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With the Police earning wide praise for implementing the law without fear or favour during the election campaign, Senior Superintendent Deshabandu Tennakoon is seen here telling hundreds of personnel to continue the good work on polling day tomorrow and thereafter. These officers are part of the 75,000 police and STF personnel being deployed for a [...]
Suspension poses puzzle for UPFA
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday told a United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) delegation that tomorrow’s polls would not be affected by the suspension of the alliance’s Secretary General, Susil Premajayantha. The UPFA is the main contender with the ruling United National Party (UNP) and is contesting all the districts in the country. The Polls Chief’s [...]
Crackdown on liquor; violators beware
A crackdown on the transport of liquor has been launched in the run-up to tomorrow’s parliamentary elections, Excise Commissioner General L.K.G. Gunawardena said. He told the Sunday Times Excise teams headed by senior officials had fanned out throughout the country to nab offenders after the election campaign ended at midnight on Friday. This is also [...]
Highways toll free for polls
Sri Lanka’s three expressways — Southern, Katunayake and the Outer Circular Highway — will be toll free from 6 am to 6 pm tomorrow in view of the general elections, a Highways Ministry official said.
Election results from midnight
The first electoral level results of tomorrow’s general elections will be announced only after midnight on election day, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said. He said the final results of the general election should be out by noon on Tuesday and preferential vote results later in the night. The counting of postal votes would begin soon [...]
Extra security in six districts; maximum force against offenders
Additional police, including Special Task Force personnel, have been deployed to provide extra security in six districts during tomorrow’s general elections. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times the districts were identified on reports from election monitors who had suggested that security be intensified in these areas. The Mannar, Vavuniya, Puttalam, Kandy, Kalutara and Anuradhapura [...]
Over 15 million voters from 22 electoral districts to elect 225 MPs tomorrow
Over 15 million voters across 22 electoral districts will go to the polls tomorrow to elect 225 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the country’s 15th General election since 1947. The Colombo District will return the largest for a single district with 19 MPs, while Tricomalee will return the lowest number of 4 MPs. Colombo -19 MPs [...]
Voters can claim poll cards even on election day: Post Master General
Post Offices islandwide will remain open till 4 p.m. today to enable voters who have not received their polling cards to collect them from their respective post offices, a senior official of the Postal Department said. They can do so on Monday, the day of the poll as well, Post Master General D.L.P Rohana Abeyratne said. [...]
4,000 buses for commuters, 1,000 for polls related work: Transport Board head
A fleet of 4,000 buses will be in operation during the election period to ensure a smooth transport service, Sri Lanka Transport Board Chairman Ramal Siriwardena said. He said that Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya requested over 1,000 buses for election work and they have been released from the fleet of 5,000 buses. He explained that it [...]
Diplomats join polls observers in monitoring general elections
For the first time in Parliamentary elections some 20-plus senior Colombo-based diplomats will join 180 foreign elections observers during tomorrow’s polls, polls monitors said.They said the diplomats have been drawn from the European Union (EU) missions in the country and they have been mandated to assist their foreign counterparts. Among the EU countries that maintain [...]
More than 30,000 local, international observers to monitor tomorrow’s polls
More than 30,000 local and international observers are set to monitor tomorrow’s islandwide elections. Former election commissioners, lawyers, politicians, doctors and journalists are among the observers who have undergone training for weeks before moving in as observers in various parts of the country. On an invitation from the Election Commissioner, a team of Commonwealth election [...]
EC epitomises deshapriya in his quest for a free and fair poll
The Elections Department situated at Rajagiryia is a hive of activity and Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya is once again the cynosure of all eyes. Since the January 8 Presidential election, the unconventional and candid approach by the Commissioner in discharging his duties, has won him much praise and also helped restore public confidence in the electoral [...]
Polls Chief urges voters to exercise their franchise
Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday urged all registered voters to exercise their franchise on Monday. “Vote is your right, the vote is your power,” he said. Mr Deshapriya said, though in some countries it was legally required to cast one’s vote, in Sri Lanka there is no such requirement, but it should be considered an [...]
Killing in the East: Probe to check whether politically motivated
A man was shot dead in Oddamavadi in Valachchenai, Batticaloa yesterday afternoon in a suspected politically-motivated killing, raising the pre-election death toll to four, an independent election monitor said. Mohamed Ameen, aged 37, a supporter of a candidate from the Eastern Province was shot dead by unknown assailants while he was returning home on his [...]
Teacher-turned- politician passes away
Ariyaratne Jayatilleke who represented the Divulapitiya seat in Parliament for the UNP for several years, passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Mr.Jayatilleke who began life as a teacher serving in the Mayurapada School at Narammala, later served as the Principal of the D.S.Senanayake School in Mirigama before entering politics. He contested the Divulapitiaya seat [...]
Parliament Secretary General requests all MPs to visit Info Desk
An Information Desk to facilitate arrangements for the first meeting of the first session of the eighth Parliament that will be elected on Monday will be open in the House from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. on August 23, 24 and 25 for the convenience of MPs, the Secretary General of Parliament said. All Members [...]
For a peaceful tomorrow
The Special Task Force (STF) has been called in to provide additional security to ensure that tomorrow’s elections are peacefully held. Here STF personnel are seen on security duty in the city. Pic by Nissanka Meegoda.
Relations between Pakistan and Lanka serve as a beacon to countries in the region
The Pakistan High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Maj Gen (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain said that the brotherly and time-tested relationship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka that has depth, breadth and diversity, serves as a beacon for other countries of South Asia. Addressing the occasion of the 69th Independence Day of Pakistan on Friday, High Commissioner [...]
