Punish offenders

The Police are gearing up for the upcoming local Government elections with all logistical aspects already being worked out by the Police Elections Secretariat. Police Operations Rooms are to be set up at DIG and SSP offices in the provincial capitals to monitor incidents relating to pre and post polls. The usual warning had also gone out to candidates and their supporters against violent acts and violation of election laws.

But regrettably the ground situation is something else again where such warnings and admonitions fall on deaf ears as we know from experience. This election too from the look of things won't be an exception going by the violation of election laws that is taking place with impunity. Already posters are splashed across all walls and every available space in violation of the law. Cut-outs and banners loom at prominent junctions and main intersections in full public view. The Police must start asserting its authority as the main law enforcement arm of the State and forthwith order the removal of all such illegal material instead of waiting for orders. It is this delay to act on the part of the Police that has emboldened the lawbreakers and allowed them to act with impunity. There should be no interference from any quarter to such Police action.

Our Police for too long have been rendered mere spectators at election time while the flouting of election laws takes place in their very presence. Last week the Monday morning rush hour traffic had to be diverted when the road leading to the new Kelani bridge was closed at one end to make way for a political procession. This under the very nose of the Police who were present in numbers at this main entry point to the city. As is well known processions of any type are banned during the election period. What were these men in khaki doing? Waiting for orders?

Like in all other elections this time too the Police have warned candidates that posters and cut-outs are banned. But today all the walls, even those near certain Police stations, are plastered with the mugs of candidates most of them with dubious reputations and no strangers to the Police stations. We have here a hilarious situation where the Police which is tasked to apprehend those putting up illegal posters and banners during election time end up having to remove these material themselves while the violators of the law go unscathed - a case of the law compelled to do the dirty work of the law breakers and even criminals. This is like the traffic policeman whose duty it is to apprehend belching vehicles on the roads instead wearing a handkerchief mask himself to ward off the noxious emissions. What is more at one of the local Government elections the CMC had to import 'poster busters' to rid the city walls of the rash of posters spending taxpayers' money. Are we condoning law breaking to such an extent to lend it patronage spending State funds?

IGP Mahinda Balasuriya should stop this humiliation of his men and get the candidates themselves to remove their own posters instead of making the country's Police Department the laughing stock of the world. Nothing less would deter these upstart politicians who think they can cock a snook at the law. Tougher action is needed by our men in uniform who had earned for themselves the unkind reputation of being mere onlookers of the goings on in the political jungle during election time. IGP Balasuriya should enjoin his men to assert themselves and not be intimidated by potty politicians.

The law must be upheld at all cost. Let a starting point be made at the coming elections where the Police takes a tough stand against all lawbreakers. DIG elections Gamini Navaratne has warned those violating election laws that their voting rights will be forfeited after being tried in a court of law. Court procedures as we all know are a time consuming process and would not exactly be a deterrent to especially those candidates backed by the political powers in the area. Instead the IGP himself should elicit a guarantee from these political masters not to interfere in enforcement of the law. Police stations during elections should be made out of bounds to Ministers and ruling party politicians who come to intercede on behalf of their supporters arrested for various felonies during election time - a practice over the years that has served to undermine the authority of law enforcement.

One recalls the admonition of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to all candidates at a previous election to refrain from including his image as insets in their posters and cut-outs. But this edict is now being observed in the breach as seen from the majority of the posters bearing the President's image alongside candidates of questionable character. The Police should be ordered immediately to remove all such posters and cut-outs that insult the Head of State. Let this election be a beginning where the Police will assert itself to enforce the law to the letter without fear or favour ensuring a level playing field for all.