Oppn. wants digital screens removed

The common opposition today urged the Commissioner of Elections to remove all digital bill boards on roadsides and to halt the live coverage of election rallies attended by the ruling party candidate stating that these were illegal.

Former Minister Patali Champilka Ranawaka told a media briefing today that the campaign had turned to the worse with increasing trend of violence.

Mr. Ranawaka urged the people in the country not to get deceived by the trend of violence but to join the struggle to safeguard good governance and democracy in the country.

“It is the duty of all citizens to join in safeguarding democracy and good governance as this Presidential Election is going to be the last opportunity the people would get to do so,” he said.

UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, the Spokesman for the opposition on election law violations said at least 1000 cut-outs and 12 pandals erected with pictures of incumbent President in Maharagama alone still existed despite the assurance given by the Commissioner of Elections.
However Mr. Rajapaksa blamed the Police also for the failure to remove these cut-outs.

Member of Western Provincial Council and member of the special unit appointed by the joint opposition to look into electoral law violations Shiral Laktilake said 34 major election related incidents had been reported to date.

He said there had been 10 cases of assaults and shootings since the declaration of the elections.

Mr. Laktilaka said the special election law violation unit of the opposition would reveal the details of law violations from time to time.