DailyMirror
The Police Elections Desk has received 106 complaints related to election so far, a top official said. Sixty five suspects had been arrested for violating the elections law, head of the police elections desk senior DIG Gamini Navaratne told the Daily Mirror.
“We have already commenced removing posters, banners and other propaganda materials in accordance with the elections law,” he said.
He added that several policemen and labourers had been recruited for the purpose.
When asked about the posters that have been pasted everyday in large numbers around the city he said that the police were using its maximum effort to remove them.
“Since they are more than 7600 candidates it is impossible to remove the entire election propaganda materials put by them,” he said.
Laborers were recruited as policemen that can be deployed to the purpose of removing elections propaganda materials are were from each station. The labor force was used to balance if there was any shortage, DIG Navaratne said.
“We as the police have advised all the relevant parties to prevent such incidents and advise their supporters not to engage in violating the prevailing election laws”, he said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya earlier this week vowed to take necessary disciplinary actions against police personnel who engage in or engaged in election malpractices.
Most of the incidents reported were where supporters of major political parties engage in removing or tearing down others’ cut outs, banners and other election propaganda material, DIG Gamini Navaratne who is in charge of the police elections desk said.
Speaking about the removal of election propaganda material that violates election law he said it was steadily progressing. “We have removed 25 percent of the posters, banners and cutouts that were put on,” DIG Navaratne said.
The police commenced an island wide campaign to remove all political posters, banners and cut outs following a directive issued by the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka.
The Elections Commissioner allocated Rs.22 million for this purpose on a request made by the police department with the kick off of the elections campaigning.
The police have deployed mobile road blocks, additional police patrols and extra policemen to areas that have been identified as hot spots where ruling UPFA and the opposition parties have strong presence.