Berty Premalal threatens anti govt. voters - Tissa

The UPFA’s chief ministerial candidate for the North Central Provincial Council Election, Bertie Premalal Dissanayake has threatened to punish those who do not vote for him, UNP’s General Secretary Tissa Attanayake MP, alleged yesterday.

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, he said that Dissanayake has around 70 armed bodyguards terrorising the North Central Province voters. "However, Major General(Retd) Janaka Perera, who risked his life fighting for the country and is still under LTTE threat, has been provided with just four police constables."

On Tuesday, armed gangs threatened several rice mill owners in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa who they deem to be anti government, with dire consequences if they dare support the UNP, Attanayake said.

Election laws are being openly flouted with state resources, including vehicles being abused by UPFA candidates, he said."President Mahinda Rajapaksa as head of State cannot campaign at elections, but his photograph too is being displayed all over NCP and Sabaragamuwa."

Attanayake said that polls violation complaints against UPFA candidates were not being acted on by the police.Those officers who are brave enough to enforce the law, are being transferred out of NCP and Sabaragamuwa.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is purposely delaying the implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, because he knows that one’s independent mechanisms such as the Elections and Police Commissions are established, the UPFA would lose both the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Elections, Attanayake added.