Public officials to be probed after local govt. poll complaints

Additional Elections Commissioner W.B. Sumanasiri said that a number of complaints have been received regarding public officials, who contested last month’s local government election, violating the Establishment Code.

He pointed out that if a staff grade public employee contested an election he should have resigned from public service. Non-staff grade public employees need to go on no-pay leave to contest an election.

The Additional Elections Commissioner said that some staff grade and non-staff grade public officials had contested the local government election without taking adhering to the requirements stipulated in the Establishment Code.

Some of them have been elected to the local councils.

The Department of Elections is to conduct investigations into such violations by public officials and submit a report to the Ministry of State Administration. (www.colombopage.com)