Sudath Gunasekara 25.12.2017.

We are really very happy to see that our good friend the Chairman of the Election Commission and its members are determined to have a clean election. It appears that the Commission is all out to do it. But how can one man, the Chairman of the Commission do that when the law enforcing authorities, the political parties, candidates and the general public are not cooperating with him.

With the mad election fever gathering rabid momentum, election posters, banners, cutouts, processions and firecrackers creating havoc and causing environmental pollution all over the Island has come to stay now as a national menace. It is the norm rather than the exception.

How on earth these violations could happen without the consent, support or the connivance of firstly the candidates, then the political parties and the blind Party followers suffering from election fever concerned?  So isn’t it the candidate who is the first culprit who is responsible for this whole process

Therefore why can’t the Chairman of the Election Commission first

1Punish the candidates who indulge in such offences by disqualifying them immediately or even after election for life

2 Next punish all the printers who print these rubbish stuff.

3 Next deal with the police officers concerned starting from the IGP downward.

4 Punish those fellows who post them in any place for violating the election law, polluting the environment and creating public nuisance and confiscate vehicles carrying them

5 finally punish the foolish voters and their supporters who aid and abet and vote for such criminals

This will not only save hundreds of millions of public funds wasted for removing them and stop environmental pollution but it will also put an end to public nuisance all over the country.

As a first step I think the Election Authorities can take the following steps

1 By conveying this message to the whole country through the media and any other channels available to them

2 Informing the Party Leaders and Secretaries of the consequences of such violations and asking them to issue strict instructions to their candidates not to violate the law

3 Have an attractive rewarding system for informants

If you do that Mr Chairman you will go down in history as the best and the boldest Election Officer and a true Public Servant who acted in the interest of the general public and the hero who rescued the country from power hungry and crazy politicians and an utterly wasteful and annoying election system