by Zacki Jabbar

Nearly 40,000 cutouts and billboards promoting President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had been displayed throughout the country, deputy UNP leader Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, he said the propaganda material had been sponsored State institutions.

In addition, a youth organisation was using its events said to help young people, for the purpose of promoting the President, Jayasuriya said.

He said the actions of State institutions and ‘the youth organisation’ were in clear violation of the Election Commissioner’s guidelines on the conduct of polls campaigns.

“The blatant violation of election laws includes entertaining public servants, Grama Niladaris, school principals and some Attorney General’s Department officers at Temple Trees,” Jayasuriya alleged. “We are not against hosting people at private houses but it is unethical to use State property for such functions,” he said.

Jayasuriya said other forms of election law violations by the government included the abuse of the State media, government vehicles and helicopters.

A picture of President Rajapaksa surrounded by police officials with a headline implying that they would work for his victory at the next Presidential election had been carried in a State-controlled newspaper yesterday, Jayasuriya said alleging that election offices of Ravi Karunanayake and the JVP had been attacked and a grenade thrown at the Batticaloa UNF office, when he visited the place recently.

Opposition politicians had to obtain special permission from the Defence Ministry, if they were to travel beyond Medawachchiya, Jayasuriya added.