Commissioner of Elections, Mahinda Deshapriya, said it is within the rights of anyone to complain to the Human Rights Commission against the provincial governors, if they are found to be engaging in election campaigns.
He said the governors of the Northern, Central and North-Western Provinces, where provincial elections will be held on 21 September, have already been notified that they should not be taking part in election campaigns.
However, if anybody is found to be defying that order and continue to participate in election activities, anybody can lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against such behaviour. The Commissioner also said, after receiving complaints to the effect that the Governor of the Northern Province is engaged in election activities of the ruling party, he had notified the General Secretaries of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) about the complaints. He assured punitive action against election law violators, once the complaints are reviewed by him.
by J.T. de Silva
CT