Ranil-Premadasa battle continues over symbol for new alliance

• Published date: 01 March 2020
• Publication title: Sunday Times

Political parties fielding candidates at the April 25 parliamentary elections have been told of new guidelines, in keeping with the latest election laws by Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya last Wednesday.

Polls propaganda, other than rallies, he has declared, should be carried out through the print and electronic media. The idea is to avoid confrontations by different factions, create a calm atmosphere and a healthier environment. With the same objective in mind, he has also declared that in every district only a 'chief candidate' designated by a political party will be entitled to have an office where their candidates' numbers are displayed. At polling booths, each party will be allowed to have only one counting agent.

Almost all political parties present at the meeting appeared unhappy over the new measures. They were mulling over making representations to Chairman Deshapriya. 'We may have to go back to the older anda bera (drummers) and kavi kola karayas (poetry written on issues and read out at village fairs and other gatherings in the older years),' said a registered political party's General Secretary who spoke on grounds of anonymity. Like him, a counterpart of another party did not want to offend the elections chief with his remarks. He added, 'Those curbs affect us badly, particularly at the village level.' Both alluded to higher advertising costs in the media during polls campaigns and this meant high campaign expenses. They were also seeking an increase in the number of counting agents in areas where preference votes are counted.

Speaking to a group of party members from his office in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) architect Basil Rajapaksa, who is also the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Nidhas Podujana Peramuna, warned that the new measures could be damaging. Noting that Sri Lanka was one of the countries that had a high polling rate during elections (75 to 80 percent), he said this figure could come down to those of the West, where polling was an average of 40 percent. This was because rural area voters would not know the candidate number in the light of the new restrictions.

Just hours before meeting representatives of political parties, Chairman Deshapriya told a news conference, 'We are 100 percent certain that Parliament would be dissolved within a week,' but added that 'both laws and the Constitution empowered the President to choose the date for dissolution and parliamentary election.' Thus, avoiding references to exact dates, he set out the legal parameters - general elections can be held within 52 to 66 days after dissolution. The election, therefore, could be held between April 22 and May 4. Deshapriya also said since 'national new year and other holidays in April, we are expecting an early date.'

As revealed exclusively in these columns last week, polls will be held on April 25. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to sign a proclamation dissolving Parliament at midnight on March 2. Nominations will be called between March 12 and 19. The Sunday Times has learnt there will no changes in the dates. In fact, Chairman Deshapriya hinted that his Commission staff, the Police, military personnel, transport providers, train services are among those who will have to work throughout April irrespective of the holidays.

Notwithstanding the legal constraints on the Chairman of the Election Commission announcing the dates until the President has...