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Violation of election laws to be legalised
Polls laws are to be amended ahead of next year’s presidential election and possibly a general election — with the limited objective of relaxing provisions related to campaigning. Draft amendments are now being formulated, Minister Basil Rajapaksa, National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, told a meeting of leaders who are partners of the UPFA Government.
The move comes against the backdrop of flagrant violations of existing laws, especially by the ruling party at elections and complaints by independent elections monitors and the Elections Commissioner that the Police were turning a blind eye to these violations.
The highlights of the proposed laws will be to allow candidates to carry out propaganda activities without hindrance. That is by relaxing existing provisions in the law dealing with posters, election offices, messages from candidates to the voters and canvassing.
His remarks came after President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who chaired the meeting immediately after the weekly ministerial session on Thursday, asked what the position with regard to the new laws was. It came during a discussion where he noted that other than a joint meeting in Wellawaya last Wednesday, UPFA leaders were not campaigning collectively together. He said this should not be the case in the future.
Minister Rajapaksa said the draft amendments were being formulated incorporating the recommendations made by the Elections Commissioner. However, one recommendation – to do away with the application of indelible ink on a voter’s finger – has not been accepted, he said. Though the Commissioner felt such a step was not necessary since more measures to identify a voter were in place, Minister Rajapaksa said it was still necessary and should remain.
Ministerial sources said yesterday that the draft legislation would be presented in Parliament by next month.