Polls Chief against ‘Pongal’ event

By Indika Sri Aravinda

The Tourism Ministry has decided to go ahead with a Thai Pongal event in Vavuniya next week despite objections raised by the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka over its alleged political motive.
 

Sources at the Tourism Ministry told Daily Mirror online that the Elections Commissioner, on being informed that such an event was going to be held next week, had written to the Ministry Secretary saying it would not be appropriate to hold the event with government expenditure as it violates elections rules with a Presidential election at hand.
 

However the Ministry has decided to go ahead with the event, which is being organized with the assistance of two other government Ministries, despite the objections raised by the Elections Commissioner, sources added.