‘No polls this year’

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday denied certain media reports that several Provincial Council elections are scheduled for this year.

“There are no elections lined up for this year,” he said. He, however, said there were a number of elections scheduled for next year, including Local Government elections in the Batticaloa district. Deshapriya said the Batticaloa district Local Government elections were originally scheduled for March this year.

“However, the Chief Minister extended the period of Local Government in Batticaloa by another one year by exercising his powers, The election was put off for March next year.”

He said Provincial Council elections to the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces are scheduled for next year.

The Elections Commissioner said Municipal Council elections in Jaffna and Urban Council election in Vavuniya are also to be held next year.

Daily News report brings results

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Over 500 persons who have multiple registrations in the national electoral list have requested for the cancellation of such registrations barring one, responding to Tuesday’s Daily News lead story, according to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya.

He said the people had been calling over at district offices since the story appeared two days ago, but an accurate figure was not available.

Deshapriya said in addition, over 150 persons who did not have their national identity card numbers, in the electoral list, had also responded.

The Commissioner commended the Daily News for carrying the report.

He however said they had not changed their decision to take legal action against persons who have multiple registrations in the electoral list.

Deshapriya said a majority of those who called over at the Elections Department could be those who did not wish to maintain multiple registrations.

According to the electoral list in 2011, over 165,000 persons had obtained multiple registration and a significant proportion still have not cancelled their multiple registration.