Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday called out the army and the security forces to maintain law and order ahead of the presidential elections to be held in the island-nation on September 21.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification calling upon the Armed Forces to maintain public order across the country with effect from August 27.
This measure mobilises the Army, Navy and Air Force to ensure security and order during the crucial period leading up to the election.
The directive involves the Army, Navy and Air Force overseeing public order in the Administrative Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee, Puttalam and their adjacent territorial waters, as well as in the districts of Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Monaragala, Ratnapura and Kegalle.
A senior officer said that the President has the authority to deploy the Armed Forces when the Sri Lanka Police’s capacity to maintain law and order is insufficient.
Currently, the Sri Lanka Police force operates below its optimal strength, with 77,000 officers available out of the required 102,000.
The officer said that under Section 12 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40), the President can issue such Gazettes to ensure stability and public order.
The officer also said that similar Gazettes have been issued in recent months. When such a Gazette is enacted, the Armed Forces are empowered to respond to emerging threats to public peace and security.
With the Inspector General of Police currently absent, Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunathilaka has been given full authority to oversee election security.
The run up to the elections have so far been peaceful except for some minor incidents such as assault and intimidation.
“But other than that the situation is well under control, ” an independent Sri Lankan polls observer People’s Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said.
So far we have received one thousand complaints of election related offences from contesting parties but nothing is of a dangerous nature, PAFFREL President Rohana Hettiarachchi said.
Some 17 million people are registered to vote at the September 21elections.
