51,000 eligible for postal voting in NCP, Sabaragamuwa

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

There are 2,165,280 eligible voters in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. Postal voting will be held on August 7 and 8. The number of eligible voters for postal voting is 51,248, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said.

PAFFREL will monitor this election, According to PAFFREL, 39 election related incidents in Sabaragamuwa and North Central Province have been reported since the nomination day and majority are incidents of assault.

Twenty six incidents are reported from North Central Province while 13 from the Sabaragamuwa Province.

Anuradhapura district recorded the highest number of incidents.

In almost every incident it was groups of people who had assaulted.

The PAFFREL deployed 160 observers for pre-election observation in the Sabaragamuwa Province and 100 in the North Central Province.

Basic training activities have already been completed to train 2,500 observers in the two Provincial Councils.

This number consists of at least one voter attached to each polling station in both provinces and two for polling stations identified as stations with risks of election offences. There will be 300 mobile observers and 52 mobile observation vehicles and additional eight vehicles with the participation of persons with national level recognition.

PAFFREL has established four district offices, one for each district, 26 divisional offices coordinate and monitor of observation activities complying with basic PAFFREL guidelines and adjusting to special conditions of the district, providing the leadership for observation activities at the ground level.