Committee to remove bottlenecks on polls day

The Elections Department yesterday said an All Party Monitoring Committee will coordinate the election and solve any bottlenecks that may crop up on election day. The Committee will operate from the Election's Secretariat.

According to Elections Department sources, this committee comprising senior Elections Department officials, Police officers led by a DIG, senior members of political parties which field candidates and representatives of observer groups will immediately solve problems and obstacles which would disrupt the smooth flow of elections on February 14 from Colombo.

This high level committee will coordinate closely with the District level and Divisional Secretarial level committees to ensure free and fair elections on the election day.

The Elections Department has planned to set up 52 such committees comprising representatives from political parties,observer groups and the Department of Police and Elections in the North Western and Central Provinces. These committees will also intervene and solve any obstacles or complaints immediately in a transparent manner.

The Divisional and District Level Committees have been instructed to consult the All Party Monitoring Committee if any problem or obstacles which are beyond their reach arise.

Elections Department sources said the polls cards distribution which started on January 26 will end tomorrow. "Almost all voters have received their poll cards," he said.

Meanwhile, Kurunegala District Secretary Jayantha Bulumulla said yesterday over 8,000 officials would be deployed in 740 polling stations and counting centres to man elections in the Kurunegala district.

According to Bulumulla, over 400 candidates representing eight political parties and five independent groups are vying for 34 slots in the North Western Provincial Council from the Kurunegala district. CP