* Impossible to remove all election propaganda material says Sri Lanka police chief
Mon, Mar 15, 2010, 07:10 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya says the police are unable to completely remove all banners, posters, and cutouts of candidates contesting the April 8 general election.

The IGP told the media that the police are unable to remove all political banners, posters and cutouts before the elections as there are well over 7,000 candidates who have decorated the roads with campaign material. It is a near impossible task, he said.

IGP Balasuriya observed that the police had commenced washing off all political writings and paintings on the walls last week and had now moved on to removing banners and cut outs.

The IGP pointed out that it was impossible to clean up all the propaganda material put up by over 7,000 candidates when the police managed to remove only 20 percent of the propaganda material put up by 20 candidates during the Presidential Election.

He added that the police had also taken measures to shut down nine illegal offices of the candidates.

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dishanayake last Friday (12) directed the IGP to remove all political banners, posters and cutouts before March 15 and to take into custody state owned buses displaying political propaganda material.