SPC polls today
Polling from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1,485 stations:
Rasika Somarathna, Dharma Sri Abeyratne and Jayasiri
Peduruarachchi, Gandara Group Correspondent
The people of South will vote today to elect 55 members (including
two bonus seats) to their Provincial Council.
Authorities said polling will take place from 7 am to 4 pm at 1,485
stations, spanning Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts.
A total of 1,761,859 voters are eligible to vote with 1,091
candidates from 52 political parties and Independent groups seeking
their consent to get elected to the PC.
The Election Secretariat has deployed more than 23,000 officers for
duty. Police also have made elaborate arrangements to ensure security
and a free and fair poll.
Most schools in the area would be used as polling centres and all
National and Provincial Council schools were closed yesterday. They
would reopen on Monday after the elections, according to education
authorities.
Meanwhile, all major political parties and independent groups
concluded their election campaigns for the Southern Provincial Council
Elections on October 7. The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held
its final election campaign rally at the Muwanpelassa grounds in
Suriyawewa under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s patronage.
The United National Party (UNP) concluded its campaign with a series
of public interactive meetings in Galle on the same day. The People’s
Liberation Front (JVP) held their last public rally at Tissamaharama
town in Hambantota.
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said only voters,
polling station staff, general secretaries of political parties, leaders
of independent groups, candidates, police officers who are on duty and
others who obtain permission from the Returning Officers will be allowed
to enter the polling stations.
Election authorities said a proof of identity termed as valid by them
was imperative to be eligible to receive a ballot paper.
The postal voting for today’s Southern Provincial Council elections
was held on September 29 and 30 and a number of 31,158 workers had
requested for postal voting from the three districts.
Votes are to be counted in 153 centres in Galle, Matara and
Hambantota districts. Apart from this, 15 more centres will be
established to count postal votes.
The Southern PC elections campaigns commenced with the dissolution of
the Council on August 3, 2009. Nominations were submitted during August
21 to 28 as per the provisions of the Gazette notification. |