President tells state officials not to get involved in political campaigning

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed heads of all state institutions, including corporations and statutory boards as well as members of the director boards, not to support any political party or engage in political activity at the upcoming parliamentary election. 

If the head of any state institution, director board member or any other official wishes to support a political party or engage in any political activity, the President insisted that they should first resign from their post, the President's Media Division (PMD) said today. 

The PMD added that President Rajapaksa never expects heads of state institutions or any other government official to engage in politics on behalf of the government. Their task is to ensure that their institution works efficiently, is free of corruption, disciplined and is profitable. State institutions run on public funds. Therefore, they should not be a burden to the people, he stressed. 

Accordingly, the President insisted that physical resources such as vehicles and equipment belonging to ministries, departments, corporations, statutory boards or financial resources belonging to them should not be used for political activities of any party during the upcoming parliamentary election. 

Stern legal action will be taken against any official who is found to have disregarded these instructions, the PMD stressed.