Legal action could be taken against public or private institutions which fail to grant sufficient leave for employees to cast their vote in the upcoming Presidential election, Commissioner General of the Election Commission Saman Sri Ratnayake told the Mawbima newspaper.
Failure to grant employees sufficient leave could be considered a violation of fundamental rights, he said.
Rathnayake said that voting is a fundamental right of the people, and institutions must ensure employees receive adequate leave to exercise their franchise.
He also stressed that officials in both private and public sectors should take action to facilitate this.
Meanwhile, Rathnayake called on trade unions to advocate not only for wage increases but also for workers’ voting rights.
The Election Commission has directed that workers in both public and private sectors should be granted leave ranging from half a day to three days, depending on the distance to the polling station.
As per the guidelines, employees are granted following leave based on the distance between their workplace and the polling station.
– Half a day’s leave for distances of 40 kilometers or less
– One day’s leave for distances between 40-100 kilometers
– One and a half days’ leave for distances between 100-150 kilometers
– Two days’ leave for distances exceeding 150 kilometers