SPC elections: IDs mandatory

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday announced that it will be mandatory for the voters to prove their identity at the forthcoming Southern Provincial Council election.

The Commissioner advised those voters who do not have valid identity documents to get temporary identity cards which are issued by the Grama Niladharis and Estate Superintendents for this purpose.

Dissanayaka also said, all voters are required to produce a photo-identity card at polling stations on the election day to be eligible to cast their votes.

He said , office identity cards issued by ministries and departments will not be acceptable for casting one's vote.

"National identity cards and identity cards for the clergy iissued by the Department of Registration of Persons , valid passports , driving licences, government pensioner's identity cards and elder's identity cards will be accepted as valid documents for voting," he said.

Commissioner Dissanayaka said, the persons not in possession of these documents are required to apply for temporary identity cards from the Grama Niladharis or Estate Superintendents with copies of their recently taken black and white or colour photographs. .

The temporary identity cards will be issued free to the applicants prior to the election date after obtaining the covering signature of the Senior Assistant Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner of Elections of the respective district.

"Also, the Identity cards without the covering signature of the Senior Assistant Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner of Elections will not be accepted at the polling stations," he said.