Some media guidelines of Elections chief impractical - NPOC

M.P. Muttiah

Some of the media guidelines out of the 21 issued by the Commissioner General of Elections to all print and electronic media are impractical, said Attorney-at-Law Laksitha Jayawardene.

“It infringes the right to vote,” he told a media conference organised by the National Polls Observation Centre (NPOC) in Colombo.

Jayawardena said the guidelines regarding the President and the Prime Minister needed comprehensive analysis. He pointed out that the NPOC will issue a report soon on these guidelines.

NPOC media spokesman Saman Galappathy said there had been 51 violent incidents reported countrywide since nominations were accepted for the Presidential Election.

Galappathy said the UPFA has made 19 complaints, while the UNF 14, JVP 11 and JNA seven.

Out of the 51 complaints only five were reported to be serious and others minor. He added that these incidents were related to the removal of posters and cutouts.

NPOC’s National Organizer Attorney at Law Rasanga Harischandra who presided said the organization has decided to appoint observers in every district to monitor the election.

He said most of the violence had been reported from the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces. There were no incidents in the Vanni District, he added.