishment of the violations could also see litigation and if proved, the candidatures of the violaters could also be annulled. “We are not the police or the Army, but all we are mandated to do is to refer the instances to the police and the relevant State institutions and the respective Ministry Secretaries. Candidates, who violate the laws can face deterrent punishment and what we want is to prevent that,” he said.
Deputy Officer of the Elections Department’s Complaints Receiving Centre, Sunil Hettiarachchi, said letters have been sent to the respective secretaries of the ministries, to which the vehicles used for the malpractices belong and the Department has also directed the police to remove the cutouts and posters of the candidates. “We are implementing the laws to the hilt,” he said. There have also been instances where public servants have been detected engaged in election malpractices, he said. Complaints can be made orally to the Desk on 0112- 877612 and /or written complaints on telefax- 0112-877613.
The Department of Elections has seized 24 ministerial vehicles engaging in polls malpractices and violations in the run-up to the 2013 Provincial Council polls.
“The majority of them have been in the North-Western Province and a few in the Central Province with no complaints from the Northern Province,” Deputy Elections Commissioner, M.M. Mohamed, told Ceylon Today.
He also explained there were 110 complaints lodged with Elections Department with 24 of them being in relation to the misuse of ministerial vehicles, 40 others in relation to
posters and cutouts. He stressed all complaints were made by the ruling party members and bordered on intra-party squabbles in their quest for preferential votes.
However, there have been no instances of killings and physical assaults, he said.
He also said Section 66 of the Provincial Council Act No. 2 of 1988 clearly explains what constituted as election malpractices and that Section 91(1) says the punishment of the violations could also see litigation and if proved, the candidatures of the violaters could also be annulled. “We are not the police or the Army, but all we are mandated to do is to refer the instances to the police and the relevant State institutions and the respective Ministry Secretaries. Candidates, who violate the laws can face deterrent punishment and what we want is to prevent that,” he said.
Deputy Officer of the Elections Department’s Complaints Receiving Centre, Sunil Hettiarachchi, said letters have been sent to the respective secretaries of the ministries, to which the vehicles used for the malpractices belong and the Department has also directed the police to remove the cutouts and posters of the candidates. “We are implementing the laws to the hilt,” he said. There have also been instances where public servants have been detected engaged in election malpractices, he said. Complaints can be made orally to the Desk on 0112- 877612 and /or written complaints on telefax- 0112-877613.
