Polls guidelines to media

by Chamikara Weerasinghe

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake will issue guidelines shortly to both state and private media on how they should conduct themselves in the run up to Presidential Polls.

He made this pledge to a group of SLFP and JVP representatives yesterday in response to the concerns raised by the group on the media's conduct during the election period, power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

The concerns centred on three issues namely balanced media coverage in the State and private media, ensuring a free poll in the North -East and guidelines for propaganda campaigns.

The group declared it wanted the polling booths to be located outside LTTE controlled areas under tight security by the Police and the Army.

They have also insisted that the polling offices should be Tamil speaking 'outsiders' to ensure a free and fair poll.

The SLFP team which met the Commissioner at his Rajagiriya office included Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Mangala Samaraweera, Piyasena Dissanayake, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva was also among the group which met the Commissioner yesterday.

Meanwhile all cut-outs, bill boards and posters of Presidential election candidates will be banned in public places after October 7, nominations day.

Premajayantha told the Daily News that the Commissioner had promised them that the cut-outs would be removed from all public places.

Display of cut-outs and other propaganda material is unlawful from the time of gazetting the election. The police will be deployed to ensure the law is strictly enforced, Commissioner Dissanayake had explained at the meeting.

Display of cut-outs of the candidates is allowed only at authorised party offices of the candidate, the Commissioner had said.