March 12, 2010: The Campaign for a Free and Fair Election (CAFFE), an election monitoring body, states that illegal election propaganda material is still on display.
“The required attention is not being paid towards the removable of this material. Although arrests are being made in connection with illegal election propaganda, these activities still continue unhindered, especially within the Colombo Municipality limits,” said Keerthi Tennakoon, Media Coordinator of CAFFE.
He noted that no arrests were being made of those engaged in pasting posters in Colombo.
“Cut outs, posters and even banners, have not been removed as yet. There is a tendency for these items to come up over and over again,” said attorney at law, Rasanga Harishchandra, National Coordinator of the National Polls Observation Centre (NPOC).
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) D. M. Dissanayake said election campaigning was taking place in an indisciplined manner.
“There is a battle for preferential votes taking place at present and reports are coming in regarding illegal election propaganda activities from across the island. A detailed report on election propaganda is being prepared and will be presented to the Elections Commissioner and the IGP,” said Dissanayake.
