Curtain comes down on local polls campaign

E. WEERAPPERUMA

COLOMBO: All election rallies and campaign activities will close at midnight today in connection with the Local Government election. The March 30 Local Government poll will be the first election to be held under the Mahinda Rajapakse Presidency.

Polling will be held from 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., at 10,803 centres in 19 districts to elect 4,255 members for 330 local bodies including Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas.

The UPFA, UNP, JVP, CWC, SLMC, UPF, JHU, NSSP, TNA, EPDP and several minor political parties and independent groups in the fray have fielded 23,331 candidates.

Elections will not be held in 46 Local Government bodies within Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Mannar districts (which include Jaffna and Batticaloa Municipal Councils) on security grounds and in 22 other Local Government bodies including Colombo, Gampaha, Galle and Kalmunai Municipal Councils due to cases pending before courts.

This will result in only 262 bodies going to the polls on March 30 while the decisions of Returning Officers to reject certain nomination lists are being challenged in the courts.

There will be no elections on March 30 in 11 Pradeshiya Sabhas including Seetawaka, Udapalatha, Pathahewaheta, Elpitiya, Kobeigane, Balangoda and five others in the Ampara district.

No election will also be held in Werugal Aru Pradeshiya Sabha in Trincomalee district and Pudukuduirupp Pradeshiya Sabha in Mullaitivu as they have been declared won uncontested by the TNA and the EPDP.

Since the Voters' Register valid at this Local Government Elections will be the same used for the November 17, 2005 Presidential Election, names registered on or before June 1, 2004 will be eligible to vote. The public are required to furnish documentary evidence to prove their identity.

This decision was communicated to political party representatives by Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake. According to the Commissioner in addition to the NID, Driving Licence, Postal Identity Card, Passport, ID issued by the Estate Superintendent, Pensioners' ID or Warrant Card issued by the Railway Department are valid documents.

Those who do not possess these have been requested to obtain a special form from the Grama Niladhari.