• Stoppage follows the declaration of 2024 presidential election 

By Yohan Perera   

The Election Commission (EC) has stopped Opposition Leader  Sajith Premadasa from conducting the Sakwala and Husma programmes to  distribute IT equipment to schools and medical equipment to hospitals.  The stoppage comes two days after the presidential elections, 2024,was declared by the commission.  Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith  Madduma Bandara protested the decision and asked the Commission to act  impartially. 

Mr. Madduma Bandara in a letter addressed to Election  Commission Chairman had also requested the Commission to deal with the  programmes carried out by the government at the moment. “We appealed to you that the Sakwala and Husma programmes  will be carried out without publicity, to ensure that they would not be  counted as propaganda. However, it is sad to note that they have not  heeded our request,” Mr. Madduma Bandara said.  

“The election laws have prohibited using state assets for  election work. The Jayagamu Sri Lanka programme carried out by the  Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment, the Urumaya programme is carried  out by the Ministry of Lands and Tourism, the Daham Pasal assistance  programme carried out by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana. The Randora  programme carried out by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) also  amounts to politically motivated programmes,” he said.   

“We urge you to act impartially and treat all presidential candidates equally,” he also said.