Colombo: Postal voting in the two local
council elections in the former LTTE territory of Mullaithivu
district in the northern Sri Lanka has been delayed following a
court order, officials said.
The postal voting for the March 24 election was to take
place on Wednesday and Thursday.
People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL),
which had gone to court arguing that polls should be held only
after proper resettlement, said the next hearing of the Court
of Appeal case will be on March 19.
Puthukudyiruppu and Maritimepattu pradeshiya sabha (local
council) elections are the last of the 335 local councils in
the island.
The elections for 333 councils were held on a staggered
basis throughout 2011.
State officials, members of the security officers and
police, who will be on election duties on the polling day are
eligible to apply for postal voting rights.
The petitioners have claimed that resettlement of the war
displaced in the area was yet to be completed and it will be
unfair to hold elections in such a situation.
The government has said that resettlement in the two areas
was hampered by the demining process.
The area was highly booby trapped during the days of the
conflict as Puthukudyiruppu was for an extended period an LTTE
nerve center.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 15, 2012, 17:51