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Even offering a cup of tea to a voter may land candidates in trouble at future elections – Manjula Gajanayaka
Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
National coordinator for the Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Manjula Gajanayake says even offering a cup of tea to a voter could land candidates in trouble at future elections. Gajanayake said so referring to the election petition 01/2018 filed in the Uva Provincial High Court by W M Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe and the land mark judgment delivered by the Additional High Court Judge Monaragala on 13 September 2021
The election petition was filed on an initiative taken by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) and the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL). The National Coordinator of the CMEV Manjula Gajanayake and the Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi were among the key witnesses for the petitioner S M Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe who contested the Maduruketiya ward of the Monaragala Pradeshiya Sabha on the UNP ticket at the Local Government poll held on 10th February 2018.
On the 22 of January 2018, the petitioner complained to the CMEV that D M Tharnga Harshaka Priya Prasad Dissanayaka contesting on the SLPP ticket for the Maduruketiya ward of the Monaragala PS was offering goods and services to voters as bribes during the election period in violation of the Local Government Ordinance.
After making impartial inquiries about the allegations through CMEV’s electorate based field observers, Gajanayake made a formal complaint to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) and thereafter together with PAFFREL, assisted Sunil Shantha to take forward the legal process.
Delivering judgment, the learned Additional High Court Judge R S A Dissanayaike held that the defendant has violated provisions of the Local Government Ordinance and therefore should be unseated.
Gajanayake said that usually all the election observation missions deployed around 15,000 observers at any election in Sri Lanka and for the 2018 LG election the CMEV and PAFFREL had deployed nearly 9,000 static observers and another 300 electorate-based field observers.
Gajanayake stressed that the CMEV and PAFFREL were not satisfied with the manner in which the post-election complaints were handled by both the ECSL and the Sri Lanka police as no action had been taken to inquire into even the 55 or so complaints the ECSL had forwarded to the Police.
“If the Election Commission and the Sri Lanka Police had d acted on the nearly 1000 election related complaints made by the CMEV and PAFFREL during the last parliamentary election, some present day Members of Parliament and even ministers would have been unseated. I hope that at least in the future, the ECSL will ensure that the Police take action ” Gajanayake said.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the following notification / order / rule published in the government gazette notification to the Parliament for its concurrence:
• Notification on the revision of tax limit of luxury on motor vehicles under the Finance Act No. 35 of 2018 published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 41 dated 31.01.2025.
• Rule issued under the Production Levy (Special Provisions) Act No. 13 of 1989 on revision of production levy rate for vehicles operated with electricity published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 42 dated 31.01.2025
• Order issued under the Finance Act No. 25 of 2003 on extension of the period on which the 50% relief is active which is given to the deviation levy published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2421 / 30 dated 31.01.2025
Although there are legal provisions for the right to publish, technical planning, right of patent, trademarks and enterprises etc, in the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003, there are no provisions for securing the rights of plant species (relevant to breeders, researchers and farmers).
In addition, no patents can be issued for flora and fauna according to the provisions of the intellectual rights act. Therefore, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 22.05.2024 to introduce a new act for securing the rights of plant species.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has pointed out that policy approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers should be taken to complete the drafting of the new flora species rights securing act.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposals submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation for the preparation of the said draft bill.
Latest News
National minimum monthly salary for private sector employees raised to Rs. 27,000/-, minimum daily wage to Rs. 1080/-
Parallel to salary hike of public sector officers by the budget proposals 2025, it has been proposed to increase the salaries of private sector employees as well.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Labour to revise the national minimum monthly salary and national minimum daily wage and follow other legal actions as follows:
• To raise the minimum national monthly salary by rupees 9,500/- from rupees 17,500/- to rupees 27,000/- with effect from 01.04.2025
• To raise the minimum national daily salary by rupees 380/- from rupees 700/- to rupees 1,080/- with effect from 01.04.2025
• To raise the minimum national monthly salary by rupees 3,000/- from rupees 27,000/- to rupees 30,000/- with effect from 01.01.2026
• To raise the minimum national daily salary by rupees 120/- from rupees 1,080 /- to rupees 1,200/- with effect from 01.01.2026
Submission of gazette notifications for the concurrence of the Parliament.
Cabinet approval to prepare new Act for securing the rights of plant species
National minimum monthly salary for private sector employees raised to Rs. 27,000/-, minimum daily wage to Rs. 1080/-
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