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POLLS CHIEF GETS TOUGH WITH POLICE

By Kelum Bandara

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake exercised his powers for the first time with regard to the political victimisation of public servants yesterday by directing Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya to stop the transfer of Superintendent J.R. Jayawardane from Ampara to Kilinochchi.

The Commissioner has issued directions not to make any transfer of public servants including those in the police service during the election period.

However, the government acted to transfer Mr. Jayawardane to Kilinochchi a few days ago.

Political sources in Ampara charged that this police officer was transferred because he had acted according to directions by the Elections Commissioner to remove all the unlawful cut-outs of President Mahinda Rajapaksa erected in the Ampara town .

Later, the opposition took up this issue with the authorities concerned.

Accordingly, the Commissioner directed the IGP to stop this transfer yesterday, citing it as a violation of the election law.

However, Mr. Jayawardane had not been informed of the cancellation of his transfer in writing by Mr. Balasuriya yesterday.

According to the election law, the Commissioner has the power to issue regulations in a gazette notification suspending transfers in the public services whenever there was an election declared.

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said that it could not be satisfied with the progress of removing unlawful cut-outs put up throughout the country.

The Organization’s Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the presidential candidates could install their cut-outs only opposite their respective party offices and at the premises of political meetings to be attended by them.

“Police have made an effort in this case. However, we cannot be satisfied with the progress.

There are still cut-outs. Enough funds and labourers have been given to the police for this purpose,” he said.

Mr. Hettiarachchi said the local government bodies also had powers to deal with this issue.

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