A legal framework to control number of candidates at elections: PAFFREL

The Peoples Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) will consult the elections commission, political parties and other groups to bring a legal framework to control the number of candidates contesting in the upcoming elections, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said.

While issuing the first media report regarding the presidential election at a media briefing yesterday, he said as an election monitoring organisation, we were concerned about these ongoing situations and immediately after the elections, the PAFFREL would consult the authorities to bring a legal framework.

“According to elections observations plane, the PAFFREL had planned to deploy 6, 000 observers to monitor the presidential election across the country as well as the postal election. Around 160 observers have already been deployed for the monitoring of the election,” he said.

“We also monitor the postal voting and planning to deploy about 1,000 observers. On the election day, we will deploy the stationary observers and mobile observers outside the polling stations. More than 200 mobile teams will be deployed across the country on the election day,” he said.

“The postal voting for state officials who will be on duty on the day of election, would be held on October 30 and 31. The postal voting for security personnel would be held on November 4. Anyone who fails to cast their votes on above dates, can go to

Misappropriation of state resources was one of the main concern of PAFFREL. Complaints had been received so far from the central Government, Provincial Councils as well as from local authorities in different ways

the nearest district polling centres on November 7 and use their franchise, “he said

Mr. Hettiarachchi said the PAFFREL had received a total of 63 complaints as of yesterday. “Misappropriation of state resources was one of the main concern of PAFFREL. Complaints had been received so far from the central Government, Provincial Councils as well as from local authorities in different ways. Especially complaints received regarding giving jobs in Ministries and affiliated institutions,” he said.

“It seems that a lot of development programmes had taken place during the elections campaign period. We had received a complaint regarding the distribution of liquor specially arrack by one of the political party in the Matale District,” he said.

“This is the first time in the Sri Lanka history of having 35 candidates to contest for a presidential election. There were about 19 candidates in the previous election. Seventeen candidates got only 138 votes which were less than two per cent. This is a misusing a democratic practice by these political parties. Most of the candidates were contesting for their personnel benefits and most of them were contested for the support of the main political parties to get senior government positions after the election,” he said. According to the elections commission, An additional cost of Rs.100 million had to incur by government for extra ballot boxes and the extra officials, he said. The ballot paper would be more than 28 inches in this election, Mr. Hettiarachchi said. If this practice continues there would be a chance of having a hundred candidates which nobody can guarantee. Therefore, we need to have some sort of control to safeguard the democracy of this country, Mr. Hettiarachchi added.

Special contact numbers had been issued to contact provincial election complain centres and via Whatsapp and Viber.

The contact details are as follows:

Western Province 0704701141, Central Province - 0704701142, North Western Province - 0704701143, Sabaragamuwa 0704701144, North Central Province - 0704701145, Southern Province - 0704701146, Uva Province - 0704701147 and Northern and Eastern Provinces - 0704701148

Whatsapp and Viber via 0704701155, General numbers - 0112558570, 0112558574, Fax no-0112558572, Email - paffrel.complains@gmail.com