Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Wednesday, 5 August 2020 03:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Asiri Fernando
The Police department yesterday arrested 22 candidates for violating election regulations after the deadline for campaigning ended at midnight on Sunday (2 August).
The 48 hours prior to the elections is considered the “silent period”, as election regulations prohibit any form of campaigning by candidates or their supporters.
“We have not received any criminal complaints as of now (Tuesday afternoon), but have received 19 complaints regarding breaches to the election regulations, and we have arrested 22 candidates in relation to those complaints since the ‘Silent Period’ came in to effect,” Police Spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne said at a press conference held last evening.
The Police will take legal action against the 22 candidates and have taken into custody seven vehicles in relation to violations of election regulations, Senaratne added.
Of the nineteen complaints received by the Police as of noon yesterday, two involve assaults of persons, nine involve individuals posting political posters and distributing leaflets, four on the display of banners and ‘cut-outs’, two complaints on distributing marked election slips, and one complaint regarding a motorcycle rally organised for political gain, Senaratne said.
Two suspects who had attempted to buy official electoral slips of voters in Beruwela on 3 August were arrested by Beruwela Police yesterday, Senaratne stated.
According to SSP Senaratne, the Police have received 93 complaints which fall under the criminal category, since the elections were gazetted. The Police have recorded a total of 283 complaints regarding the violation of elections regulations as of last evening.
“The Police have arrested a total of 462 persons for violating election regulations so far, and we are taking legal action against them under the election regulations,” Senaratne added. The Police have also taken into custody 140 vehicles in relation to the complaints, including three vehicles which belong to State institutions.
