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| Wednesday, 14 July 2004 |
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The July 10 Provincial Council election was conducted peacefully without any major issues in the management of polling stations, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said yesterday. Dissanayake thanked the voters for cooperating with elections staff and the police for holding a peaceful election. In a news release yesterday, he thanked police for providing a satisfactory security cover to polling stations and counting centres. He also commended the State and private media for their cooperation. He said: "The returning officers of respective districts, my deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners of elections, staff of the Elections Department, provincial, district and the divisional administration and the election professionals undertook a well-organised program of work over the last two months. I am glad that the final results were announced the following morning. The Inspector-General of Police, DIG. (Elections) and DIGG of respective ranges should be congratulated for the security cover provided at this election. A complement of 50,000 policemen were released by them for election duty with instructions to make this a peaceful event. While a 75,000 strong election staff was provided with security requirements at the polling stations to enable the electors to cast their votes, 7,663 polling stations were provided with a satisfactory security cover, to prevent interference by outsiders in polling stations. The arrangement of security to the staff and the electors alike in the nine-hours poll, is the key to success of a free election. I express my great appreciation on the security cover provided by the police including home guards. Special thanks to the National Police Commission for encouraging police officers in performing their duties independently. The Government Printer printed all our requirements on time, while the Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka Telecom and Postal Department maintained their schedules of services and supplies efficiently. I thank all officers and employees of all those institutions. Sri Lanka Central Transport Board, Peoplised Bus Services and the Private Bus Owners met transport requirements of returning officers. They met the needs of transport of staff and electors, within and between districts. Their services are appreciated. I wish to place on record the active participation of the civil society and the Non-Governmental Organisations - Pafferel, CMEV, Diriya Foundation, Human Development Organisation and National Election Monitoring and Evaluation Centre who observed the election process. I am grateful to the secretaries of political parties and leaders of independent groups contested, their agents and candidates who extended their co-operation to the returning officers, the election staff and police officers. I have a special thanks to the public service for their support to the Elections Department in concluding another Provincial Council Election with dignity and the 53,44,330 voters out of an electorate of 9.58 million, who turned up at the polling stations in time and co-operating with polling staff and the police to ensure a free and fair election. |
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