Competent Authority only for State media unfair - Polls Chief
 

BY MANJULA Fernando

ELECTIONS Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday described as 'unfair' the appointment of a Competent Authority only to monitor the conduct of the State media during the election campaign.

The people's representatives must take action to update the relevant sections of the 17th amendment to suit the present situation, he said.

Citing the Indian Elections Commission headed by a single authority as the most appropriate model for Sri Lanka, the Polls Chief commented that the proposed five member Elections Commission, which always requires the consent of three, will face practical difficulties at ground level.

The 17th amendment requires five members from a single discipline but neither of them requires to possess election work experience.

"This I think is a great miss," he added.