The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) has issued a directive to all governmental authorities with regard to the Presidential election 2015, on the main intention to ensure that the upcoming presidential election of will be free and fair and a reflection of the view of people of the country without any pressure being brought upon them.

The SLHRC has informed the Secretary to the President, All Secretaries of Ministries, All Chief Secretaries of Provincial Councils, Commanders of the Armed Forces/Inspector General of Police, Director of Department of Civil Security to take steps to inform the staff under their control and in the institutions under their control and to act bearing in mind the following facts.

To see that the law is implemented impartially and fairly, non implementation of the law amounts to a violation of fundamental rights, non implementation of official duties, failure to perform duties, misconducts, misuse of power, permitting the use of public property and resources for certain political parties and groups to the detriment of other groups amount to violation of fundamental rights that officers responsible for them become personally responsible, and the conduct of public officers who do not have the right to engage in political activities engaging in such activity, public officers having the right to engage in political activities engaging in them during their office hours or engaging in political activities misusing their official powers amount to offences under the election laws and administrative laws in force.

“If public officers vested with legal responsibility misuse such responsibility, act beyond legal boundaries, fail to perform duties which they are duty bound to perform or delay the performance of their duties without justifiable ro&Soo; it amounts to a violation of fundamental rights. Accordingly on occasions when public officers violate i .’ , fundamental rights, the Human Rights Commission of SriLanka is vested with powers in terms of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No.2l of 1996 to conduct investigations and inquiries against them and to take appropriate action. Therefore this Commission is presently observing whether public officers are performing their duties in the correct manner in order to ensure that the forthcoming election is conducted freely and fairly,” the commission stated in the directive letter.