Election monitors are accusing Jeevan Thondaman, the successor and son of late Minister Arumugam Thondaman of violating quarantine and election laws. National Coordinator of Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Manjula Gajanayake has pointed out that Jeevan has been parading on an open-top vehicle through a number of electorates and engaging with the public when he has now been proposed to contest in the upcoming election in place of the late Minister. He said it is regrettable that the election authorities are turning a blind eye to this.
Photographs showing Jeevan Thondaman greeting people from an open-top vehicle heading his father’s funeral cortege was widely circulated on social media.
According to him, after March 2 the country is in the pre-election period. He also noted that the Police had announced it would take strict action against those violating social distancing regulations which expects people to keep a distance of one meter between each other.
However, images shared on social media showed large crowds gathering to pay respects to the late politician and not adhering to the social distancing rules. Police have also failed to take action despite the warnings issued by them.
The leniency of the law in this instance has been widely slammed by members of the public. Many had questioned why laws and regulations relating to holding funerals and gatherings imposed on the general public are not being enforced on the powerful. The inequality before the law has been pointed out by people on social media.
Following the backlash however the Police yesterday announced a 24-hour curfew in the Nuwara Eliya district.
