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To elect 14th Parliament:
Country goes to polls
Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE
* First post war General Election
* First result by midnight
* Tight security countrywide
It is all systems go as the nation elects a new Parliament today in
the first General Election to be held in post war Sri Lanka. It is the
second major election in four months following the Presidential Election
in January this year.
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Dos and
don’ts
* No person will be allowed
to enter either a polling centre or counting centre with
firearms.
* Using camera phones inside
the polling centres is also banned.
* Voters will need to prove
their identity by producing a valid identity card before
they are issued a ballet paper.
* Those without identity
documents will not be able to cast their votes. |
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Mobile phones
banned at Counting Centres
* Senior DIG (Elections)
Gamini Navaratne yesterday appealed to agents of all
candidates not to bring mobile phones to the Counting
Centres. Not a single agent will be allowed to enter the
Counting Centre with mobile phones, Senior DIG Navaratne
said. |
The Elections Commissioner’s Department said all arrangements have
been put in place to ensure a free and fair polls to elect members to
the 14th Parliament where 196 members will be returned on the District
List and 29 from the National List.
A total of 7,620 candidates from 36 political parties and 301
independent groups are in the fray representing 22 electoral districts.
Together with the National List members, the House will comprise 225
members under the Proportional Representation system.
A total of 14,088,500 persons are eligible to cast their vote at
today’s election which will be conducted at 11,155 centres. Polling
begins at 7.00 a.m and ends at 4.00 p.m. The counting is scheduled to
commence at midnight at 1,387 counting centres. Of this 20 counting
centres have been established to count votes of IDPs. Counting of postal
votes will take place first.
The first election result will be released by the midnight today or
in the wee hours of tomorrow, Elections Commissioner Dayananda
Dissanayake said.
The Elections Commissioner has deployed over 58,000 Police personnel
for election duty. In addition, the Army will also be deployed in
strength to assist the Police to prevent possible incidents at polling
stations.
The Election Commissioner has taken steps to deploy Special Task
Force officials at polling stations where certain incidents had been
reported during earlier elections. STF contingents have already been
dispatched to particular centres where violent incidents could be
expected, the Commissioner added.
The Police along with the STF will provide protection to District
Counting Centres, the Commissioner said.
Election co-ordination offices will be set up near polling booths on
the advice of the Elections Commissioner.
Elections Commissioner Dissanayake has advised Returning Officers to
set up such offices to prevent election irregularities. In a circular
issued, Dissanayake has advised Returning Officers to visit polling
booths promptly if they receive any complaints. |
