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| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
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Politics |  |
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Presidential poll : Hold at correct time - Opposition Leader by Ananda Kannangara Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday reiterated that the Presidential Election should be held at the correct time according to the provisions of the Constitution. He said the Constitution clearly indicated the six year term of an elected President and no one could change it under any circumstances. "Therefore it is the official duty of the Elections Commissioner and not the President to announce the date of the next Presidential Election," he said. Addressing the UNP organised "Janabala Meheuma" at Moragolla in the Southern Province, the Opposition Leader accused the Government of not focusing any attention on the rising cost of living in the country. The Government has no proper plan to review the economy and generate employment for a large number of unemployed youth, he said. The Opposition Leader also visited tsunami affected people living on either side of Galle Road and listened to their grievances. They told the UNP leader that their health conditions were deteriorating due to poor dwelling facilities. They also handed over petitions to the UNP Leader and asked him to urge the Government to construct permanent houses for them and continuously grant financial assistance which they received only for a few months earlier. At Galle the UNP Leader promised the tsinami-affeted people that once he wins the Presidential election he will build houses for them in three months. The "Janabala Meheuma", which began from Devinuwara, Matara on July 02, will end in Colombo on July 12. I'll hold at proper time - Elections Commissioner by Jayantha Sri Nissanka Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday told the Sunday Observer that he would call the Presidential election at the appropriate time but declined to mention the exact date. When contacted Dissanayake said" I will let you know the date of the Presidential Election at the appropriate time" and declined to further elaborate. However, controversy is brewing over the date of the next Presidential election where the Government claims that the election will be held next year and the UNP is threatening to take action against the Elections Commissioner if he fails to call the election this year. While some political parties are fighting for the election, the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake remains dumb over the issue. The newly appointed SLFP spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Media on Friday that the UNP should stop pressurising the Elections Commissioner to hold the election this year as it was unconstitutional. However, UNP Deputy General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that neither the President nor the Elections Commissioner could deprive the right of the people to elect their leader. He said that the Government could not revoke the administrative authority of the Elections Commissioner and claim that the election would be held next year. He said that the UNP could take local and international action if the elections were postponed to next year. The Government should avoid such action as ultimately the people will suffer from civil disobedience campaigns. Attanayake believes that the Elections Commissioner will hold the election on time. |
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