• Slams monitors’ allegations as baseless, malicious
• Defends use of State vehicles for development programmes

Reacting to allegations made by polls monitors recently that the Ruling Party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), had allegedly misused State property and committed a majority of election law violations reported during the Local Government (LG) election campaigning period so far, the party’s General Secretary Attorney and MP Sagara Kariyawasam yesterday (7) denied the accusations and claimed they were baseless and malicious, noting that such complaints, if true, should be notified to the nearest election office. 

Speaking to The Daily Morning, he further said: “We were the Opposition earlier and now we are the Ruling Party, and whatever it is, we were always against the violation of laws. We are a party that always stood for the rule of law in this country. We will never approve of such things and we will never allow our party supporters to engage in such activities. Just making allegations is pointless.”

When queried regarding whether he would take any action for the alleged misuse of State property by the SLPP in development programmes, Kariyawasam said: “State vehicles are used for State development programmes. That is a normal scenario. It is not a violation of election laws. If anybody is violating election laws, a complaint should be made to the nearest election office and they would take the necessary action. If they insist on saying that State vehicles are being used for development activities, it must be noted that the use of private vehicles for Government development activities is not permitted. As such, these are baseless and malicious allegations.”

He also said that according to the Election Commission (EC), development activities initiated prior to the declaration of elections are permitted to continue, while new development activities cannot be initiated during the time of elections. “This has been a very consistent approach of the EC during all elections. In one area, it can be the Ruling Party, and in another area, it can be the Samagi Jana Balawegaya; you never know, because Local Authorities are controlled by various parties, including the Tamil National Alliance and Muslim parties. But development activities commenced prior to the declaration of the election, have been allowed to continue by the EC, as a practice, as long the initiatives do not promote any candidates. This has been the consistent practice of the EC,” he added.

Earlier, Centre for Monitoring Election Violence Head of Operations Attorney D.M. Dissanayake told The Daily Morning that information with regard to the misuse of State property had been recorded during the election campaigning period, especially from the Ruling Party. “We have received more information with regard to the use of State property, especially in relation to development programmes in LG bodies. We are informed that such development programmes are being used by the Ruling Party for election campaigning.”