Monitors perturbed by Govt. Printer’s position

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Postponing local council elections will have a devastating impact on Sri Lanka’s international reputation, Executive Director of People’s Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi says.

Hettiarachchi said that in the past government agencies involved in holding elections from the government printer to the police had received payments for the services they provided after elections.

“Now, Government Printer Gangani Liyanage claims that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned on January 31 that public officials would be personally held responsible for whatever goods and services they obtained on credit. This is ludicrous. We can’t tolerate these bureaucratic tactics to steal people’s right to vote,” he said.

United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) chairman Chinthaka Bandara said that when a government agency obtained services from another government agency, the payments were made later.

“This is the first time that the head of a government institution has asked money from another government institution to pay up front before a service is rendered,” he said.

The Election Commission has again urged the Ministry of Finance to provide it with the necessary funding for the LG polls.

Head of the Commission Nimal Punchihewa said the EC had asked money from the Finance Ministry on an earlier occasion as well.