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At Thursday's news conference: NEC chief Deshapriya with commissioners Ratnajeevan Hoole (L) and N.J. Abeysekare. Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera

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 seats 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 “Postal voting is very outdated.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”.

Railways on slow track in Internet age

The Government is pouring millions of dollars for an advertising promotion abroad to have more tourists visit Sri Lanka.
This is particularly after a drop in arrivals following the April 21 Easter Sunday attacks. Most of the tourists use trains or buses as their mode of transport in Sri Lanka. And the encounters they face with Sri Lanka Railways are not only a blow to tourist promotion efforts but also to local travellers.

Here is one such instance which is a poser for the General Manager of the Railways.
A Maharagama resident wanted to travel by train to Jaffna. He used the line of a state-owned mobile phone network to make a booking since it has an arrangement with the Railways.

The person who answered without much ado booked him on a morning train without responding to the questions raised. When the passenger later learnt there were trains leaving earlier, he phoned to cancel his reservation and book afresh. Though the cancellation was made, the person who answered the phone said there would be no refund. Then on the same mobile phone, a fresh booking was made for an earlier train. That only meant he was paying double the fare for a single ticket.

When the passenger sent a messenger with a photocopy of his NIC card and the reference of the booking to obtain the ticket, it was refused. The passenger, an official said, should be present in person.

He turned up at the Fort Railway Station on the day of travel at 3.30 a.m. to collect his ticket since the journey was important. The reservations office was closed. So was the Inquiries counter.

They opened only half an hour before the departure of the train. The ticket was obtained but there were no checks of any sort. He boarded the train and found that in the middle of the seat given to him was a huge hole. He had to make do.
The same treatment was meted out to two Sri Lankan expatriates who had arrived by air from Canada. From the Colombo airport, they had driven straight to the Fort Railway Station. They had to wait for nearly three hours for the reservation counter to open. If there was a long queue, he would have missed the train.

It was another two days later that the passenger learnt the first booking was cancelled. In the 168-year old railways, not much seems to have changed. High time the Railway authorities put their house in order.

Sajith’s lucky campaign man

With a man of abundant luck assisting, the New Democratic Party presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa’s victory is well assured, said one of those who congratulated Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, a campaign manager for the NDF.

This was after for the second consecutive year, Mr. Bakeer Markar, onetime Information Minister, won the Turkish Airline ticket for two to Istanbul at the draw held at the Turkish national day ceremony at the Galle Face hotel on Tuesday.

Lady luck did not stop at that. At the same draw, one of his son’s won a dinner voucher for two offered by the Galle Face Hotel.

SLFP MP set for crossover

A Kurunegala District MP may join the ranks of the United National Party (UNP) in the coming week.
His complaint is that he cannot work with the SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera.
One source said that the preliminaries for the crossover have been worked out.

Sirisena still trying

President Maithripala Sirisena has not given up efforts to enter Parliament as a National List MP.
A few remaining loyalists are canvassing those on the SLFP National List to give way but have not been successful so far.
His efforts to persuade Dilan Perera to quit did not meet with success.

President to address the nation before polls

President Maithripala Sirisena is likely to address the nation ahead of the presidential election on November 16.Sources close to the presidency said he would seize the opportunity to explain to Sri Lankans his achievements in the near past five years as President of Sri Lanka.

These sources said he is also likely to set out the drawbacks he suffered in implementing his policies.

Sirisena, Basil scoff at CBK’s move

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna architect and National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa had a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena this week.

The duo had a discussion on many polls-related issues. This included moves by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to wean away SLFP members to support New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate Sajith Premadasa. They agreed that the move would not have a big impact since only a few would back her.