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Poll commissioner undecided on holding polls in LTTE areas
Colombo, Feb 20: Despite the commencement of nominations, Sri Lanka`s election commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said that he was undecided whether to hold the forthcoming general election in the LTTE-held areas in the north-east, where over 300,000 voters are living.
Colombo, Feb 20: Despite the commencement of nominations, Sri Lanka's election commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said that he was undecided whether to hold the forthcoming general election in the LTTE-held areas in the north-east, where over 300,000 voters are living.
At a media briefing at the Election Department yesterday, Dissanayake said that he had already had discussions with the service commanders and it was too early for him to come to conclusion whether to conduct polls in the LTTE-held areas in the north-east.
''The existing situation in the north-east is not the same to that of the situation in the rest of the country. There are six weeks more for the April 2 general election. I will review the security and other situations in those areas and would take a decision on the conduct of polls closer to the polling date,'' he said, accepting that the situation has much improved this time due to the absence of war after the truce agreement.
Last time the election commissioner, after consultations with the service commanders, set up cluster polling booths near the exit-entry point of the government-held areas enabling the voters in the rebel-held areas to vote.
But the some of the voters challenged the election commissioners decisions on the ground that the fundamental rights to vote has been violated, resulting in the supreme court holding Army Commander Lt. Gen. Balagalle responsible for it and ordered him to pay Rs 50,000 personally to the petitioners.
Answering to a question in this regard, the election commissioner said that he has already had discussions with the army commander and other service commanders on matters pertaining to the security situation, having reminded them about the Supreme Court ruling.
''I don't think they will repeat this again. If at all we are going to have cluster polling booths, they will be set up much closer to the entry-exit points,'' he said adding that the internally displaced people had been given the option since 1998 onwards to register themselves at the place where they were displaced.
Dissanayake expected at least 225,000 voters from the Jaffna peninsula and another 300,000 from the Wanni district to cast their votes during the April 2 polls.
According to country's election laws, Sri Lanka's Police have to provide security to the polling booths and counting centers, which are not possible in the LTTE-held areas in the north-east despite the absence of war.
Elections in Sri Lanka are generally marred by bloody violence and malpractices, with over 40 being killed during the last general elections, held in December 2001.
Dissanayake said that he has invited international monitors from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, European Union and Commonwealth to observe the forthcoming polls, and some of them have already responded.
Nominations are scheduled to conclude on February 24 and the new Parliament is to commence on April 22. The LTTE is not directly involved in the election process but supporting their proxies behind the scene. Bureau Report
''The existing situation in the north-east is not the same to that of the situation in the rest of the country. There are six weeks more for the April 2 general election. I will review the security and other situations in those areas and would take a decision on the conduct of polls closer to the polling date,'' he said, accepting that the situation has much improved this time due to the absence of war after the truce agreement.
Last time the election commissioner, after consultations with the service commanders, set up cluster polling booths near the exit-entry point of the government-held areas enabling the voters in the rebel-held areas to vote.
But the some of the voters challenged the election commissioners decisions on the ground that the fundamental rights to vote has been violated, resulting in the supreme court holding Army Commander Lt. Gen. Balagalle responsible for it and ordered him to pay Rs 50,000 personally to the petitioners.
Answering to a question in this regard, the election commissioner said that he has already had discussions with the army commander and other service commanders on matters pertaining to the security situation, having reminded them about the Supreme Court ruling.
''I don't think they will repeat this again. If at all we are going to have cluster polling booths, they will be set up much closer to the entry-exit points,'' he said adding that the internally displaced people had been given the option since 1998 onwards to register themselves at the place where they were displaced.
Dissanayake expected at least 225,000 voters from the Jaffna peninsula and another 300,000 from the Wanni district to cast their votes during the April 2 polls.
According to country's election laws, Sri Lanka's Police have to provide security to the polling booths and counting centers, which are not possible in the LTTE-held areas in the north-east despite the absence of war.
Elections in Sri Lanka are generally marred by bloody violence and malpractices, with over 40 being killed during the last general elections, held in December 2001.
Dissanayake said that he has invited international monitors from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, European Union and Commonwealth to observe the forthcoming polls, and some of them have already responded.
Nominations are scheduled to conclude on February 24 and the new Parliament is to commence on April 22. The LTTE is not directly involved in the election process but supporting their proxies behind the scene. Bureau Report