Opposition is in a bankrupt effort to postpone local government elections: CaFFE

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) says that a strong opposition group of field officers is in a bankrupt attempt to postpone the local government polls.

CaFFE believes that three petitions filed by the group in the Supreme Court stating that Samurdhi Officers and Field Officers cannot contest the election while they are in the service is an attempt to get the elections postponed.

The election monitor says that one of the petitioners, who has filed a Fundamental Rights petition claiming that he has lost the right to contest the election since he is working as a field officer, has already resigned from his post and another petitioner has already retired.

The CaFFE organization has observed that many of the petitioners who had filed writ petitions, have also retired or resigned.

Some of them are: Priyantha Waduge (Galle) – resigned; SP Janaka Nalin Kumara (Polonnaruwa) – retired; K. P. Kumarasiri (Polonnaruwa) -resigned; H. K. N. N Jayasekara (Gampaha) – resigned; S. A. M. Athula Kumara (Gampaha) – resigned; Ranasinghe Banda (Nuwara Eliya) – resigned.

Among these are petitioners whose cases will be heard today and tomorrow, CaFFE said.

The CaFFE further says that none of the secretaries of 70 registered political parties in Sri Lanka or any independent group has agreed to represent any of these petitioners for local government elections.

The election monitor said it strongly condemns the efforts by the opposition to postpone the local government elections and identify the move as an effort to deprive the voters of their right for franchise.