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Repoll
if voting is rigged
For the first time he will consider reports of independent monitors besides those from senior officials conducting the polls. The two monitoring groups he has identified for the purpose are People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV). Last Friday Mr. Dissanayake warned political parties and independent groups that complaints of malpractice or irregularties would compel him to order a repoll. He said that could prompt a delay in announcing the final results of the elections. Nearly 28,000 monitors from PAFFREL and the CMEV will be deployed countrywide on Friday to monitor the polls. They will liaise with the Senior Presiding Officer and his staff. Among the specific matters they will focus attention on will be attempts at rigging, stuffing ballot boxes, violence, intimidation of voters or staff and delays in opening of polling booths. Mr. Dissanayake who met secretaries of recognized political parties last Friday appealed to them to urge their respective supporters to refrain from violence. He said they should all assist in a free and fair poll. Both the Department of Elections and the Police have finalized arrangements for Friday's elections. Police Chief Indra de Silva told The Sunday Times some 64,000 police personnel would be deployed for election duty while the army and the STF would standby. He said police had also finalised security plans to prevent post-polls violence. The Police Chief said election violence this time was relatively low and one reason might have been the recent crackdown on the underworld. The Commissioner of Elections on Friday also announced details of the restrictions on propaganda of candidates through the electronic media and the state media. Accordingly, all political propaganda through electronic media will end on Monday night. However, reports on meetings held before Tuesday midnight could be broadcast before 7 a.m. on Wednesday. At next Friday's elections 12.8 million voters will be eligible to vote. |
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