Growing poll problems

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Losing no time, a Government-backed recruitment drive is reported to have begun in the Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provinces. The disturbing increase of election related abuses reportedly conducted by the Government places a stronger-than-ever challenge on the upcoming elections to elect genuine representatives.

It was reported over the weekend that more than 2,000 graduate trainees in the Eastern Province have been given backdated appointment letters after the Provincial Council was dissolved ahead of fresh elections. The move was a clear violation of the election laws that prevent job appointments during the elections.

Senior Government officials have been quoted as saying that the appointments were granted on instructions from ‘higher authorities’. Apparently some of the new recruits assumed duties on 29 June – two days after the dissolution of the council. Since then more appointments have been made.

In addition to these appointments, more than 100 people have been called for interviews for Disaster Management Assistant jobs in the Batticaloa District. The Government is also creating new posts of Acting Zonal Subject Directors of Education. The appointments are to be granted in all provinces including the three provinces where the elections are to be held on 8 September.

Some 750 persons recruited on a temporary basis in violation of the Sri Lanka Educational Administrative Services guidelines are to be appointed to these posts. There have even been reports of Government election offices being set up in public buildings such as post offices in direct contravention of election law, but no action has been taken against these offences.

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya had acknowledged he is helpless over the matter, except to direct the complaints to the Public Service Commission. Besides recruitment, since the dissolution of the three provincial councils on 27 June, staff transfers have also recorded a new high.

Among recruitments that have taken place after the dissolution of the councils are 1,395 graduate trainee appointments in Batticaloa and 200 disaster management assistants in the same district. Recruitments to hospitals and State sector banks are also underway in the district.

In Sabaragamuwa, consisting of the Kegalle and Ratnapura Districts, 78 appointments of minor employees and 70 transfers have been granted since nominations were called for the elections. In the North Central Province, a number of Development Assistants have also have been appointed, but figures were not available.

In such a backdrop, the possibility of free and fair elections grows bleaker by the day. Such wrongdoing is only likely to increase in these provinces and retaliation will grow stronger as the months go by. Election monitors have already warned that unethical practices would be high at the upcoming elections. They also have warned that candidates guilty of crimes are being nominated by various parties and that the stage is being set for an unfair standoff.

All these instances, together with two candidates from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) being threatened resulting in their withdrawal from the elections, bode ill for a free and fair election. A sad reality that fails to change for the better.