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Hidden hand in missing names?
By Nalaka Nonis and N.Dilshath Banu
It is obvious that the LTTE denied hundreds of thousands of people in the north east of exercising their democratic right to elect a new president on November 17, but in the south it remains still a mystery as to how the names of tens of thousands of people were not included in the electoral registers.
Although on the surface the polls in the south appeared to be free and fair in comparison with that of the north-east where there was violence and intimidation, it is alleged there has been a more sinister move in the south, with particular areas being targeted and selected names being excluded arbitrarily from voting lists through the manipulation of the electoral registration system.

Many enthusiastic voters who had gone to vote armed with National Identity Cards in the absence of polling cards, were turned back by officials who said they were ineligible to vote. One such disappointed voter was M.N. Mukthar from Kollupitiya. “I went early in the morning to the polling booth to cast my vote. I took my ID as I didn’t get a polling card. But at the booth I was told that I couldn’t vote as my name was not on the electoral register,” he said. (See the Box).

Mukthar’s was just one among thousands of complaints from areas including Gampaha, Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa where people had not received polling cards and their names had been excluded from electoral lists.
An investigation by The Sunday Times has revealed that thousands of people had been deprived of their franchise in Colombo district especially targeting Muslims whose names had reportedly been deleted from the electoral lists.
Fathima Rizna from Sebastian flats in Colombo Central told us that all 12 members of her family including herself could not vote as their names were not on the electoral list.

“We have always voted in the past. This is the first time that we were turned away from the polling booth, after being told that our names were not on the list. It’s mysterious because we all voted in the 2004 General Elections and had filled out the required documents correctly.

In the block of flats that Fathima lived at least 22 families were deprived of voting at this time’s keenly fought presidential poll. In the same flat, Tharanga Dilshan, (26) who served as a UNP agent in a polling booth, was surprised to learn his name too had been deleted from the electoral list.

“I could not understand how my name had been left out of the list. I had furnished all the necessary information on time to be eligible to vote. I complained, but I knew it was in vain,” Tharanga charged. In the adjoining Sucharitha flats 11 families out of 32 had been unable to vote because their names were not on the electoral list.

H.M. Karunaratne (59), one of the occupants in the Sucharitha flats and who claimed that he had worked as a driver to the late president R. Premadasa said for the first time in his life he was denied the right to vote. He said the Grama Sevaka of his area had told him that he would see to it that his name would be included in the electoral list for the next election.

Provincial Council member and Managing Director of Lyceum International schools Mohan Lal Grero, had a similar tale to tell. “My wife and I were frustrated when we learnt we couldn’t vote. All these years we have been voting but this time we could not vote,” he said.

In a Kandy suburb, 170 people had not been able to vote because their names had been left out of the electoral register. In Kurunegala, Gampaha and Polonnaruwa too cases of disenfranchisement have been reported. Most of them said they were long time residents of these areas.

Colombo District’s Assistant Election Commissioner, A.D. Dhamadasa commenting on these allegations said even if people have been living in a particular area for many years the electoral register is revised annually.
“This annual revision starts in June. If a person had left a particular place last year, and the chief occupant hadn’t included his/her name in last year’s revision, this person may not have got a polling card this year. If the chief occupant had included that person’s name in this year’s revision, he/she will be eligible for the next election in 2006. However, this person may not be able to vote if there is an election before June, 2006, as for this period, we’ll be still using the 2004 register,” Mr.Dharmadasa said. Some people who arrived at the polling booth and realized their names had not been included reportedly had heated arguments with the officials there. While most of the angry disenfranchised people charge that politically biased Grama Sevaka’s had intentionally deleted their names the Grama Sevaka’s charge the affected-people had not furnished information on time.

The usual process of electoral registration begins with the Gramasevakas visitng households delivering electoral registration forms, commonly known as the BC form. After two weeks, and in some cases a month, the Grama Sevaka comes to collect the forms. When handing over the BC forms back to the Grama Sevaka, the people should get the detached receipt which is a part of the BC form. Sometimes the Grama Sevakas send their proxies to collect the Electoral Register Forms.

However, most of the eligible voters apparently don’t know that there is a receipt that they should get and they say that the Grama Sevaka does not give it to them.

Clause 8 of the electoral register states that the chief occupant is advised to get the receipt. However the detachable receipt does not clearly indicate who should be given the receipt.

Mr. Dharmadasa said that it is the duty of the Grama Sevaka to give the detachable receipt and action can be taken against a Grama Sevaka who does not adhere to this requirement.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Election Commissioner for Colombo City, W.W Deshapriya charged that mishaps by several parties including the Grama Sevaka and the voters themselves had led to the non-inclusion of names in the electoral register.

“Some Grama Sevakas face problems when delivering the BC forms, especially when residents are not in their homes most of the time. Although, we send letters to those to whom we could not deliver the BC form, it is very rarely that we get a reply,” Mr.Deshapriya said.

He also said that most people living in apartment buildings don’t personally receive the BC forms as the security guards are asked to collect them and sometimes when the Grama Sevaka goes to collect the forms it is a different security guard on duty.

Only few complaints : Polls monitoring body
Election Monitoring bodies say they have so far only received a few written complaints regarding disenfranchisement in the south and are encouraging others to lodge complaints if they have not done so.

They say many of the voters have not complained because they do not have the receipt to prove they had filled the forms properly. The co-convenor of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, Dr.P Saravanamuttu said they are taking steps to educate the public regarding the registration process for future elections.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Kingsley Rodrigo says that the law pertaining to the electoral register should be amended.

Mukthar’s story
It’s was nine days before the election, when M.N Mukthar realized that 24 members of his family, including himself didn’t get polling cards. When he inquired from his neighbours, they all said they had received theirs.

“Earlier my father was the chief occupant of the house but now I am the chief occupant. I have been living in this house for many years and voting since the 1970s. Since then, I have always filled the necessary forms and given it to the Grama Sevaka and received the polling cards,” Mr.Mukthar said.

As this was the first time, he didn’t get the polling card he had gone to the Post Office to check, only to get a negative response. He next went to meet the Grama Sevaka.

“When I complained to him he informed me that my family and I had not been registered. I was disappointed. Then I proceeded to the Elections Department and made a complaint.”

Here Mr. Mukthar was given the opportunity to see the electoral lists and he realized that the number of his house and the household names had not been included in the 2004 electoral list. The Chief clerk at the Election Department told him that their names had been registered in the 2003 and 2004 lists.

hen they checked the 2002 register and the previous one, his name had been included. The Chief clerk had then taken down the particulars and added Mukthar’s name to the 2005 electoral register. On November 17, Mr.Mukthar armed with his NIC had walked into the polling booth as the Elections Commissioner had announced that voters could use their NIC or passport, in case they hadn’t received their poll cards to cast their vote. However, Mr.Mukthar was not allowed to cast his ballot.

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