Police in uniform have threatened JVP Pedirithuduwa Municipal council candidate : They have intimidated her not to contest and withdraw the candidature

In a notice signed and issued by Dr. Uditha Gunasekera , the chief Executive of the elections monitoring intellectual chain concerning human rights, (N E M I H R) had stated, a group of police officers in uniforms of the Pedirithuduwa police had gone to the residence of Thavarasa Pushparani the Pedirithuduwa Municipal council JVP candidate and threatened her to resign from the candidature.

The NEMIHR says, the police which should be acting without favor or prejudice in regard to the elections and which is its responsibility, is instead engaging in acts of frightening and intimidating candidates of political parties and stooping to be the political lackeys and cronies of politicians. While flagrantly violating the election laws ,these police officers by conducting themselves this way are abusing the police powers and are directly acting in breach of their disciplinary code, the NEMIHR pinpointed. The police have no rights under the law or code of conduct to threaten any candidate .Every citizen has a right to contest. As these violations are being committed from the very outset , they are a serious threat to the conduct of a free and fair elections in the North, according to the NEMIHR.

The NEMIHR has therefore urged the Elections commissioner and the IGP to intervene immediately with a view to stopping further escalation in this direction.. Source ; www.lankaenews.com