Chance for IDPs to vote
Lakshmi de Silva
All Internally Displaced Persons in welfare villages in the North as
well as those living with friends or relations will be provided with the
opportunity of exercising their vote at the presidential election.
Vavuniya District Secretary P. S. M. Charles told the Daily News
recently.
The Assistant Commissioner of Elections in the district will provide
transport to the IDPs to exercise their vote.
There is much enthusiasm among the people to exercise their franchise
during this election as there is no pressures from the terrorists, a
senior government official in the North said.
All facilities needed to exercise the vote of all citizens in the
district are provided. A polling station close to the IDP welfare
village zone will be established while the normal polling stations for
resettled IDPs in their respective villages will be provided. A cluster
polling station at the Vavuniya town will be set up for people living
with friends or relations, Charles said.
People in the welfare villages are moving about freely. The
rehabilitation process will be expedited when a further shipment of
roofing sheets from India is received soon. Sources in the north said
people of the north were not prepared to support most parliamentarians
in the north who did not take action when the displaced people and those
affected by terrorism were suffering but attempted to make political
mileage out of the people’s suffering.
On the other hand President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s special task force
for the north had taken steps to provide all the necessities including,
food, sanitation and health facilities to them.
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