Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya says that several candidates contesting the August 17 parliamentary polls will be taken to courts for violating election laws.
Deshapriya in a live discussion with a local TV station last night said that after the polls, legal action will be filed against some candidates responsible for election law violations during the pre-poll period.
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya
He specifically mentioned illegal propaganda over social media, obstructing authorities from carrying out duty and conducting illegal processions as some of the offences.
Also the Commissioner noted that illegal propaganda carried out by some candidates through SMS messages have been stopped with the help of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka.
In accordance with the laws all election related campaigning should have stopped since midnight yesterday, 48 hours prior to the dawn of the polls day.
However, some candidates were using both the social media and mobile phones to carry out propaganda even today, a serious breach of polls laws.
The JVP General Secretary Tylvin Silva said last night that he has complained to the elections commissioner over a face book page which is displaying bogus material against the party in an attempt to mislead the voters.
Meanwhile Deshapriya also said that several election monitoring organization were waiting to file complaints in courts and with the Human Rights Commission over the misuse of state property in election campaigning, after the polls.
On the subject of declaration of assets by candidates, Deshapriya said that from political parties which represented the previous parliament, an overwhelming majority of candidates had declared their assets unlike previous elections.
However, according to the Commissioner only a few candidates contesting from some obscure parties and independent groups have declared their assets.
According to Deshapriya, the Elections Department had an extensive archive of photographic and video footage evidence that would help initiate legal action against errant politicians.
However, Deshapriya said that he did not have sufficient power to initiate legal action against all elections law violators or the power to take legal action against any candidate who violates election laws even after the conclusion of elections.
But he said that if any citizen, civil society organizations, media etc. wish to file action the information gathered in this manner by the department could be used.
According to both election observers and analysts alike the parliamentary polls, 2015 slated to take place in a couple of days has been the most disciplined and well behaved election in Sri Lanka since 1989.
Observers and analysts also have been unanimous in their praise for the Election authorities and the Police for maintaining law and order and keeping polls law violations to a minimum compared to elections in the recent past.
Amarasiri / August 16, 2015
RE: Elections Commissioner Vows Tough Action Against Polls Law Violators
Excellent.
Let’s see what the people with Common Sense will vote for and those who lack common sense generally known as Modayas, Mootals and fools want to vote for.
Based on the Voting data, one may be able to estimate the average IQ of those with common sense and the IQ of the Modayas, Mootals and fools.
We Await most results to be out by the 18th morning.
So a New Period, a Nava Yugaya, free of MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa may start on the 18th.
The Sri Lankans with Common sense deserve it.
MaRa Free Nava Yugayak
MaRa Nethi Nava Yugayak
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Point of View / August 16, 2015
Election Commissioner,
What action will you take re : Rajapaksa Distributes “Sil Redi” Again In Temples On The Eve Of Polls ?
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Sirisena Yatawara / August 16, 2015
Commissioner of Election Mahinda Desapriya has lost all his credential and credibility of stand of impartiality during his act of work incoming election 2015 August 17th by influence the of President of MS and unelected Minority Primer of UNP.
We feel, I have doubt that mode of operandi by EC has been that disadvantage of our democracy system of far outweigh will created seriously undermined valued principle of sovereignty of Democracy Republic…Sri lanka.
Where his behind screen on that foul play by cannot cure even it has found, from time to time required long period to be review and restoration normal order fair of election system in future generations come into being.
I here by blame not only the EC, but whole responsibility must undertake and that accountability must bearer by current President of MS and unelected Primer of UNP leader since even before last Presidential election 2015 January.
EC has intentionally put Rules and Laws into waste paper basket the and conducting of elections operation guidance , which beside that , was hardly laid down Election rules by previous Governments & EC well.
That is why ongoing Parliamentary election is definitely where the rules and law of elections have been made complicated and illogical attempts intervene by EC.
In fact EC and political intervention by MS, CBK and UNP-Ranil and UK Blair,(by the charge of war Crime Iraq by Malaysian group of elites) EU-agents, US-agents as well as Indian RAW, created unsatisfactorily workout of detail plans has mass of scattered decisions are unmanageable and imaginable.
EC position and his statues may have been undertake the work of codification an unorderly arrangement has been that over rule establishment election rules are in anti-statutory way.
We feel EC is playing with fire, which that the Right of Vote is the Right of Silent voice of the PEOPLE is that base on pillars of Sovereignty and Democracy, has been badly effect an eligibility voters verdicts.
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Sirisena Yatawara / August 16, 2015
Commissioner of Election Mahinda Desapriya has lost all his credential and credibility of stand of impartiality during his act of work incoming election 2015 August 17th by influence the of President of MS and unelected Minority Premier of UNP.
We feel, I have doubt that mode of operandi by EC has been that disadvantage of our democracy system of far outweigh will created seriously undermined valued principle of sovereignty of Democracy Republic…Sri lanka.
Where his behind screen on that foul play by cannot cure even it has found, from time to time required long period to be review and restoration normal order fair of election system in future generations come into being.
I here by blame not only the EC, but whole responsibility must undertake and that accountability must bearer by current President of MS and unelected Premier of UNP leader since even before last Presidential election 2015 January.
EC has intentionally put Rules and Laws into waste paper basket the and conducting of elections operation guidance , which beside that , was hardly laid down Election rules by previous Governments & EC well.
That is why ongoing Parliamentary election is definitely where the rules and law of elections have been made complicated and illogical attempts intervene by EC.
In fact EC and political intervention by MS, CBK and UNP-Ranil and UK Blair,(by the charge of war Crime Iraq by Malaysian group of elites) EU-agents, US-agents as well as Indian RAW, created unsatisfactorily workout of detail plans has mass of scattered decisions are unmanageable and imaginable.
EC position and his statues may have been undertake the work of codification an unorderly arrangement has been that over rule establishment election rules are in anti-statutory way.
We feel EC is playing with fire, which that the Right of Vote is the Right of Silent voice of the PEOPLE is that base on pillars of Sovereignty and Democracy, has been badly effect an eligibility voters verdicts.
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maali karunaratne / August 17, 2015
what is EC going to do with those who violate election laws by distributing Sil redi on the 15th.
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