The Institute for Human Rights (IHR) continued its expose of the use of state resources by PA candidates for electioneering, naming ministers implicated in the abuse of state resources.

The IHR in its third report directly named Ministers Anuruddha Ratwatte, Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Mangala Samaraweera and former Minister Shantha Premaratne as using property belonging to either their own ministries or departments and corporations directly under their ministries for campaigning purposes. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation under Minister Ratwatte’s Ministry was cited as having released employees for election work under the guise of a services project Gamisaraniya, the release of its workers on special leave with pay and also a collapsible stage for PA election rallies.

The vehicles of CPC, Pelwatte Sugar Corporation, Department of Agrarian Services, Udapalatha Pradeshiya Sabha, the Ministries of Justice, Finance and Planning, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Transport are also being used for election purposes.

According to the report in one instance one of the CPC cabs had been used to transport Minister Ratwatte’s posters to Kandy. Two vehicles of the Finance Ministry had been used in the Akuressa violence involving Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Four vehicles, a double-cab, two cars and a jeep are reported as being used by Minister Amunugama for his election, while three double-cabs, a jeep and a car are being used for the campaign of Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne.