“We have received so many complaints from the Jaffna and Killinochchi Districts that military personnel are engaged in election campaign. So we requested the Human Rights Commission to send a group of representatives as poll observers to look into this matter before and on the election date to ensure a free and fair election in the North.
“An election is being held in the North after twenty years and we need to create confidence in the minds of those people that their election rights are ensured,” PAFFEREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told media after submitting a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.
He said PAFFEREL had brought to the notice of the Human Rights Commission Chairman about three factors identified by it including the use of public property in the election campaigns in the North, Central and North Western province and requested the commission to work out a mechanism to minimise such incidents in the future.
“We know that misuse of public property for election campaign for several decades. We brought to their notice about all the complaints received to our organisation and we expect the Human Rights Commission would work out an effective mechanism to minimise such incidents in the future,” he said.
Mr. Hettiarachchi said they noticed that the Elections Department had taken necessary steps at District level and at national level with regard to the issue of misuse of public property in this election. (Ajith Siriwardana
DM