Sri Lanka police deploy workers to remove illegal propaganda material ahead of Sep 21 presidential election

Colombo: The Sri Lankan police have deployed 1,500 workers to remove any illegal election posters and cutouts from public places ahead of next month's presidential election.

The police have begun an operation to crack down on all election propaganda material which violates election laws leading to the September 21 presidential election.

The police election secretariat said workers have been recruited at provincial police stations to pull down material displayed by candidates in violation of propaganda rules.

Senior Deputy Inspector of Police (SDIG) in Charge of Elections Asanka Karawita, said each worker would be paid Rs 1,500 a day and given police protection to carry out the task of removing unlawful election-related materials, the Island Online reported.

All posters, cutouts and banners which are unlawful would be removed.

The election laws do not permit propaganda material to be displayed in public places. The candidates can only display them at their propaganda offices.

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) said they have discussed with the police hierarchy the role of the police force during the campaign. Operational guidelines have been issued, the HRC said.

“We held extensive talks on the guidelines," Nimal Punchihewa, an HRC commissioner said.

The police is currently without its chief. The highest court has suspended him based on a fundamental rights petition filed over his appointment.

The case is only scheduled to be heard after the election.

The elections commission said with the record number of candidates contesting the election the ballot paper would be lengthier than it was in 2019. A record 39 candidates are in the fray over the figure of 35 in 2019.

The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the front runners with over 17 million of the island’s 21 million population eligible to vote.