Deadline of 6 pm for meetings hampering EPC election campaign – SLMC

by Zacki Jabbar
The 6.00 pm deadline for holding public meetings has hampered the campaign of opposition political parties contesting the Eastern Provincial Council Election, the SLMC said on Thursday.

The Chief Ministerial candidate of the UNP-SLMC combine, Hassan Ali said Thursday night that the 6 p.m deadline, in a region with a large faming community has affected attendance at meetings.

"It is only after 6 p.m that farmers and fisherman are free to engage in political work. Even the holding of pocket meetings has been banned."

However, UPFA candidates are not only holding pocket meetings after 6 p.m but also conducting so called development sessions in school halls, he charged.

Ali said that free television time provided to candidates has also been scrapped, while UPFA candidates have been given unlimited state media access, to carry on their propaganda work.