Friday Nov 15, 2024
Friday Nov 15, 2024
Saturday, 16 November 2019 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Police have threatened to file legal action against Army roadblocks in the Northern and Eastern Provinces unless all of them are removed by the time voting begins today, amid fears of voter suppression efforts, especially in the formerly embattled provinces.
In an eleventh hour move, IGP C.D. Wickremaratne and the Election Commission decided to airlift Senior DIG CID Ravi Seneviratne and a special team of Police officials to Jaffna last afternoon, to oversee Election day security and law and order.
Police
Last evening, SDIG Seneviratne’s intervention ensured the roadblocks in Palaly and Pallai were dismantled, after complaints were also filed with the Election Commission.
Daily FT learns that the Army was initially refusing to remove the roadblocks.
However, Police Spokesman SSP Ruwan Gunasekera said that according to election laws, all roadblocks had to be dismantled by Friday morning in order to ensure citizens would not be obstructed from exercising their franchise.
“If there are any roadblocks still remaining by the time polling booths open on Saturday morning (sic), the Police will not hesitate to go to court and take strict legal action against the illegal roadblocks,” SSP Gunasekera noted.
SDIG Seneviratne has been mandated to ensure election law is upheld and that all citizens are able to exercise their democratic rights, Daily FT learns.
In its pre-election report dated yesterday, New York-based political risk consultancy and forecasting firm Eurasia Group predicted that NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa was leading in the Presidential Poll but also warned that SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa would have a path to victory if voter suppression tactics prove successful or if minority turnout is low.
