By Norman Palihawadana and Rathindra Kuruwita

For the first time in world history a Commissioner in charge of facilitating elections had gone to the Supreme Court to prevent elections, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Island yesterday commenting on Ratnajeevan Hoole, a member of the Elections Commission, challenging in courts the President’s decision to dissolve Parliament.

The previous government had appointed politically biased individuals to all ‘independent’ commissions, starting from the Constitutional Council, and the behaviour of the commissioners had created chaos in the country, the Prime Minister said.

“Yesterday a commissioner from the Elections Commission went to the Supreme Court saying that the President’s decision to dissolve Parliament is against the law. He has gone before the Supreme Court although more than 10 others have also filed cases and his actions will contribute to the promotion or the demotion of a party. It is unethical for a member of the elections commission to do so. So why did he do it? Ratnajeevan Hoole is the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) nomination for the Elections Commission and he has shown his political bias,” Rajapaksa said.

If the Wickremesinghe administration appointed impartial and respected persons to these commissions, the standing of these commissions would have automatically increased. “But all we see now is that these politically motivated commissioners upsetting the administration of the country. This must be the first time in world history that a commissioner in charge of elections attempting to prevent elections,” Rajapaksa said.

Courtesy:The Island