FOREIGN ELECTION MONITORS TO OVERSEE PC POLLS

With election violence in the Wayamba and Central Provinces gradually raising its head, the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has taken steps to bring down 10 foreign election monitors and deploy them in the North for the September PC polls.

Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hetiarachchi appealed to political parties to educate their supporters and candidates against engaging in election vio- lence and adhere to the election law.

“We have already received a number of cases of election-related violence from Kurunegala and Kandy and the clashes have been among members of the same political party. Two persons have been hospitalised yesterday in Kurunegala following clashes among supporters of the same political party,” Mr. Hettiarachchi said.

He said a complaint on giving government appointments to youth has been reported from Jaffna.

Mr. Hettiarachchi told Daily Mirror that 10 election monitors from Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections (ANFFE) would arrive in Sri Lanka two weeks prior to the PC polls and all of them would be deployed in the North.

Meanwhile, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said arrangements had been made to enable voters to vote at another polling station instead of those situated in the polling divisions where they were registered.

“Voters who do not wish to vote at the polling station where they are registered due to fear of persecution, can apply for permission to vote at another, and arrangements can be made for them to vote accordingly,” Mr. Deshapriya said.

The voters must make an application to the Commissioner of Elections within one week of the notice of nomination, requesting that he or she may be allowed to cast his or her vote at another polling station determined by the Commissioner.

Such voters may submit their applications within 7 days of the date of the nomination notice to the Elections Secretariat, Sarana Mawatha Rajagiriya or to the District Elections Office in the District where the elector is resident. Application forms should be completed accurately based on the Electoral Register for the year 2012.

We have already received a number of cases of election-related violence from Kurunegala and Kandy and the clashes have been among members of the same political party