| by a Special Correspondent
( December 11, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The main opposition today launched a campaign to deprive overseas travel of state officials who are flagrantly violating election laws and deploying government resources to boost President Mahinda Rajapakse’s re-election campaign.
United National Party (UNP) media chief Mangala Samaraweera said they launched a “Black Book” to list violations by public servants who are otherwise expected to be neutral under election law.
“We will publish the names of violators and make sure that all foreign missions in Colombo are kept informed by way of a newsletter every week,” Former Foreign Minister Samaraweera said.
“Most of these crooked officials want to send their children abroad to study. That is why we want to ask foreign missions to ensure that even the family members of these (black-listed) officials are not granted visas.”
Sri Lanka’s military already face travel restrictions to the United States in line with “Leahy Law”. Many officials have already been deprived of US visas drawing strong protests from the defence ministry.
Samaraweera also read out a list of retired military officers who have been roped into campaigning for President Rajapaksa.
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