Chairman of the Election Commission R.M.L.Rathnayake has formally questioned Pradeep Yasaratne, the Secretary of Dinesh Gunawardena’s Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Local Government and Provincial Councils, about the significant violation of the Election Commission’s orders. He has requested a clarification of the facts before the 12th of this month.
It is related to issuing a circular to all ministry secretaries to pay the interim allowance of Rs.3000 to government pensioners from September despite the order of the Election Commission thereby setting a wrong precedent.
Accordingly, a letter sent yesterday (08) indicates that it is inappropriate to pay an interim allowance of three thousand rupees to the government pensioners during the period when the election law is in force and at a meeting of the Ministry Secretaries held at the Election Commission it was informed that the payment should be postponed until October but contrary to those instructions, issuing the circular by the Secretary of the Ministry of Administration, Home Affairs, Local Government and Provincial Council to the provincial government to pay the allowance from September has set a wrong precedent for all the government employees.
Also, Article 104 B (4) (a) of the Constitution states, “(4) (a) The Commission shall have the power during the period of an election, to prohibit the use of any movable or immovable property belonging to the State or any public corporation – (i) for the purpose of promoting or preventing the election or any candidate of any political party or independent group contesting at such election; (ii) by any candidate or any political party or any independent group contesting at such election,
by a direction in writing by the Chairman of the Commission or of the Commissioner General of Elections on the instructions of the Commission.”
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