Legal action will be taken against any public servant who shirks election duties, the Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said in a press release.
The release stated the Constitution has provisions to impose a jail sentence of not more than three years and/or a fine not exceeding Rs.100,000 against any public servant who evade or neglects election duties.
The Commission has issued the press statement following information it received that some public officials and workers are attempting to deliberately stay away from election duties and not release the vehicles needed for election work.
“The Commission hereby announces that it is compulsory that all public officials and public servants appointed for election duties report to work. It is a responsibility of the Heads of Institutions and persons-in-charge of vehicle fleets of those institutions to release all government vehicles required for the election work,” Deshapriya said.
Reminding that the salaries of public servants are paid by the tax payers’ money, Deshapriya stressed that they have a moral obligation and responsibility to actively support the election work thus enabling the people to exercise their franchise.
Elections Director General R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said nearly 150,000 public servants are to participate in election duties for the ‘Local Government Elections 2018’ to be held on Saturday.
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