Polls chief clashes with Hoole on postal voting
When it comes to issues, National Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya is one who brooks no nonsense. Not even when it emanates from a fellow Commission member like Prof. S. Ratnajeevan Hoole.
On Thursday, at a news conference, he showed how tough he could be when it comes to nitty gritties.
The event was ending with Deshapriya answering the last question on postal voting. The media representatives rose from their s e ats but both Mr Deshapriya and Prof. Hoole were still seated on a table at one of the conference rooms.
Prof. Hoole took over from where Mr Deshapriya ended his answer on postal voting. “Postal voting is very outdated. The way to go is allow those entitled to vote to cast them via the internet,” he declared. We spend millions of rupees on postal voting, he pointed out.
Mr Deshapriya hurriedly interjected. He exhorted that the views expressed were entirely that of Prof. Hoole and not that of the Election Commission. When he was making those remarks, Prof. Hoole made gestures with his hands to Mr Deshapriya. It seemed he wanted to get the NEC Chairman to stop but that was of no avail.
Mr Deshapriya declared that even in India there is no internet voting. Prof. Hoole interjected,
“Sir, I said that I believe….” The polls chief replied, “No one can say that it is believe. Prof. Hoole's impartiality is not in doubt, but he does not have election experience. I have worked for 34 years. If there are misconceptions caused, I would like to apologise for it.
In other remarks he made, Mr Deshapriya revealed that the Commission had received complaints asking him not to hold the presidential election. Instead, the complainants had said, the NEC chairman said with a sarcastic smile, “they should allow the owners of a few private media institutions to select a president”. He quickly added, “even state media organisations were no better”.