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| Friday, 20 February 2004 |
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| Elections commissioner tells parties, candidates: Conduct yourselves with responsibility on polling day by Ranil Wijayapala Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday appealed to all political parties and their candidates at the up coming general election to conduct themselves with responsibility on polling day since it was 'compulsory' for him to have a repoll at polling stations where there will be incidents. He said apart from Section 48 A of the Parliamentary Election Act and Section 46 A of the Provincial Council Elections law dealing with disturbances at polling stations the Supreme Court ruling has enhanced his powers to annul the poll and have a repoll where there are reports of irregularities . The Polls Chief said the final result of a district will have to be withheld if such repoll takes place owing to reported irregularities and violence. He said the Department has identified Puttalam and certain areas in the Ratnapura district, Kandy and Hambantota as the areas where they expect elections violence. The repoll will take place within two or three days later. "A Parliamentary election is a national election and the date has already been fixed for the first sitting of the Parliament. We will have a repoll at the specific polling stations as soon as possible and the result will be announced later," the Commissioner added. Commenting on the powers vested with him following the enactment of 17th Amendment to the Constitution, Dissanayake said nothing substantial had happened during the last two years to enhance the powers vested with him to have a free and fare election. He said though he has been entrusted with powers to appoint a Competent Authority to the State media if they infringed the specific guidelines, the Parliament Act laying down the powers and functions of the Competent Authority had not been passed in Parliament during the last two years. "I am helpless since there is no point in appointing a Competent Authority for the state media since powers and functions are not defined as yet," he said. The Commissioner said he was helpless in the matter of using State properties during the election campaign since he has not been entrusted with necessary powers through a Parliament Act. "I have made all those recommendations in the Administrative Report of Election 2001, but nothing substantial has happened to bring the Parliament Act," the Commissioner said. "The only thing which happened through the 17th Amendment is exchanging the name Commissioner of Elections with Elections Commission," he added. On the conduct of elections in the LTTE controlled areas in the North and East the Commissioner said the department is considering having 'cluster polling centres in Government controlled areas. "This time, these polling stations will be set up close to the entry- exit points between the Government and LTTE controlled areas," he said. Regarding polls observers, the Commissioner said there were positive responses from the European Commission and from the Commonwealth to his request for observers. In addition, the Commissioner said local monitors from PAFREL and CMEV have been granted permission to enter polling stations to observe elections. The Commissioner said 51 recognised political parties are eligible to field their candidates for the general election. Three parties have been debarred from contesting the election and decisions will soon be given on the fate of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Eksath Lanka Janatha party after reviewing the ruling of the Court. Dissanayake said the cost of the election will be high this time since the price of fuel and payments to staff had increased. |
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