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Eastern Provincial Council Polls:
Postal voting ends successfully
Rasika Somarathna
 COLOMBO: Around 40 per cent of the total eligible postal voters had
cast their votes for the Eastern Provincial Council elections by noon
yesterday, authorities said.
The postal voting closed by 4.30 p.m yesterday but authorities said
public officers unable to cast their vote by yesterday would be allowed
time until May 10.
According to the Election Secretariat, there are 22,412 eligible
postal voters - 4,427 from Batticaloa, 9,468 from Ampara and 8,517 in
Trincomalee.
Public officers unable to cast their vote on election day due to
official duties have been enabled, as in the past, to cast postal votes.
Returning Officer for Digamadulla District Sunil Kannangara told the
Daily News yesterday that postal voting was being conducted in 152
centres and not a single incident of violence was reported so far.
According to the Assistant Commissioner (Elections) for Batticaloa T.
Krishnandalingam, voting was progressing sans any incidents in 150
centres and by noon yesterday had received over 500 envelopes containing
votes cast out of a total of 4,427.
The Assistant Commissioner (Elections) for Trincomalee district
Bandara Mapa said yesterday that he had received envelopes containing of
more than 50 per cent of the total eligible votes by noon yesterday.
Meanwhile, with only 12 days remaining for the Eastern Provincial
Council Poll, the Elections Commissioner had given an undertaking to
make the production of identity cards or other valid documents
compulsory for voters in accordance with the Elections Special
Provisions Act, when the writ application filed by PAFFREL asking for an
order to impose the above was taken up before the Court of Appeal on
Monday.
The main election to elect 37 members for the Eastern Provincial
Council would be held on May 10 in 1,022 polling stations in the East,
with a record number of 1,342 candidates from 18 political parties and
73 independent groups in the fray.
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IDs must at poll
COLOMBO: The Elections Commissioner yesterday announced that a valid
identity document was compulsory for voters at the May 10 Provincial
Council Elections in the East in accordance with the Elections (Special
Provisions) Act, No. 14 of 2004.
In the Court of Appeal Application No. 356\2008, it was decided that
provisions of the Act be implemented at the election of members to the
Eastern Province Provincial Council Elections, the Commissioner said in
a release. Voters are advised to take with them any one of the identity
documents mentioned below along with the poll card.
They are the National Identity Card, passport, driving licence, valid
postal ID, railway season ticket ID, pensioners ID, Bikkhu ID, an ID
with the photograph which is legally issued by a Government Authority or
a special ID obtained for the Local Authority elections held in 2006 and
2008.
Any voter who does not possess any of these IDs will have to obtain a
temporary one from the Grama Niladhari which has to be counter signed by
the Divisional Secretary, the release said.
The temporary ID would be issued free of charge and the applicants
only have to produce a 1,1\4" x 1" photograph, it said. The release said
the failure to produce an identity document with the photograph will be
a disqualification to obtain a ballot paper at the polling station. |
