Ban on field officers contesting LG polls- JO meets PM

The joint opposition parliamentary group today met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the clause in the Local authorities (Amendment) Bill which prevents field officers from contesting the local government elections, MP Dullus Alahapperuma said today.

He told a news conference that preventing field officers from contesting the LG polls was a violation of their fundamental rights and that the JO would take legal action against this move.

The MP claimed that the government had passed the Bill to prevent public servants from going to court and that it was unjust to backdate the Bill. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)