N-E conditions not confined to elections - Polls Chief
 

BY Manjula Fernando and Rajmi Manatunga

COMMENTING on the situation in the North-East during the Presidential Poll, Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said these special conditions there were not confined to election times.

"The special situation in the North-East is a factor that affects not only the Elections Department but also the entire system of Government. That was why we made special arrangements for voting in those areas. Despite these arrangements the majority of people in the North-East did not vote," he said.

Dissanayake thanked the Police and the Armed Forces for assisting to conduct a peaceful election. He also commended Government servants for performing their duty in an impartial manner.

Polling was conducted at 10,486 centres islandwide from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. There were 710 counting centres.

Over 127,000 Government servants were engaged in polls duty. An almost equal number of Security Forces and Police Personnel provided security to polling centres. They were provided with the postal vote facility.

Although the poll was largely peaceful, several incidents were reported from the East. Only a few acts of election malpractice were reported.

Observers from the European Union, Commonwealth, Asia, PAFFREL and CMEV monitored the poll around the island. They deployed both stationery and mobile observers.