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by Manjula Fernando

Over 28,000 applicants have qualified under the displaced voters list which was finalised recently by the Elections Department after much scrutiny to avoid foul play on the polls day.

Official sources said out of the total number of applications, more than 2000 with discrepancies in the facts submitted were rejected during the screening process.

During the last election the number of rejected applications stood at over 7500. We found that these applications had been forwarded by unscrupulous political supporters plotting to stuff ballot boxes," sources said.

At last year's general election, over 28,500 became eligible to cast their vote under the displaced list.

The Department has made arrangements to set up special election booths in Puttlam, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura and Colombo this year to facilitate displaced voters. Separate ballot boxes will be used at election booths where a small number of displaced people have been registered.

Meanwhile, the Elections Department has requested the government officers in charge of certifying postal votes to take necessary measures to return them as soon as the voting is completed in order to avoid mail delay.

The postal ballot papers were sent under insured registered post to the respective offices on November 12. The dates scheduled to cast the postal votes are November 20 and 21. Over 242,600 government sector officers and service personnel have registered for postal voting.

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