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Fresh measures to ensure fair polls in North and East
By Shelani Perera and Telles Ananadappa
Polls chief Dayananda Dissanayake has assured Presidential candidates of fresh measures to ensure a fair poll in cluster polling booths in the north and east, despite efforts by two of the candidates to restrict polling for voters in uncleared areas.

An Elections Department official said cluster polling booths would be set up at least 500 metres away from any LTTE-controlled areas, an Assistant Returning Officer would be appointed to each booth to prevent rigging and additional foreign monitors will be placed.

The Commissioner promised to introduce other measures to ensure a fair poll. These guidelines are due to be submitted to the political parties before the next meeting of the representatives on Thursday.

Some of the candidate representatives have demanded that the polling booths should be moved 1000 metres into government-controlled areas, but the Commissioner said the issue should be discussed with the security forces.
The Elections Commissioner’s assurances came in the wake of two petitions to the Supreme Court by two presidential candidates, asking for interim orders to prevent setting up of booths in LTTE-controlled areas and for other measures to ensure a free and fair poll.

While refusing any interim order, the Supreme Court will take up the case again on Nov. 7 with the Elections Commissioner being requested to report on measures to ensure a fair poll.

The UPFA presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse’s campaign manager Basil Rajapakse told The Sunday Times the party would be submitting its own proposals to ensure that the voting in the North-East was not rigged heavily as in previous elections.

He said that while the N-E vote did not play a key role in general elections, it could be decisive in the presidential election and thus Prime Minister Rajapakse wanted every measure to ensure a fair vote.

Mr. Rajapakse said the Commissioner had promised to send further proposals to ensure a free and poll in the North-East and the UPFA would respond with its own proposals after that.

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