EC epitomises in his quest for a free and fair poll

The Elections Department situated at Rajagiryia is a hive of activity and Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya is once again the cynosure of all eyes.

Since the January 8 Presidential election, the unconventional and candid approach by the Commissioner in discharging his duties, has won him much praise and also helped restore public confidence in the electoral system. His widely published comment that police personnel should aim at the head of those who try to disrupt the polls on Election Day, prior to the January election, is a comment Mr. Deshapriya has no qualms about making.

“Parliament is the place where laws are enacted, including the Penal Code. Hence, when holding an election to elect people to this very same legislature which makes these laws, why shouldn’t they be implemented with full force,” the Commissioner says when asked to comment on his most famous quip to date.

Between answering phone calls, signing official letters and giving directives to his officials, Commissioner Deshapriya also takes time off to talk to journalists.

With the general elections campaign winding down, Commissioner Deshapriya says he is satisfied with the manner in which the election campaigns concluded, even though there is room for improvement.

“Given the limited period of time during which the election had to be conducted, I can say I am satisfied. We had to work with limited resources, as well as the mechanism in place. I cannot say we have been 100% effective, but we have done our best,” he says.

For the Commissioner, maintaining the neutrality of his Department is of the highest concern. “I don’t look at complaints and act because they are from a certain party or because it is against a certain person. Those who violate election laws are dealt with in the same manner, irrespective of who they are,” he says. Given the chequered history associated with the

holding of elections in this country, Mr Deshapriya too, is well aware that changing the status quo is no easy task. “In our lifetime, we reached the nadir when elections were conducted in the worst possible manner, but the situation is ebbing. Positive changes will not happen overnight, but will take place gradually,” he says.

With the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution earlier this year, the Commissioner has been entrusted with enhanced powers which he has put to full use. “I worked as a teacher, before I joined the public service, and I have never signed a letter against even a student, and nor have I done so against anyone in the pubic service, but this time, I have acted against certain officials who acted in violation of the circular issued, once the election was announced,” he says.

The change of heart to punish offi- cials was brought about after a colleague told him of the need to punish wrongdoers where punishment is due. To make the point, the colleague referred him to one of the Jathaka stories, namely the Agganna Sutra, in which Lord Buddha, in a discourse said, a person selected as the head of an institution must give punishment where it is due, and censure those who deserve it, Mr Deshapriya says.

“There is no point acting against public servants at the lower rungs. It is those who are responsible for making decisions that are in violation of the law who have to be removed,” he says.

An important development during this year’s election campaign has been the insistence by the Commissioner that all candidates file their assets and liabilities declarations prior to the poll. “More than 90% of the candidates have done so, and this is a very positive development. Ideally, in the years ahead, we should have a system in place where each candidate has his or her website on which the declarations are uploaded for public scrutiny, along with the details of their election funding,” he said.

With less than 24 hours to go before Parliamentary elections, the Commissioner says he will strictly enforce the law until the final election results are announced, and his duties as Commissioner end.

“I will not hesitate to annul an election if there is any irregularity at any of the polling stations. That is the only thing I have not been able to do to date, and I will not hesitate to act if such a situation arises,” he warned.

No doubt, in the next 48-72 hours, Mahinda Deshapriya will be the most sought-after man in the country.