An all-party secretariat will function at the Election Commissioner’s Department throughout the campaign and extending up to a week after the July 23 elections to 64 local councils, Polls Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said.He said that previously, an all-party secretariat operated only on election day but this time, it would start functioning from June 27 and party officials would be able to monitor elections law violations not only on election day but also in the run up to the elections and after.
Mr. Deshapriya, for whom the July 23 elections will be his first as polls chief, said the department had already received several complaints but they were largely pertaining to display of posters.
“Most of the complaints have come from private bus operators who say they are being forced to display pictures of candidates, particularly in the suburbs. We have requested the police not to allow any posters on private or state-run buses,” Mr. Deshapriya said.Elections to 234 of the 335 local councils were held on March 17. Court petitions against rejections of nominations list, landmine problems and the World Cup tournament prompted the postponement of elections to the rest of the councils.
After the courts gave their rulings on many of the cases, the department decided to hold elections to 67 councils on July 23. But last week it decided to postpone elections to the Chilaw, Puthukudiyirippu and Mullaitivu Pradeshiya Sabhas, citing a court case and landmine problems.
The polls chief said that in addition to the all-part secretariat, there would also be a police secretariat at the department premises to entertain complaints regarding elections law violations.
Commenting on arrangements in the north, where local polls are being held for the first time in two decades, Mr. Deshapriya said two senior officials of the department would visit the north this week to discuss arrangements with regional officials and political party’s leaders.
More than 2.5 million voters are eligible to vote at the elections to be held to the 64 local councils in the Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Matara, Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts. |
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