Governors not above reproach

by J.T. de Silva-Friday, 13 Sep 2013

Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya, said it is within the rights of anyone to complain to the Human Rights Commission against the provincial governors, if they are found to be engaging in election campaigns.

He said the governors of the Northern, Central and North-Western Provinces, where provincial elections will be held on 21 September, have already been notified that they should not be taking part in election campaigns.

However, if anybody is found to be defying that order and continue to participate in election activities, anybody can lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against such behaviour. The Commissioner also said, after receiving complaints to the effect that the Governor of the Northern Province is engaged in election activities of the ruling party, he had notified the General Secretaries of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) about the complaints. He assured punitive action against election law violators, once the complaints are reviewed by him.

I have the political right

by Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Saturday, 14 Sep 2013

Governor of the Northern Province, Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri, maintained he has the right to be in any part of Sri Lanka as he is representing President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and he is not concerned about the allegations that he is participating in election propaganda for the ruling party in the Northern Province. "People are stupid to listen to what the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is contesting in the North, is saying. I have the power and I can go anywhere with anybody. I travel with the President and his brother, Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa, on various occasions, who are toiling to develop the North. I have to be there when they are present in the North.

"I am not bothered even if my propaganda work has been referred to the Human Rights Commission. There is no law to stop me from travelling around the Northern Province, for which I am the Governor. I have the political right as I am representing the President," he said lambasting the media reports that highlighted his participation in the election campaigns.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya, said he is in a 'fix' as the ruling party claims Northern Province Governor Chandrasiri has the political rights to get involved in the propaganda work for the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), claiming that he is a representative of President Rajapaksa, whereas the opposition parties claim, under the elections law, a State official cannot get involved in political campaigns.

"There are two opinions from the ruling and the opposition parties about the Northern Province Governor's involvement in the election campaign and I cannot do anything against these two opinions and now the matter has been referred to the Human Rights Commission to decide," he said.