Sri Lanka is India’s closest and dearest neighbour: Indian HC Sinha
Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha yesterday reiterated that India remains committed to assist all Sri Lankans in their efforts to build a future that accommodates the aspirations of all sections of society for a life of equality, justice, peace and dignity within a united country. He was addressing India’s Independence Day celebrations Friday held at [...]
Diplomats join polls observers in monitoring general elections
For the first time in Parliamentary elections some 20-plus senior Colombo-based diplomats will join 180 foreign elections observers during tomorrow’s polls, polls monitors said. They said the diplomats have been drawn from the European Union (EU) missions in the country and they have been mandated to assist their foreign counterparts. Among the EU countries that maintain [...]
Frenchman’s body handed over to father
Kandy Acting Magistrate Mahinda Liyanage ordered that the body of the Frenchman Amuary lue Mougal who died in a Guest House at Ampitiya be handed over to his father who arrived in Sri Lanka. The Acting Magistrate returned a verdict of accidental death due to a fall from a high level leading to head injuries. [...]
Lack of evidence clears Lankan in rape incident 13 years ago
A South Korean court earlier this week upheld a lower court ruling and cleared a Sri Lankan of charges that he robbed and raped an 18-year-old local girl in 1998, foreign media reported. The Daegu High Court found the 49-year-old not guilty of robbery and rape charges, citing lack of evidence, in the case investigated 13 [...]
Once again, we are trying to choose the lesser evil
I am not sure why the Editor of The Sunday Times invited me from among the 15,044,490 voters in this country to express my opinions in his esteemed newspaper just before the elections. Pressed for an answer, he gave an excuse about ‘Maco’ (the Elections Commissioner, I presume) not allowing him to seek the views [...]
The importance of the vote
On 14 August, the Kalpitiya jetty was abustle with fishermen from the islands off the Kalpitiya peninsula. They had come to board buses and vans to reach their homes in order to vote on August 17. While the number of voters registered within the islands off Kalpitiya –Battalangunduwa, Palliyewatte and Uchchumunai– account for only a [...]
Anti-rabies campaign casts net wider to take in felines
The second phase of the Colombo Municipal Council’s rabies vaccination is underway, taking in stray cats as well as dogs as rabies-positive cats have been discovered. In the first phase of the campaign, the CMC carried out a survey on dogs and vaccinated and ear-notched street dogs. They also vaccinated and gave licences to pet dogs, [...]
Youths band together to protect elusive fishing cat
On the heels of last week’s story of innocent animals dying in collisions with speeding vehicles is a positive report of young people erecting road signs to prevent Sri Lanka’s second-largest wild cat falling prey to careless motorists. The first signs went up last week at Gannoruwa and Haloluwa critical fishing cat death sites in [...]
Kap planting heralds start of Kandy perahera
The commencement of the Kandy Esala Maha Perahera was heralded by the planting of ‘Kap’ at the auspicious hour of 5.30 a.m. yesterday at the four Devales – Maha Vishnu, Natha, Kataragama and Goddess Pathini. On Friday evening the ‘Kap’ stumps were handed over to the respective devales, to be planted after the rituals at [...]
Motorcyclists weave and speed……and die
Weaving impatiently through heavy traffic while overtaking heavy vehicles while taking little care to be seen clearly in the vehicle stream, in many cases jumping red lights, motorcyclists contribute to a large portion of the number of fatal accidents in the country. More than 600 motorcycle riders have been killed so far this year, most [...]
Loophole closed for speeding motoristsFrom this week, culprits face spot fines, with 50kph limits in built-up areas
From this week, motorists ignoring speed limit signs will face strict action including spot fines of Rs. 1000.Deputy Inspector General of Traffic Police Amarasiri Senaratne said motorists who speed on the 152 roads that have been speed-marked will be issued with spot fines. Failure to pay the fine will result in a court case. The [...]
Polls violations around 1,500 but situation peaceful: Monitors
Complaints mainly of assaults, misuse of State resources Elections chief, Police praised for taking firm action As campaigning for the elections closed on Friday midnight election monitors reported that they received around 1,500 complaints during the run up to the poll, but the situation has been peaceful compared to previous elections. The number of complaints [...]
SLT assures uninterrupted service on polling day
SLT being the telecommunication service provider for the Elections Commissioners office, counting centres and the media centre, will have a staff of more than 250 working around the clock till the elections come to a close. To ensure smooth communication of results the Commissioner’s office has been given two 1mbps lines to facilitate uploading of the [...]
Test makes sure poll results will be released smoothly
The Colombo University School of Computing (CUSC) is all geared up to release all election results in collaboration with the Department of Elections, its Director-General, Professor Gihan Wikramanayake said.The school has appointed more than 70 lecturers and administrative staff members to issue all results to media and other institutions as soon as they come in [...]
Three seriously injured as candidate’s vehicle crashes into motorcycle
Two women and a four-year-old child involved in an accident were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after the motorcycle which they were riding was hit by a speeding vehicle owned by a candidate at the forthcoming August 17 (Monday) elections, police sources said. According to police the vehicle was travelling from Puttalam towards Kurunegala when the [...]
Voter is king on polling day
The Elections Department said that to enable disabled persons vote in comfort in tomorrow’s Parliamentary elections it has decided to bring the ballot papers to the disabled voter. Assistant Commissioner M.M. Mohamed said that a consensus has been reached recently in consultation with representatives of recognised political parties to take the ballot paper to the [...]