The National Polls Observation Centre has raised concerns over the recent statements of Senior Presidential Advisor and UNP member Ashu Marasinghe allegedly targetting the Commissioner General of Elections and election monitoring bodies.
Issuing a statement, the National Polls Observation Centre said that Marasinghe had made statements concerning the Commissioner General of Elections during a recent press conference of the United National Party (UNP).
The Centre questioned whether Marasinghe’s statements were made for his own benefit or in favour of the President who was blatantly violating the election laws.
“The Senior Presidential Advisor and other officials had become upset over the concerns raised by the Election Commission and election observers over the allocation of Rs. 10 million for local councils to be spent before July this year,” the Centre said.
They noted that these moves were deemed unethical by poll monitoring bodies, especially in light of the fact the local government election is still legally valid and that the local government election law is applicable.
“It has also been observed that the distribution of rice, free-hold deeds, carrying out all development activities including the establishment of community committees in local government bodies through former local government members, and programmes related to the estate community under the current local government election law and prior to the presidential election are politically motivated,” the Centre pointed out.
The National Polls Observation Centre claimed that voicing opinions against such practices that leave no equal ground in politics had caused the Senior Presidential Advisor to become upset.
While strongly condemning the expression of arbitrary opinions of Ashu Marasinghe, the National Polls Observation Centre pointed out that it was the higher officials’ responsibility to control such advisors’ actions. (Newswire)
