Election monitoring group, Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE), queried at a media conference yesterday, whether the Kurunegala Police had undertaken pasting posers for a particular candidate in the Kurunegala District at the forthcoming elections in the North-Western Province.
CaFFE Executive Director, Keerthi Tennakoon, told the media that, election monitors in the area had observed……and gathered evidence of police officers removing posters of UPFA candidate, Dayasiri Jayasekra.
“We absolutely have no problem about removing posters, as it is the duty of the police to do so. What we are bothered about is that the individuals in police uniform were witnessed pasting posters of UPFA candidate, Johaan Fernando. They had posters in their hands and a bucket of paste which they used to plaster walls with posters,” he said.
He also said that on 13 September (Friday), police officers were seen in the Wariyapola area, removing posters and pasting posters of Johaan Fernando, instead.
CaFFE added that there are over 160 cut outs of Johaan Fernando, the dimensions of which are 30 feet by 6 feet, erected from Kurunegala to the boarder of Nikaweratiya.
However, when contacted, Police Media Spokesman, SP Buddika Siriwardena, while refuting the charges, said, even though four labourers were attached to each Police Division to remove posters, there are times even police officers also engage in removing posters due to lack of sufficient labourers to do so.
Meanwhile, Tennakoon also said they have lodged a complaint with the Elections Commissioner, who is expected to initiate an investigation in this regard, today.
by Kasun Ganewatte
CT