The Commissioner is reportedly dissapointed of the response from state media

The Commissioner has decided to withdraw the CA from midnight Monday, an official who wished to remain anonymous told BBC Sandeshaya.

Political party representatives were told on Tuesday by the Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake that the officer was not supported by the state media to properly carry out his duties.

The Commissioner earlier appointed Jayampathy Hettiarachchi as the CA to oversee the conduct of the state media in the run up to the elections.

Contempt of court

The main opposition candidate’s spokesman, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP, who attended the meeting, told BBC Sandeshaya that the Commissioner was disappointed over the response to his directives by the state media.

The spokesman accused the government of deliberately ignoring the Commissioner’s attempts to conduct a free and fair election.

The Supreme Court last week ordered state and private media to comply with the Commissioner’s directives.

Failing to comply with the court order would amount to contempt of court, legal experts pointed out.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian also accused senior government officials, including Secretary to the President Lalith Weerathunga and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, of ignoring the Commisioner’s directives not to take part in election campaign.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake however admitted that the opposition is also violating the directives as they have “no other option.”

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his former military head, Gen Sarath Fonseka are the main candidates at the 26 January elections; eighteen other candidates are also contesting to be the next executive president of Sri Lanka.