because they were out of jobs they were prone to join armed groups, that trade in illegal drugs became a chief means of making income. All these factors contributed to the change in the culture of crime and contributed to its increase. Holding of Elections It is important to ascertain the views of the public and to give them an opportunity to express their preferences. Elections are conducted for this purpose. It is also very important to hold them freely and fairly. It is the view of the Commission that in the past elections were not conducted freely and fairly. Presidential elections, general elections, provincial council elections, Pradeshiya Sabhas are institutions to which many representatives are elected. We cannot come to the conclusion that the preferences of people are correctly expressed at Provincial Council elections when they are conducted in bits and pieces instead of at the same time, in order to secure one’s power. The Commission has informed the government of this on such occasions. In the year 2014 too, in the month of March, Southern and Western Provincial Council elections were held and the month of July decided for Uva Provincial Council elections. The Commission together with the Elections Commissioner made a great endeavour to see that these elections were conducted freely and fairly by calling upon public officers engaged in election duties to act in conformity with the law and with impartiality. Several steps were taken towards this end such as the issue of “guidelines for public officers” in all 3 languages, convening meetings with them to create awareness among them and informing them that not acting within the parameters of the law amounted to a violation of fundamental rights for which they would be made responsible and action taken against them. The imparting of knowledge and discussions conducted by the Commission in Moneragala in connection with the Uva Provincial Council election, for the police, other key public officials, observation teams and the media, came in for much praise by the Elections Commissioner as a course of action which made it possible to conduct the election freely and fairly. Such a course of action was taken in the case of the Presidential election as well. All Secretaries to Pradeshiya Sabhas in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura districts were summoned and all senior 59