UNP proposes foreign pre-polls monitors

Thursday, 2 October 2014 00:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has urged Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya to have foreign election monitors in place from the day presidential elections are announced. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that there is strong speculation that a presidential election will be held early next year.

UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya, General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka, Assistant President Ravi Karunanayake and MP Joseph Michael Perera yesterday met the Commissioner of Elections and urged him to make provisions for the upcoming presidential election to be free and fair - Pix by Nisal Baduge He said that, keeping this in mind, the UNP led by Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya met the Elections Commissioner yesterday and discussed the preparations which should be in place once a presidential election is announced. Attanayake recalled that during past elections there were several incidents of Government resources being used for election related work, in violation of election laws, ahead of the election. He said that the proposal of having foreign election monitors in place ahead of election day, if there is a presidential election, is to ensure similar violations do not take place. The UNP had also discussed with the Elections Commissioner the opening of a new office by the Government recently which is to be used to prepare for a presidential election next year. (Colombo Gazette)

Probe assault on Chris Nonis: UNP

The main Opposition UNP yesterday called for an investigation into the alleged assault on Sri Lankan High Commissioner in the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis. UNP MP Laksman Kiriella said that the law must be applied in relation to the incident as incidents of this nature have not been reported in the past and it had also drawn international attention.