Polls
Dept. survey to verify lists
By N.Dilshath Banu
The Elections Department is due to carry out a house-to-house survey
to verify its electoral registers after many people who went to
vote at the recently concluded Presidential election complained
their names had been deleted.
Elections
Deputy Commissioner W.P. Sumanasiri said that discussions have already
been conducted with the Census and Statistics Department to conduct
the verification.
“We
will be seeking guidance from the Census and Statistics Department
to simplify the process of enumeration and enlist the eligible voters
in the electoral register” he said.
Census
and Statistics Department Director General A.G.W Nanayakkara said
his officials would help the Elections Department by providing it
with technical advice on how a census is conducted, though they
would not be physically involved in the process.
“We
have three main stages in a census. First is house-to-house visiting
and listing the names of the people. Next, is a detailed survey
of those people. Finally, we would verify whether these people were
actually living at the given addresses. It is on these guidelines
that we would be advising the Elections Department,” he said.
The
meeting between Elections and Census and Statistics Department officials
is scheduled to be held on Friday. The house-to house survey is
to be conducted after the display of the electoral registers at
District and Divisional Secretariats, post offices and grama niladhari
offices.
“The
electoral registers with the Deleted and the New Inclusion lists
will be displayed from January 3 till January 31. Those who wish
to make claims can do so within the four weeks,” Assistant
Elections Commissioner Rasika Peries said.
During
the Presidential Election in 2005, many people were disappointed
when they didn’t receive their polling cards. Some who went
to the polling booth on election day with their identity cards found
their names were not in the electoral register.
“Many
people do not know when the enumeration process begins and how they
could make a claim in due time when their names are not included
in the register,” Mr. Peries said.
The
enumeration process starts in June with the grama niladharis going
from house to house and delivering the forms which the chief householder
has to fill and sign. Within a month the grama niladhari collects
the forms, prepares the Deleted and the New Inclusion lists and
send them with the completed forms to the Assistant Elections Commissioners.
During
November/December, the electoral register with the Deleted and the
New Inclusion lists will be displayed at District and Divisional
Secretariats, post offices and grama niladhari offices so that people
will be able to raise objections if their names have not been included.
As
the Presidential elections were in November, the display of electoral
registers was postponed for this month for people to examine them.
“You can object if your name is not in the electoral register
or in the new inclusion list and if it is in the deleted list. You
can also object on behalf of another person. Most of the time the
latter will be done by relatives or people who know the person,”
Mr.Peries said
He
added that one can object if his/her name is registered at a different
address or under a different name or if another person’s name
is registered at one’s address. Once the claims are sent they
will be verified and displayed for two weeks.
“Those
who send their claims within the last two weeks will have their
claims displayed for an additional two weeks. Thus the whole process
will end in the second week of February,” Mr. Peries said.
“The
claims and objections should be made on a form which could be obtained
at all the places where the electoral registers are being displayed.
The forms should be filled and sent to the Assistant Election Commissioners
of the relevant district,” he said.
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