TISL Informs EC On Misuse Of State Property In MR’s Poll Campaigning
Corruption watchdog, Transparency International Sri Lanka has written to the Elections Commissioner regarding misuse of state resources in the election campaigning activities of President Rajapaksa.
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya
In a letter to Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, the organisation has listed out specific accounts of state resource misappropriations on which they have received complaints so far to which includes ‘treating’ of public sector officials, state institutions joining hands with movements led by the Rajapaksa family and use of schools to promote election campaigns.
TISL has noted that Chief Accountants of every district have been summoned to the Temple Trees for a discussion on the budget without inviting them to the Finance Ministry or the Treasury as usual. The organisation has pointed out that this action has challenged integrity of the electoral process, the trust and validity of election results and has called upon the EC to probe into the incident.
They have also noted that the organisation – Sri Lanka Youth which is a state institution has been linked with the ‘Nil Balakaya’ a movement led by President’s son MP Namal Rajapaksa to campaign for the President. In the guise of capacity building training, some 100 youth from the Northern Province have been given instructions on how to carry out campaigning for Mahinda Rajapaksa in their respective areas.
TISL has also written with concern over the use of schools for political activities where school development committee meetings have been held and parents and members have been summoned by provincial politicians to promote the election campaigning activities of MR.
Among the other incidents noted is also the misuse of land that belongs to the Kurunegala Municipal Council. The establishment’s auditorium – which is usually not given for the use of external parties-, had been given out to a group named the ‘Kurunegala Free Lawyers Organisation’ who were pledging their support to MR.
While noting all these incidents, the TISL has urged the EC to take relevant measures in order to ensure they do not recur and has called upon the public to inform them on such incidents on 0115627432 or 0719241133.
Vote Decisively For A Credible Political Culture For Our Children’s Sake!
Lukman Harees
What does the bloodthirsty passage of time not leech away?
Our parents’ generation, worse than their parents’,
Has given birth to us, worse yet-and soon
We will have children still more depraved
Horace, Odes, 3.6, 45-8.
Quotes about the debased quality of politicians we elect to office and the utter public dislike for them, are many and varied. The quote ‘We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office’ appears in ‘Aesop’.’. ‘Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first’ rightly quipped Ex US President Ronald Reagan.‘It is not in the nature of politics that the best men should be elected. The best men do not want to govern their fellowmen.’ Said George E. MacDonald. ‘When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators’,’ P.J. O’Rourke’ wrote . ‘Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least’ opines Robert Byrne. “An honest man can never be bought. That’s why there are so few in politics.” was a QueenBee quote. Then again, an author unknown quote goes thus, regarding the need for a change : ‘Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason’.Read More