News
Govt.’s generosity frowned upon; EC warns public officials taking part in vote-catching programmes
View(s):By Niranjala Ariyawansha
The Election Commission has warned that state officials will face legal action if they take part in the government’s vote-catching programmes during the election period.
Elections Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that the warnings would be coming in circulars to be issued in the next few days. There would be warnings against the misuse of state vehicles and offering incentives to voters.
Activists say that over the past few weeks, the government has been offering job appointments, holding job interviews, distributing goods and financial aid, and granting promotions and transfers, even though the Elections Commission had announced that the election notice was pending.
Campaign parades, posters and flags: Election activities in full swing: Pictures from Chilaw (above), Colombo (above right) and Kadawatha Pix by Eshan Fernando
Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a judgment on a petition filed by PAFFREL. Welcoming the ruling, activists say it seeks to establish a level playing field.
The Supreme Court ruling suspended the implementation of an April 29-dated Presidential circular regarding the appointment of local council election candidates as advisors to development committees.
In its petition, election monitoring group PAFFREL urged the court that public officials such as district secretaries be authorised and assigned powers instead.
The very day the Supreme Court issued the interim order, President Ranil Wickremesinghe gave effect to a 2020 Cabinet decision to authorise provincial governors to recruit 50,000 graduates to the provincial state sector.
PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said the group had received 21 complaints, which included calling for interviews for jobs in the Rupavahini Corporation, authorising governors to give teacher appointments, offering financial assistance, and distribution of goods. He said the biggest concern was the offer of 50,000 jobs in provincial administrations.
“The number of complaints may be low, but their impact on a free and fair election is so great that it is difficult to measure it,” Mr. Hettiarachchi said.
Another government move that has drawn monitors’ criticism was last week’s Cabinet decision to grant Rs. 3,000 monthly allowance to 700,000 public sector pensioners, pending the resolution of pension anomalies.
Also, last week, the government launched a scholarship programme under a Presidential Fund initiative to grant scholarships to lay students, student monks, Sheela Matha in Pirivenas, and Sheela Matha educational institutions. They will receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 3,000 for one year.
Commenting on state sector transfers, promotions, and job appointments, the Public Service Commission said that the EC circulars would be implemented.
A PSC official said that since the presidential election was announced on Friday, the commission could block only politically intended appointments made after Friday.
However, the National Police Commission rejected recommendations made by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshbandu Tennakoon regarding the transfer of 210 officers-in-charge (OIC) of police stations, two weeks before the EC’s election declaration announcement and the Supreme Court’s interim order preventing Mr. Tennakoon from serving as the Police Chief.
NPC Chairman and retired High Court Judge Lalith Ekanayake said that although the presidential election had not been announced by July 11, NPC decided that it was not appropriate to effect the transfers too close to the presidential election.
“The law comes into force only after an election is announced, but for a few months now, the country has been in a virtual election period. So, during that period, 210 OICs of the total 607 police stations in the country being transferred means there is an issue related to OICs of one third of the total police stations in the country. So, we decided that it was not ethical to implement those requests and recommendations of the IGP,” he said.
However, of these 210 OICs, 17 were investigated, and 13 of them were to be declared supernumerary.
Also, of these 210, eight related to voluntary transfer requests for general duties. Therefore, the Commission ordered the IGP to implement such requests.
“Two more OICs have requested to be assigned to general duties due to medical reasons. We granted permission for that too. Disciplinary inquiries are being conducted on the 13 officers assigned to general duties. If they are found to be not guilty, we will issue orders to reinstate them,” the NPC chairman said.
He said the commission would not act to overrule election laws.
Meanwhile, Public Administration Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne has warned government officials of the consequences of violating election laws.
“The law applies equally to all government officials, including me,” he said.
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