AG assures Supreme Court:

Measures to remove election propaganda

Sandasen Marasinghe

The Supreme Court was informed yesterday by the Attorney General's Department that measures were being taken to remove all election propaganda cut outs in the Southern Province erected for the Southern Provincial Council election before the polls.

Senior State Counsel Nerin Pulle appearing for the Attorney General submitted that almost one third of the posters, banners, cut outs have been removed.

The Counsel made these submissions before the Supreme Court Bench comprising Supreme Court Justices Shirani Thilakawardene, Saleem Marsoof and P.A. Ratnayake in connection with a Fundamental Rights application filed by PAFFREL and a voter from Tangalle, W.P. Wilson. The Court dismissed the application after the plaintiffs submitted that they would withdraw it, satisfied with the assurance given by the respondents.

The plaintiffs filed the FR application stating that certain contestants at the Southern Provincial Council Election have not removed their election propaganda posters, cut outs, banners etc before the election. The petitioners stated that their fundamental rights have been violated by the act of not removing them.

The plaintiffs cited the Election Commissioner, returning officers of Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts, Inspector General of Police, secretaries of the political parties that had nominated the candidates.