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SJB critical of EC over halting ‘Sakwala’ & ‘Husma’ programmes
Sri Lanka’s main opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has questioned the National Election Commission’s impartiality over propaganda activities ahead of the Presidential Election.
In a letter to the Election Commission Chairman, the SJB revealed that the Election Commission had requested the party to halt all its donation programmes such as ‘Sakwala’ and ‘Husma’ while the same restriction had not been placed on the government for its programmes ‘Jayagamu Sri Lanka’ and ‘Urumaya’.
Meanwhile, the President’s Secretary has turned down a request by the Election Commission (EC) to issue written instructions to government officials to halt state-sponsored development and welfare programmes that the Commission claims is violating election law.
EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake had earlier written to President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake stating that the Commission had received complaints from many parties that state-sponsored development and welfare programmes were being used to promote political parties / candidates. It had also noted that activists from various political parties have directly met with the EC to protest over such activities.
The letter by the SJB is as follows :
“Reports of Wijepala – Nissanka meeting, fake”
Foreign diplomats head to Kandy by train for “Siri Dalada Vandanawa” (Pics)
