Police Intimidates Member Of EC After He Criticised Police For Working In Sinhalese In North And East
A member of the Election Commission, Prof.S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole has been intimidated by the police, a highly placed source closed to the Speaker and the Chairman of the Constitutional Council told Colombo Telegraph.
Police officer Wanninayake speaks to Prof Jeevan Hoole’s elder brother Dr. Rajan Hoole with Black Maria like vehicle (WP LF 0711) and armed police
According to a complaint made by Prof. Ratnajeewan Hoole, mid-morning on 16th August, an armed police party called at the home of Prof. Hoole in Jaffna and wanted to take him away to the Jaffna police station under an old warrant issued in 2011 at the instigation of Douglas Devananda that everyone knew was vindictive. “There is no doubt that the attempted arrest was triggered by Prof. Hoole’s role as an outspoken member of the Commission and DIG Jaffna knew about it,” the source told Colombo Telegraph.
In the complaint Prof Hoole said: “The police came to my home today with a warrant for my arrest. They know who I am. There is even a (long-forgotten) sign up book at my gate for police patrols from when I joined the Commission. My house is in front of the Department of Education, a church, and a government school besides being next to a church school. The incident attracted much public attention – I feel that the Election Commission is being demeaned by publicly making out that I am a criminal. After all, how can a criminal be responsible for elections? As I detail below, the incident has evoked much fear in me on whether the Election Commission can be independent and in my wife and children on whether we can be safe in Sri Lanka.”
As Prof. Hoole says in his letter, the incident is troubling when this happens just after he challenged the police working in Sinhalese in the North and East and the Commission invoking Article 33(1)(d) of the Constitution on the duty of the President to heed the advice of the Election Commission and giving advice to the President on the postponement of election
“Democracy has been under attack before, but there was always spirited resistance. In the 1980s for example, Jayewardene never had a moment of peace. There was always a spirited opposition, in parliament and outside. Even in the worst times there were great parliamentarians, whom people of all communities could look up to and trust – H. Sri Nissanka, T.B. Subasinghe, Senator Nadesan and Sarath Muttetuwegama immediately come to mind. Cross over has become so much a disease that the majority of MPs have no set position between government and opposition, and are awaiting the right price. Never have the pledges of politicians and their words been so empty, and they don’t care,” the source said.
“The expectations from the revolution of 2015 were great and changes in the structure of commissions held out promise. One of them was the new Election Commission with three members taking joint responsibility for decisions. It was harder to control by visible and invisible pressures, than a commission of one. The present Commission has resisted political pressures and fought against postponement of elections. This incident describes an insidious attempt to muzzle it. If the nation is to sustain itself, democracy can never become meaningless. Every tier that holds it in place must be fought for before it is too late,” the source further said.
We publish below the official complaint by Prof Ratnajeevan Hoole:
88 Chemmany Road
Nallur,
