Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayke said he had received complaints that some candidates contesting the local government elections who are government servants had not either resigned or taken no-pay leave as required by election laws. The Elections Commissioner had instructed the Heads of Government Establishments through a circular to take strict disciplinary action against those government servants who are said to have violate the law to contest the election.
Through the circular, the Elections Commissioner had instructed the Heads of Establishments to hold inquiries and send a report if there were such government servants contesting the election.
Categories of government servants who have political rights to contest elections can do so only if they obtain no-pay leave while executive grade officers who have no rights to contest elections will have to resign from their positions before contesting as specified in the Establishments Code, the Commissioner had indicated.
According to reports, government servants contesting the local government elections have been noted as a considerable number.