Committed to hold free & fair election; President

President Maithripala Sirisena pledged to hold the upcoming 2015 Parliamentary Elections in a free and fair manner, Presidential Media Unit said. The President also said that he will create an environment where the Election Commissioner and the law enforcement officers headed by the Inspector General of Police will be able to do their duties without any undue interference. He made these observations when he met with the Commonwealth Observer Group at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. President Sirisena recalled the Presidential Election which he had faced in January and said that this Parliamentary Elections is different from the Presidential Election and in that election all the state power and state assets were used against him and used violence against him. “However, the prudent people in this country fulfilling their responsibilities secured the victory at the election,” the President said , adding that the Government ,including himself did a comprehensive service to the people in this country within the past six months. He also recalled that there were many issues with regard to our democracy, freedom and human rights of the people. The Present Government is committed to solve the problems gradually and to build a peaceful democratic nation, the President further said. The wide executive powers brought a disaster to our country during the past ten years and the President stressed he came into power to abolish the powers of the executive presidency and he said he will abolish the remaining powers of the executive presidency, which are challenging to democracy and freedom of the people, in the new constitution which will be present after the Parliamentary Elections.