The Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) will commence a campaign to put forward a series of demands of prisoners, pertaining to their rights, with the view to ascertaining which future Presidential candidate would respond most
Based on the response of the Presidential hopefuls to these demands, assurance will be given regarding the votes of prisoners (suspects including those accused and convicts), votes from prisoners’ households, including members of the families of prisoners, and those of prisoners’ relatives.
This was revealed to Ceylon Today by the Chairman of the Committee, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, who also added that there were around 30,000 prisoners island wide, and on average 500,000 votes from prisoners, their family members and those of their relatives.
The demands include, among others, repealing the death penalty, guaranteeing prisoners the right to universal franchise and suffrage, and other rights.
In this connection, the Committee intends to organise a rally-cum-summit on National Prisoners’ Day (12 September) at Campbell Park, Borella. Perera added that invitations will be extended to all foreign Diplomatic Missions and to their Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Counsel Generals, and to Amnesty International Sri Lanka, and the Society of the Red Cross Sri Lanka, among others, and a street drama by Deepani Silva will also be performed.
