Special transport for voters in uncleared areas
 

BY MANJULA Fernando

THE Government has issued Rs.3 million to the top State official in Kilinochchi to make arrangements for special transport to facilitate voters in uncleared areas on polls day.

Kilinochchi Government Agent T. Rasanayagam said the Elections Department has granted him the funds to arrange heavy vehicles operating in uncleared areas to transport voters to and from the cleared areas to cluster polling centres in Government controlled areas for voting.

The military has given clearance to issue 70,000 litres of diesel and 20,000 litres of petrol to the GA for facilitating transport, he said.

The Elections Commissioner decided to facilitate transport for voters in the uncleared areas this year after accusations that the voters from uncleared areas were largely discriminated at the 2004 General Election for having to travel 40 to 50 kilometres to the cluster polling centres in the cleared areas.

It was decided to restrict polling Centres only to Government controlled areas since police officers, primarily responsible for security in the polling centres, cannot entre uncleared areas armed under the CFA.

The GA said they have completed training 640 clerical servants and 300 Chief Polling Officers who will be manning cluster stations in the North.

The GA has come to an agreement with the heavy vehicle owners association in Kilinochchi to operate a special transport service on the polls day.

A total of 200 cluster polling centres will be set up in the North and East to conduct the poll on November 17.

Although the LTTE has not openly called upon the North East Tamils to boycott the upcoming election on November 17, it has reportedly stated that it was not taking the election that seriously and they would not be providing any facilities for the voters as in the 2005 election. Last year they ferried voters to the border areas from Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.