Responsibilities of Police officers in presidential election

"It is our experience that long after an election is over; people are likely to remember not just who won, but how they won."
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By Suriya Wickremasinghe

(January 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) We are very conscious of the heavy burden that falls on the police during an election. Once again today police officers, from the highest ranks to sergeants and constables, are called upon to play a crucial, and at times very onerous, role in the defence of values prized by peace-loving citizens.

It is hardly necessary for us to emphasise to experienced police officers that the role of the police in steadfastly applying the law impartially is crucial in enabling the people to exercise their right of freely and fairly electing their chosen candidate. But a free and fair election is not only in the immediate interest of all the people of Sri Lanka. It is fundamental to the continuance of the democracy of our country. It is essential that people have genuine faith in the possibility of peaceful changes of government and leadership. If that faith is lost the prospect of a free and peaceful society, which we believe is fervently desired by the vast majority of Sri Lankans, is imperilled.

In an election campaign police officers are expected to uphold the law regardless of their own political allegiances. We believe that this in itself is not difficult for them. It is a sad fact, however, that often great pressure is put on police officers at various levels to favour particular parties and candidates, either by assisting their misdemeanours or turning a blind eye to them. It is a disgraceful feature of Sri Lankan political life that sometimes such pressures come from responsible people who should know better, and who are willing to jeopardise the long term interests of the country in their indecent greed to seize short term political advantage.

We appeal to all police officers to do their utmost to resist such pressures. It is the firm belief of the Civil Rights Movement, a non-political organization founded in 1971 and devoted to securing the democratic rights and freedoms of the people of Sri Lanka irrespective of the government in power, that this can be done.

It is our experience that long after an election is over, people are likely to remember not just who won, but how they won. People tend to remember how the warring parties conducted themselves, and how the police fulfilled -- or failed to fulfil -- their role as protectors of law and order. This is talked about for years to come, and often passed on to younger generations. How future generations will remember the Presidential Election of 2010 lies to a considerable extent in your hands.

While wishing you strength, courage both physical and moral, good humour and patience while going about your duties in the days to come, may we ask you to be so good as to circulate among the other officers in your station the extra copies of this letter which we enclose.