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Police Chief’s powers for Public Security Ministry Secretary
View(s):By Damith Wickremasekara
Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunatillake has been vested with the powers by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to make decisions on behalf of the Inspector General of Police during the period of the presidential election.
Mr. Gunatillake told the Sunday Times that he had received an official communication from the President’s Secretary, Saman Ekanayake, confirming that he could perform all duties of the IGP for the conduct of the election.
Accordingly, all police orders issued by the IGP during the election period, the deployment of police officers and personnel for election-related duties, making arrangements for election meetings, providing logistical needs, and arrangements to make subsistence payments during the election period had been entrusted to him, he said.
Mr. Gunatillake said he had informed all Senior Deputy Inspectors General to communicate to him the requirements and issues related to the election to be resolved.
He said already police officers had been assigned to the Election offences complaint centres in the districts.
“Accordingly, I will be taking care of all police arrangements for the upcoming elections,” he said.
Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake told the Sunday he had written to the President about the appointment of the Acting IGP and, in turn, had been informed by the President’s office regarding assigning duties to the Public Security Ministry Secretary.
He said he had already met Mr. Gunatillake and Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake, who was appointed to oversee administration.
SDIG Pathinayake was appointed to oversee administration as SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena was sent on compulsory leave pending investigations into the Easter Sunday massacres in 2019. He said necessary security requirements were discussed.
Meanwhile, a committee headed by the Public Security Ministry Secretary has met to discuss special security arrangements for candidates. A threat assessment will be carried out on each of the candidates to decide on the security requirements.
The appointment of the Acting IGP after the interdiction of IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon on a court order is pending.
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